French · Difficult words
How to pronounce près in French
près
Near
French of France · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
près is pronounced /pʁɛ/ in French. In près: The final written s is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /pʁɛ/. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in près
The reference transcription for près is /pʁɛ/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. French prominence belongs to the spoken phrase. Do not impose a heavy English-style stress on every isolated word.
1.The final written s
In près: The final written s is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /pʁɛ/.
Watch out: Connected speech can differ, especially where liaison is possible. Do not generalize this word’s ending to every French word.
2.The French r /ʁ/
In près: Use gentle friction toward the back of the mouth. Keep the tongue tip relaxed while connecting r to its neighboring vowel.
Watch out: Avoid a strong English curled r or adding a vowel before the consonant.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In près: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
Hear it in context
La pharmacie est juste près d'ici.
The pharmacy is right near here.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
près is presented using French of France. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about près
How do you pronounce près?
près is pronounced /pʁɛ/ in French. In près: The final written s is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /pʁɛ/. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In près: The final written s is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /pʁɛ/. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
