French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "juste" in French?

zhüst — the soft "j" of "measure", the tight French "u", and a final "st" you pronounce.

juste /ʒyst/

One syllable, closed by the "st" cluster. The adjective has the same form in both genders, and the same spelling also works as an adverb meaning "just" or "only".

Listen: juste

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Sound it out

j The buzzy consonant of "measure", with no "d" in front.

u The vowel /y/: tongue in the "ee" position, lips rounded into a whistle shape. Not "oo".

ste An "s" and a "t", both pronounced, kept alive by the silent final "e".

Hear it in a sentence

Ta réponse est juste.

Your answer is right.

Listen: Ta réponse est juste.

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"Ta réponse est juste" puts the adjective at the end, where the pitch peaks. "Réponse" has an accented "é" giving a closed "ay", a nasal /ɔ̃/ in the middle, and a silent final "e" that keeps the "s" audible: ray-POHNS. Note that "juste" here means correct — for "fair" in the moral sense it is the same word, and context decides.

Where English speakers slip

The English word "just" is spelled almost identically and gives learners a hard "j" and an "uh" vowel. French wants the soft "zh" and the tight, lip-rounded /y/. Getting the vowel wrong toward "oo" produces something closer to "jooste", which is not a word. Say "ee" then round your lips without moving your tongue, and put that between "zh" and "st".