French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "le jus" in French?

luh ZHÜ — the soft "j" of "measure" plus the tight French "u". The "s" is silent.

le jus /lə ʒy/

The phrase peaks on JUS, one syllable. Singular and plural are identical in sound, so the article carries the number.

Listen: le jus

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Sound it out

le A light "l" plus a weak schwa.

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

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

s Silent. Singular and plural are spelled and pronounced identically, so only the article tells you which you are hearing.

Hear it in a sentence

Je bois du jus d'orange.

I'm drinking orange juice.

Listen: Je bois du jus d'orange.

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"Je bois du jus d'orange" chains two partitives-and-elisions: "du jus" for an unspecified quantity, then "de orange" compressed to "d'orange". "Orange" ends in the soft "g" of "measure": o-RAHNZH, with a nasal in the middle. The whole phrase runs together without a break.

Where English speakers slip

The English word "juice" pushes learners toward a hard "j" and an "oo" vowel, giving "joos". French wants the soft buzz and the front rounded /y/. Pronouncing the "s" is the third habit to drop. Say "measure", take its middle consonant, then add "ee" with your lips rounded — that is the whole word.