This introduction covers Les combinaisons surprenantes — Letters That Break English Rules within Tricky combinations: ç, qu, ch, gn and liaison for GCSE French. Revise Tricky combinations: ç, qu, ch, gn and liaison 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 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔤 Les combinaisons surprenantes — Letters That Break English Rules
In English, «ch» sounds like «church», «qu» sounds like «queen», and «gn» doesn't really exist. In French, all three are completely different — and once you know the rules, they unlock hundreds of words instantly. «Ch» makes a «sh» sound. «Qu» is just [k] with a silent u. And «gn» creates a soft «ny» sound like the middle of «canyon». Knowing these five combinations is a fast, high-yield win for your AQA Read-Aloud: they appear in very common French words and examiners notice when students mispronounce them.
Practice questions for Tricky combinations: ç, qu, ch, gn and liaison
What does the cédille (ç) do in French?
How is the word 'garçon' pronounced in French?
Quick recall flashcards
What does the cédille (ç) do?
The cédille forces a soft 'S' sound before a, o, u. Without it, c before a/o/u would be hard 'K'. français = 'fron-SAY'. garçon = 'gar-SON'. leçon = 'luh-SON'. ç is NEVER used before e or i (c is already soft there).
quatre — how is this pronounced?
'KAT-ruh' — the 'qu' makes a simple 'K' sound (u is silent), the 'r' is a French uvular R, and the final 'e' is a faint schwa. Means 'four'.