French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "le parapluie" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce le parapluie in French?

le parapluie is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /lə pa.ʁa.plɥi/. It means “umbrella.” luh pa-ra-PLWEE — three beats, with a throat "r" and the /ɥ/ glide at the end.

luh pa-ra-PLWEE — three beats, with a throat "r" and the /ɥ/ glide at the end.

le parapluie /lə pa.ʁa.plɥi/

le pa-ra-PLUIE, weight on the final syllable. The word is transparently built from "parer" (to ward off) plus "pluie", and the same "para-" appears in "parasol" and "parachute".

Listen: le parapluie

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Sound it out

pa An unaspirated "p" plus a short open "ah".

ra A uvular "r" between vowels plus another open "ah".

pluie A "p" into a light "l", then the /ɥ/ glide into "ee" — the same ending as the word "pluie" (rain), which is literally what this is: a "para-pluie", a rain-stopper.

Hear it in a sentence

Prends un parapluie, il va pleuvoir.

Take an umbrella, it's going to rain.

Listen: Prends un parapluie, il va pleuvoir.

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"Prends un parapluie, il va pleuvoir" is a "tu" imperative followed by the near future — "aller" plus an infinitive. "Pleuvoir" is an -oir infinitive, so its final "r" is pronounced, and it has the "wa" glide in the middle: pluh-VWAR. "Prends" ends in a nasal with both the "d" and the "s" silent.

Where English speakers slip

The final glide gets replaced with a plain English "w", and learners often add a syllable, producing "pa-ra-ploo-EE". It is three beats with the last one compact. The "r" also gets an American curl. Building it from "pluie", which you already know, then adding "para-" in front, keeps the shape right.