French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "dormir" in French?

dor-MEER — two throat "r"s, and the final one is pronounced because this is an -ir verb.

dormir /dɔʁ.miʁ/

dor-MIR, weight on the second syllable — the same rhythm as "sortir" and "partir", which all belong to the same -ir group and conjugate alike.

Listen: dormir

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Sound it out

dor A dental "d", a short open "o" as in "cot", then the uvular "r". Keep the "o" distinct rather than letting the "r" absorb it.

mir An "m", a pure "ee", and a final uvular "r" that is fully sounded.

Hear it in a sentence

Je dors huit heures par nuit.

I sleep eight hours a night.

Listen: Je dors huit heures par nuit.

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"Je dors huit heures par nuit" contains a liaison inside the time phrase: "huit heures" is /ɥi.t‿œʁ/, with the "t" of "huit" carrying over. "Dors" ends in a silent "s", and "nuit" has the same /ɥ/ glide as "huit" — that lip-rounded, tongue-forward "w" that English lacks. French says "par nuit" where English says "a night".

Where English speakers slip

The Spanish "dormir" is a false friend for pronunciation: the same spelling, but a rolled "r" and a different rhythm. In French both "r"s are uvular rasps. English speakers meanwhile borrow "dormitory" and stress the first syllable, giving "DOR-mir". Move the weight to the end and let both "r"s happen at the back of the throat while the vowels stay clean.