lot of things about the French and English languages are similar. They use the same alphabet. For the most part, we construct sentences the same way. But one of the big differences between the two languages is in pronunciation. When you speak French, you use your lips, tongue, throat, and even your nose. The French Alphabet The best way to get a handle on the French pronunciation is to learn the French alphabet. The French alphabet has the same letters as our alphabet, they're just pronounced differently. Here are the letters of the French alphabet. Each letter is followed by a phonetic pronunciation, which means a word that resembles the French pronunciation of that letter. The French Alphabet a (ah) b (bay) c (say) d (day) e (euh) f (effe) g (zhay) h (ahsh) i (ee) j (zhee) k (kah) l (elle) m (emme) n (enne) o (oh) p (pay) q (koo) r (air) s (esse) t (tay) u (oo) v (vay) w (doobleh vay) x (eeks) y (ee grek) z (zed) here are several letters you should pay special attention to. They are: g, j, e, q and r. Pronounce g like a soft j or "zhay." Pronounce j like a soft g, or "zhee." E has a weird "Euh" sound like someone just punched you in the gut. For q and u, you have to make a puckery face so you can say the "koo" and "oo" correctly. R is often the hardest French letter for Americans to pronounce. It sounds kinda like the word "air," but the end of the word is kinda guttural.