Spelling the sound [ ]


The spelling of a sound may be influenced by several factors:

  •   syllable structure: open or closed
  •   environment
  •   the position of the sound within a word: initial, middle, final
  •   a combination of two or more of the above

Conversely, how letters and letter groupings are pronounced may depend on different factors:
  •   syllable structure: open or closed
  •   environment
  •   the position of the letter within a word: initial, middle, final
  •   a combination of two or more of the above

How to spell it?

The sound [ ] can be represented by two different vowel groupings:
  •   "eu"             deux, peut, heureux
  •   " oeu"             voeu, oeufs

How to sound it?

As you know, the letter groupings representing the sound [ ] can also represent
the sound [ ]. So how do you know which sounds how? By applying the "loi de position".

This rule is based essentially on syllable structure, i.e., on the position of the sound
within the syllable:

The sound [ ] is found in open syllables:
            deux, peut, fameux, un voeu, deuxième

The only instance of [ ] in a closed syllable is when the final consonant is /z/:
            heureuse, amoureuse