This exam tips covers Read-Aloud Tips & Common Errors within The é, -er, -ez sound family for GCSE French. Revise The é, -er, -ez sound family in Phonics: French Sounds and Spellings for GCSE French with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
💡 Read-Aloud Tips & Common Errors
- Check every -er verb ending in your text — the final r is always silent. Parler = [paʁle], not "par-LEHR".
- Look for grave accents (è) and circumflex accents on e (ê) — both signal the open [ɛ] sound.
- The word «très» (very) has a grave accent: [tʁɛ] — open [ɛ], not "tray".
- Don't add an extra vowel sound at the end of -er infinitives. «Manger» ends on a clean [e], not "mang-uh-ray".
- When you see -ère (as in «la lumière», «la manière»), the è gives open [ɛ] and the final -e is silent.
❌ Common error: Reading «père» as "pay-reh" — applying the é [e] sound to a word with è.
✓ Correct: «père» = [pɛʁ] — the è is open, more like "peh" with a rolled r. The final e is silent.
Why it costs marks: Confusing é [e] and è [ɛ] is one of the most common phonics errors on the AQA Read-Aloud. The examiner will notice the difference because «père» and «payé» are completely distinct in French — using the wrong sound signals a misunderstanding of how accent marks change pronunciation.
Practice questions for The é, -er, -ez sound family
Which statement is TRUE about the spellings é, -er (infinitive ending), and -ez (vous ending) in French?
How is the word 'le marché' pronounced?