French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "heureux" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce heureux in French?

heureux is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /œ.ʁø/. It means “happy (f. heureuse).” uh-RUH — two rounded vowels, a throat "r" between them, and a silent "h" and "x".

uh-RUH — two rounded vowels, a throat "r" between them, and a silent "h" and "x".

heureux /œ.ʁø/

heu-REUX, weight on the second syllable. Both vowels are rounded, so the lips stay pushed forward for the whole word — and the subtle difference between /œ/ and /ø/ is what gives it its shape.

Listen: heureux

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Sound it out

h Silent, as every French "h" is.

eu The open rounded vowel /œ/, as in "sœur". Lips rounded, tongue mid-front.

reu A uvular "r" plus the closer rounded vowel /ø/, as in "deux". The two "eu" spellings give slightly different vowels depending on whether a consonant closes the syllable.

x Silent. The feminine "heureuse" replaces it with a "z" and adds a syllable.

Hear it in a sentence

Je suis très heureux ici.

I'm very happy here.

Listen: Je suis très heureux ici.

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"Je suis très heureux ici" contains a liaison: "très heureux" is /tʁɛ.z‿œ.ʁø/, with the silent "s" of "très" surfacing before the mute "h". That link is what makes the phrase flow. "Ici" takes the final beat. A woman would say "heureuse", adding an audible "z".

Where English speakers slip

Learners aspirate the "h", which blocks the liaison and makes "très heureux" sound broken. There is no "h". They also unround both vowels into plain "uh" sounds, and pronounce the "x". Round the lips, rasp the "r" at the back, and let the liaison carry across from "très".