French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "cinq" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce cinq in French?

cinq is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /sɛ̃k/. It means “five.” sank, but with a nasal vowel instead of a real "n" — and yes, the "q" at the end really is pronounced.

sank, but with a nasal vowel instead of a real "n" — and yes, the "q" at the end really is pronounced.

cinq /sɛ̃k/

One syllable, and a firmly closed one thanks to that final "k". When counting, note that the "q" is often dropped before a word beginning with a consonant — "cinq minutes" is commonly /sɛ̃ mi.nyt/ — but on its own the "k" is always there.

Listen: cinq

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Sound it out

c Before "i", French "c" is a soft "s". Never a "k" here, despite the "k" sound waiting at the other end of the word.

in The nasal vowel /ɛ̃/. Say "eh" as in "bed" while sending the air out through your nose, and do not let your tongue rise to make an "n". It sounds close to a nasalized "a" in "cat" to English ears.

q Pronounced as a "k". This is one of the few word-final consonants French keeps, and it is what makes "cinq" sound closed rather than trailing off.

Hear it in a sentence

Ça fait cinq euros.

That comes to five euros.

Listen: Ça fait cinq euros.

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"Ça fait cinq euros" links the number straight into the currency: "cinq euros" is /sɛ̃.k‿ø.ʁo/, with the final "k" attaching to the front of "euros". "Euros" itself starts with that rounded /ø/ vowel and its final "s" is silent. The phrase "ça fait" is the everyday way of announcing a total, literally "that makes".

Where English speakers slip

The obvious mistake is treating the "in" as "ink", producing "sink" with a real "n" hitting the roof of the mouth before the "k". Nothing touches until the "k" itself. The opposite error also happens once learners have been drilled on silent final consonants: they drop the "q" and say "sa", which is wrong in isolation. Nasalize the vowel, then land firmly on the "k".