This deep dive covers The é Sound Family — Closed vs. Open E 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 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📖 The é Sound Family — Closed vs. Open E
The two main sounds: é [e] and è [ɛ]
The key distinction is between the closed [e] and the open [ɛ]. Think of it as the difference between a tight, tense «ay» and a relaxed «eh».
| Sound | IPA | Mouth position | Spelling patterns | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closed e | [e] | Lips slightly spread, corners pulled back, jaw nearly closed — tense and high | é, -er (infinitive), -ez (vous form) | l'école, l'été, parler, vous parlez, le café |
| Open e | [ɛ] | Jaw drops slightly lower, mouth more open, more relaxed | è, ê, -et ending, e in closed syllable | le père, la mère, être, la tête, le poulet |
⭐ The -er = -ez = é rule (the most useful phonics rule in French)
For the AQA Read-Aloud, you will encounter -er verb infinitives constantly. Remember: the -r is always silent, and the -er ending sounds exactly like é [e].
| Written | Sounds like | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| parler | [paʁle] — final r silent | "par-LEHR" (pronouncing -r) |
| manger | [mɑ̃ʒe] — final r silent | "man-ZHAIR" |
| regarder | [ʁəɡaʁde] | "reh-gar-DAIR" |
| vous parlez | [vu paʁle] — identical to parler | "par-LAY-Z" (pronouncing -z) |
| vous mangez | [vu mɑ̃ʒe] | "man-ZHAY-Z" |
Note: «et» (and) = [e] — same closed sound. «est» (is) = [ɛ] — open sound.
The -et word ending
When a word ends in -et, the sound is [ɛ] (open), not [e]. The final t is silent but the vowel is open.
| Word | Meaning | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| le poulet | the chicken | [pulɛ] — open [ɛ] |
| le billet | the ticket | [bijɛ] — open [ɛ] |
| le bonnet | the hat / beanie | [bɔnɛ] — open [ɛ] |
| le jouet | the toy | [ʒwɛ] — open [ɛ] |
Annotated model sentences
J'aime écouter de la musique et parler avec mes amis.
I like listening to music and talking with my friends.
- écouter [ekute] — é = [e]; -er infinitive ending = [e]; both closed
- et [e] — closed [e], same sound as é
- parler [paʁle] — -er ending = [e]; the -r is completely silent
Mon père et ma mère habitent près de l'école.
My father and my mother live near the school.
- père [pɛʁ] — è = open [ɛ]; contrast with é
- mère [mɛʁ] — same open [ɛ]
- habitent [abit] — -ent is silent (verb rule from T1)
- l'école [lekɔl] — é = closed [e]
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?