LingoDrop
French · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "la pierre" in French?
lah PYEHR — one syllable, with the "i" as a "y" glide and a throat "r" at the end.
The phrase peaks on PIERRE, one syllable. It is identical in sound to the name Pierre, which is the same word — Peter means "rock" in Greek, and French kept the connection visible.
Listen: la pierre
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
J'ai trouvé une jolie pierre.
I found a pretty stone.
Listen: J'ai trouvé une jolie pierre.
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"J'ai trouvé une jolie pierre" uses the passé composé with "trouvé", ending in a closed "ay". "Jolie" is the feminine form with a silent "e", so it sounds the same as the masculine "joli". Note that "jolie" comes before the noun, which is where a small set of common adjectives goes.
Where English speakers slip
Learners give the word two syllables, "pee-AIR", when the "i" is a glide and the whole thing is one beat. The final "r" also gets curled, and the doubled "rr" tempts people into trilling. It is a single throat rasp. Say "pyehr" as one quick movement, with the vowel flat and the "r" at the back.