French (français) is a Romance language that evolved from Latin in the Gallo-Romance branch. It is spoken primarily in France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and numerous African countries.
Today, French is spoken by approximately 280 million people worldwide as a native or fluent second language. It is an official language in 29 countries and territories and serves as one of the working languages of international organizations like the UN.
The French alphabet has 42 letters – 6 basic vowels (including y), 13 accented vowel letters, 1 cedilla (ç), and 20 consonants. French also uses special ligatures (œ, æ) and has a complex system of diacritical marks that affect pronunciation and meaning.
Below is the breakdown of all letters and characters used in French.
French Vowel Letters
The French alphabet has 6 basic vowel letters: a, e, i, o, u, y. The letter y can function as both a vowel and consonant depending on its position in the word.
French Vowels (Lowercase)
French Vowels (Uppercase)
French Accented Vowel Letters
French has 13 accented vowel letters: à, â, é, è, ê, ë, î, ï, ô, ù, û, ü, ÿ (and their uppercase forms). These accents are crucial for correct pronunciation and often change the meaning of words entirely.
French Accented Vowels (Lowercase)
French Accented Vowels (Uppercase)
French Cedilla (ç)
The cedilla (ç, Ç) is used with the letter c to produce the soft /s/ sound before a, o, or u. Examples include "français" (French), "garçon" (boy), and "leçon" (lesson).
Without the cedilla, the c would be pronounced as /k/ in these contexts.
French Ligatures
French uses ligatures œ and æ (and their uppercase forms Œ and Æ). The œ appears in words like "cœur" (heart) and "sœur" (sister). The æ is less common in modern French.
These ligatures represent the historical combination of two vowels.
French Consonant Letters
French has 20 consonant letters. Many French consonants have pronunciation rules that differ from English, such as silent final consonants and the French "r" sound.
Understanding French consonant pronunciation is key to speaking French correctly.
French Consonants (Lowercase)
French Consonants (Uppercase)
Special Characters in French
French writing uses punctuation marks and symbols including period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), exclamation (!), and French-specific quotation marks (« ») and (" ").
French typography also uses non-breaking spaces before certain punctuation marks.
Digits in French
French uses the standard Arabic numerals 0–9, with French number names: zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf.
Like German, French uses comma (,) as the decimal separator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many letters are in French?
The French alphabet has 42 letters: 6 basic vowels (including y), 13 accented vowel letters, 1 cedilla (ç), and 20 consonants, plus ligatures œ and æ.
What are French accent marks?
French uses several accent marks: acute (é), grave (è, à, ù), circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û), diaeresis (ë, ï, ü, ÿ), and cedilla (ç). These accents affect pronunciation and are essential for correct spelling.
Where is French spoken?
French is spoken in France, Canada (Quebec), Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, and 24 African countries. It is also used in French overseas territories and is an official language of international organizations.
How many people speak French?
French is spoken by approximately 280 million people worldwide, making it the 5th most spoken language globally and an important language for international diplomacy and business.
References:
