The silent P in French

Can you say this correctly in French?  COMPTER

Did you pronounce that P? If you want to sound like a native and have some practice with that challenging letter P then check out this mini-lesson and discover . . . 

• How to say those words with a silent P

• Practice of the sounds with explanations

• Mini challenges to help you remember when or NOT to say that P!

Should you pronounce the P or not?

Just like English, French can be tricky because sometimes you pronounce the P and sometimes you don’t! So, how can you guess?

In general, the last letter is silent. Of course, there are some exceptions:

cap >>> cape

slip >>> briefs , pants

stop >>> stop

And for the words with a silent final letter, you could use this letter with other words in the same family. Indeed, if it’s a noun the letter is silent but for the verb, you’ll need it. We will see examples together.

12 examples where the letter p is silent.

Look at the following words. They all have a silent p.

• prompt >>> prompt
• sept >>> seven
• beaucoup >>> a lot 
• un champ >>> a field
• un coup >>> a blow
• un drap >>> a sheet
• un galop >>> a gallop
• un loup >>> a wolf
• un sirop >>> a syrup
• trop >>> too much, too many
• un camp >>> a camp
• un comptable >>> an accountant

Let’s study them one by one.

First, we have:

• prompt >>> prompt

Let’s see it in a full sentence:

• Il lui souhaite un prompt rétablissement. >>> He wishes her a prompt recovery.

Then, with the number seven:

• sept >>> seven

Like here:

• Céline a sept enfants. >>> Céline has seven children.

Note that in the word septembre (September), you do pronounce the letter p.

This is a common mistake students or people make:

• beaucoup >>> a lot

Never say the final p like in this illustration:

• Nous travaillons beaucoup pendant la semaine. >>> We work a lot during the week.

However, in some sentences you can say the p because you are making a liaison:

• Elle a beaucoup aimé cette chanson. >>> She liked this song a lot.

You may think of champagne but in the word champ, we never say the final p:

• un champ >>> a field

Have a look at this:

• Les fermiers travaillent dans les champs. >>> Farmers work in the fileds.

However, for the adjective, you do say the p:

• champêtre >>> outdoor

Such as:

• Un dîner champêtre est très romantique. >>> An outdoor dinner is very romantic.

Just like in beaucoup, you will never say the final letter:

• un coup >>> a blow 

Let’s see one example:

• Ils ont reçu un coup au visage. >>> They received a blow to the face.

Here’s an everyday word for you:

• un drap >>> a sheet

In a sentence, you say this:

• Je change mes draps chaque semaine. >>> I change my sheets each week.

What about this one?

• un galop >>> a gallop

You would say the following:

• Le cheval a un galop régulier. >>> The horse has a regular gallop.

Be careful with the verb though…

• galoper >>> to gallop

Like in this sentence: 

• Elle galope quand elle peut. >>> She gallops when she can.

There are some traps with animals in French. Here’s an example:

• un loup >>> a wolf

You would say something like this:

• Les loups font peur a beaucoup de personnes. >>> Wolves scare a lot of people.

Pay attention to this false friend. It has nothing to do with wolf!

• louper >>> to miss

Here is how to use this familiar expression:

• Elle a loupé son bus. >>> She missed her bus.

This word is tempting because it looks like the English word:

• un sirop >>> a syrup

Never say the final p like in English:

• Je bois un sirop contre la toux. >>> I drink syrup for my cough.

This is another common mistake students or people make:

• trop >>> too much, too many

I have this example for you:

• Ils travaillent trop ! >>> They work too much.

Once more, this word with the exact spelling in English may confuse you:

• un camp >>> a camp

The letter p is always silent:

• Les adolescents ont fait un feu de camp. >>> The teenagers made a camp fire.

This is a word French people use often:

• camping >>> campsite

In this case we do say the p:

• C’est un terrain de camping dans les montagnes. >>> It’s a campsite in the mountains.

Finally, let’s see this word

• un comptable >>> an accountant

Just like the verb, you never say the p:

• Ce comptable travaille très bien. >>> This accountant works very well.

How can you remember these?

First, visualise the sound. Remember how to put your mouth, tongue, and everything required to say it.

Then, vocalise the sound. Don’t stay with the idea that you know how to say it without doing it aloud. The best thing you could do would be to record your voice and listen to it after to check. Even better, get instant feedback from a native speaker. 

Practice writing specific words and, as you write, say them aloud as well. 

Finally, memorise one word at a time. Master one then go ahead with another one. Trying to learn several ones at the same time is counterproductive.  

The following FREE masterclass is available to you to guide you through being able to speak French with confidence.  And if you speak with more confidence, you also hear more easily - really.  Take a peek . . .  https://www.simplyfrenchonline.com head for LEARN and then Masterclass. 

So, be honest with me, do you sometimes say the p because you forget it? Which words are they?