LingoDrop
French · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "faire" in French?
fehr — one syllable, an open "eh" vowel and a throat "r". Rhymes with nothing in English exactly; think "fair" without the American "r".
One syllable. "Faire" belongs to the -re infinitive family, where the final "r" is pronounced and the "e" is silent — the opposite of the -er family, where the "r" is silent.
Listen: faire
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
Je dois faire les courses.
I have to do the shopping.
Listen: Je dois faire les courses.
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"Je dois faire les courses" is a set expression: "faire les courses" means to do the grocery shopping, not to run races. French uses "faire" for an enormous range of activities — faire la cuisine, faire du sport, faire attention — so it does far more work than English "do" or "make". Two verbs stack here, with "dois" conjugated and "faire" left as an infinitive.
Where English speakers slip
The English word "fair" is the obvious anchor, and the vowel is close enough — but the American "r" that follows reshapes the whole syllable, giving "fayrr" with the tongue curled back. Keep the vowel flat and open, then make the "r" in your throat without moving your tongue tip. Learners also sometimes give the final "e" a beat, producing "FEH-ruh"; it should be silent.