This exam tips covers Read-Aloud Tips & Common Errors 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 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
- Every time you see ch, say [ʃ] (like «sh»). There are almost no exceptions in everyday GCSE vocabulary.
- Every time you see qu, say [k] and ignore the u completely — «qui» = [ki], «que» = [kə], «quand» = [kɑ̃].
- The ç only appears before a, o, u — before e or i the plain c already makes [s], so you don't need the cédille there.
- For gn, practise the word «montagne» — once you can say [mɔ̃taɲ] fluently, you've got the sound.
- For liaison, remember the formula: les / des / mes / tes / ses + vowel = obligatory [z] link. Mark these in the text before you read aloud.
- «-tion» at the end of a word is always [sjɔ̃] in French. Do not apply the English «shun» rule.
❌ Common error: Pronouncing «qui» as "kwee" — applying the English «qu» = "kw" rule.
✓ Correct: «qui» = [ki] — in French, the u after q is always silent. «Qui» sounds like the English letter «key».
Why it costs marks: This anglicism is immediately audible to a French speaker and to the AQA examiner. The word «qui» (who / which) appears very frequently in connected speech and in the Read-Aloud text. Pronouncing it as "kwee" rather than [ki] signals a fundamental misunderstanding of French phonology and reduces your AO7 mark.
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?