œ
/œ/
- Language
- French
- Unit
- Voyelles
- IPA
- /œ/
- Practice words
- 5
Sample pronunciation audio — Open the full phoneme overview
Start with one sample audio file for voyelles orales - /œ/.
Quick tip
Oral vowels are produced with air flowing only through the mouth.
Letters and IPA
Practice words
-
sœur
-
peur
-
cœur
-
jeune
-
seul
Minimal pairs
- peur / peur/père
- jeune / jeune/jaune
- sœur / sœur/sort
- œuf / œuf/ouf
- seul / seul/sol
How to produce this sound
Open your mouth a little, keep your tongue in the middle-front area, and round your lips gently.
Common mix-ups
- jeune / jaune
- peur / pair
- sœur / sort
- œuf / ouf
Closest comparison
Ce son est nouveau en anglais; le plus proche est le vowel de « bird » en anglais britannique, mais avec les lèvres plus arrondies.
Word of the Day
Today's hand-picked vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation page for French. Bookmark this section — it refreshes every day.
Get one new word every morning
Subscribe to SmartWords daily picks. Choose the topics you want — we send one short email per day.
Keep exploring
Play SmartWords games
Six word games built around our real vocabulary — free in the browser, no install.
Open the game hub →-
Word Sling
Match the center word under time pressure and keep the combo alive.
Play now → -
Word Gate
Fly through the correct gate before the speed ramps up.
Play now → -
Word Ninja
Slice the goal-language words, avoid the main-language decoy, and chase the announced bonus target.
Play now → -
Word Zip
Trace a single path across the board, hit each letter anchor in order, and fill every open cell.
Play now → -
Word Oddity
Pick the word that doesn't belong from a topic-driven set — every tap reveals all four meanings and images so the round becomes a flash-card too.
Play now → -
Word Memory
Flip and match goal-language words to their main-language meaning before your lives run out.
Play now →