LingoDrop
French · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "la mer" in French?
lah MEHR — an open "eh" and a throat "r". Identical in sound to "la mère" (mother).
The phrase peaks on MER, one syllable. It is a homophone of "mère" (mother) and "maire" (mayor), so French relies entirely on context to distinguish three very common words.
Listen: la mer
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Hear it in a sentence
En été, on va à la mer.
In summer we go to the seaside.
Listen: En été, on va à la mer.
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"En été, on va à la mer" uses "en" before a season beginning with a vowel — note that "en été" links smoothly while "au printemps" uses a different preposition entirely. "À la mer" is the fixed phrase for going to the seaside. "Été" has two accented "e"s, both closed "ay": ay-TAY.
Where English speakers slip
Learners apply the -er infinitive rule and silence the "r", producing "meh". This is a noun, and the "r" is fully sounded. The vowel also gets absorbed by an American "r", giving "mair". Keep the "eh" flat and open, then make the rasp separately. And the three-way homophone set is worth knowing so you are not thrown when you hear it.