Since my daughter has recently expressed the desire to learn to read, I’ve started informally drawing her attention to the sounds that two letters make when they are put together. Here is a useful French for kids list of short words that contain consonants and the vowel “a”.
The letter “a” in French is “a”.
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ba
une banane (banana)
ca
une cabane (hut)
da
une dame (lady)
fa
une farine (flour)
ga
une galette (a type of pancake)
ha
Note that the letter “h” is silent in French, so it is not pronounced.
un habit (clothing)
ja
le Japon (Japan)
ka
un kaki (persimmon)
Related: Learning about persimmons in French – le kaki
la
un lapin (rabbit)
Related: Learn the names of baby animals in French
ma
une maman (mom)
na
une narine (nostril)
pa
un papa (dad)
ra
une radio (radio)
sa
une salade (salad)
ta
une table (table)
va
une valise (suitcase)
wa
un wagon (wagon)
ya
un yaourt (yogurt)
Teaching French sounds to kids
There are many playful ways to teach kids the sounds that various letters and letter combinations make. You can do it seamlessly during everyday conversations with your child. That way, they won’t feel like you’re quizzing them!
For instance, you can ask your child to guess the name of the delicious snack you have prepared for them by giving them a hint with the sound of the first letter or syllable. Is it a banana (banane) or yogurt (yaourt)?
You can also put a few items in a basket and play I Spy. You can take turns guessing the names of objects based on their beginning sounds.
Related: French games for kids: I spy with my little eye
You can also use magnetic letters and sound out different consonant and vowel combinations.
What are your favourite French for kids letter sounds or syllables games?
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