French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "la chambre" in French?

la SHAHN-bruh — "ch" is "sh", the vowel is nasal, and the "br" fades at the end.

la chambre /la ʃɑ̃bʁ/

The phrase peaks on CHAMBRE, one full syllable plus a fading cluster. The nasal vowel and the trailing "br" together give the word its distinctive shape.

Listen: la chambre

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Sound it out

ch "sh", as French "ch" always is.

am The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/, written with "m" because a "b" follows. Open mouth, air through the nose, tongue lying still.

bre A "b" into a uvular "r", with the final "e" silent or barely breathed.

Hear it in a sentence

J'ai réservé une chambre pour deux nuits.

I reserved a room for two nights.

Listen: J'ai réservé une chambre pour deux nuits.

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"J'ai réservé une chambre pour deux nuits" uses the passé composé with "réservé", which has two accented "e"s both giving a closed "ay". "Deux nuits" makes no liaison because "nuits" begins with a consonant, so the "x" stays silent. "Nuits" has the /ɥ/ glide and a silent "ts".

Where English speakers slip

The English "chamber" supplies a hard "ch", a real "m", and a full "-ber" ending. French wants "sh", a nasal vowel with nothing touching, and a cluster that fades away. The other habit worth breaking is giving the "-bre" a full vowel of its own: there is no "uh" at the end, just a "b" running into a throat rasp and stopping.