Accents in French

If you are looking for information about “accents” in French, this guide will help you understand the different types and how they are used in writing and pronunciation.

The five French accents

French uses five types of accents, all written above vowels. Each one affects pronunciation, spelling, or meaning.

Accent aigu ( ´ )

Used only on the letter e. It makes the sound “ay” as in café.

• Example: école = school

• Symbol: é

Accent grave ( ` )

Used on a, e, and u. It often changes pronunciation or meaning.

• à = to / at

• là = there

• où = where

• Symbol: è, à, ù

On e, it makes an open “eh” sound, like in père (father).

Accent circonflexe ( ˆ )

Used on all vowels (â, ê, î, ô, û). It may indicate a missing letter from older spelling.

• Example: forêt = forest

• hôtel, île, dû

It slightly lengthens the vowel but doesn't change pronunciation much.

Tréma ( ¨ )

Placed over the second of two vowels to show they are pronounced separately.

• Example: Noël = Christmas

• naïf, Haïti, maïs

• Symbols: ë, ï, ü

Cédille ( ¸ )

Used only under the letter c to make it sound like “s” before a, o, or u.

• Example: garçon = boy

• leçon = lesson

• Symbol: ç

Importance of accents

In French, accents can change:

• Meaning: ou (or) vs. où (where)

• Pronunciation: é vs. è

• Grammar: a (has) vs. à (to)

Accents are required in correct spelling and are used in both lowercase and uppercase letters, although capitals are sometimes written without them in informal contexts.