French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "le numéro" in French?

luh nü-may-ROH — three syllables, opening with the tight French "u" and ending in a pure "oh".

le numéro /lə ny.me.ʁo/

le nu-mé-RO, weight on the final syllable. Three full vowels, none reduced — where English "number" has two and weakens the second.

Listen: le numéro

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Sound it out

nu An "n" plus the vowel /y/: tongue in the "ee" position, lips rounded. Not "noo" and not "nyoo".

mé An "m" plus a closed "ay" from the accent aigu.

ro A uvular "r" plus a closed "oh", flat and steady.

Hear it in a sentence

Quel est ton numéro de téléphone ?

What's your phone number?

Listen: Quel est ton numéro de téléphone ?

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"Quel est ton numéro de téléphone ?" links "quel" into "est" smoothly, since the "l" carries onto the vowel. "Numéro de téléphone" uses "de" to join the two nouns, which is how French makes compound nouns — always with the modifier second. "Téléphone" ends in a silent "e".

Where English speakers slip

The first vowel gets the "oo" or "yoo" treatment from English "numeral" and "new". French /y/ is front-rounded with no glide before it. Learners also stress the first syllable and reduce the middle. And the compound order is worth noting: it is "numéro de téléphone", never "téléphone numéro".