When to pronounce the last 3 letters -ENT in French

Is it ‘arrivent’ or arrivENT. When do you pronounce the last 3 letters -ENT in French? 

In our Conversation Café groups we now have pronunciation work every two weeks, then we integrate it into our spontaneous conversations.  

Why? Simply because when we articulate well in French, we find that we also understand more easily when listening to French. 

Whether we pronounce the final -ENT at the end of French words is a frequently raised hot topic when people join us.  

Is it ‘arrivent’ or arrivENT. When do you pronounce the last 3 letters -ENT in French?

In this mini-lesson, you’ll discover:

• When exactly you DO pronounce the final ‘ent on French words

• When exactly you DO NOT  pronounce the final ‘ent on French words

• Some great examples to help you remember - test yourself.

When exactly you DO pronounce the final ‘ent on French words

Generally, you do pronounce the final combination of the three letters ENT when you deal with nouns ( aka objects or people).

Let’s have a look at some words with examples.

The first one is the exact same word in English and French: document.

As far as the pronunciation is concerned, you won’t say the final T and the nasal sound EN means you don’t say the n or it is rather part of the nasal sound already.

It would like the following:

• Ce document est très important >>> This document is very important.

Here’s another example: moment. The same applies to this word: no T and the nasal sound EN. 

Here’s an illustration:

• Ça fait un bon moment que je ne t’ai pas vu >>> It’s been a while since I saw you.

Let’s play with the word parent.

You know the pattern at this stage… 

Here’s a sentence with this word:

• Un parent doit montrer l’example. >>> A parent should show the example.

Again, you do the same with the word agent. Be sure to check the pronunciation in the video.

In a typical sentence, you would have:

L’agent de police donne des amendes. >>> The police officer is giving out fines. 

When NOT to pronounce ENT

Time to see when you should avoid saying the final letters at all costs.

It’s super easy: you never say them when it’s a verb.

Let’s have a look at some examples.

To be specific, you ignore the ending “ent” that goes with the plural ils or elles (they in English).

Let’s start with the verb aimer (like / love). Here’s a sentence with this word:

• Ils s’aiment. >>> They love each other.

Now with the verb parler (to talk). For instance:

• Elles parlent. >>>They talk / are talking. 

Let’s play with the verb arriver (to arrive). Here’s a sentence for you:

• Les taxis arrivent. >>> The taxis are here (arriving).

What about prendre (to take)?

Here’s a sentence with this word: 

• Ils prennent leur temps. >>> They are taking their time.

Let’s finish with the verb venir. Here’s an illustration: 

• Elles viennent avec un pique-nique. >>> They are coming with a picnic.

Tips to remember when to pronounce or not ENT. 

First, use the words where you do pronounce it like “un moment!”.

Check if it’s a verb or not. If it is a verb, NEVER say ent on the end.

Then, vocalise the sound. Practice reading out loud. 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.

Besides, take these examples and make your own to suit your life and what you would say. That way, you’ll remember them more easily. Practice as much as you can or you will forget.

 Write the words in order to memorise them for both words and verbs. What about having 2 columns? In one you would put the words with the ENT pronounced and in the other column where the ending is silent.

Don’t try to learn everything at the same time. On the contrary, focus on one at a time.

Finally, embrace your learning. It’s really not a big deal if you make a mistake. 

So, you have seen in which cases you will pronounce ENT.

In nouns, you do say it.

For verbs, you ignore it

Tah dah!

Here are other mini-lessons about nasal sounds:

How to pronounce the French nasal sound AN

9 words to practise the French nasal sound UN

How do you pronounce the French nasal sound ON?

Do you tend to say ENT when you speak? Are there any other sounds you pronounce when you shouldn’t?