French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "cher" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce cher in French?

cher is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ʃɛʁ/. It means “expensive / dear (f. chère).” shehr — "ch" is "sh", the vowel is a flat open "eh", and the "r" is made in the throat.

shehr — "ch" is "sh", the vowel is a flat open "eh", and the "r" is made in the throat.

cher /ʃɛʁ/

One syllable. The feminine "chère" sounds identical; only the written accent changes. The word carries two meanings at once — expensive and dear — which is why letters open with "Cher Pierre".

Listen: cher

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Sound it out

ch "sh", as French "ch" almost always is. Never the "ch" of "church".

e An open "eh" as in "bed", kept distinct from the "r" that follows.

r A final uvular "r", pronounced. It should not bend the vowel before it — English "chair" merges the two, French keeps them separate.

Hear it in a sentence

Ce restaurant est trop cher.

This restaurant is too expensive.

Listen: Ce restaurant est trop cher.

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"Ce restaurant est trop cher" ends on the adjective, so the vowel and the throat "r" both get their full value. "Trop" ends in a silent "p", though it does link before a vowel — "trop important" gains a "p" sound. "Restaurant" ends in the nasal /ɑ̃/ with a silent "t": res-toh-RAHN.

Where English speakers slip

The English name "Cher" is exactly this word and gives most people a head start, but it also embeds an American "r" that swallows the vowel. Keep the "eh" clean and flat, then make the "r" separately at the back of your throat. The other reflex is a hard "ch" as in "cherry", which turns the word into something unrecognisable — French "ch" is always "sh".