French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "les vacances (f. pl.)" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce les vacances (f. pl.) in French?

les vacances (f. pl.) is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /le va.kɑ̃s/. It means “vacation.” lay va-KAHNSS — always plural in French, with a nasal vowel and a pronounced final "s".

lay va-KAHNSS — always plural in French, with a nasal vowel and a pronounced final "s".

les vacances (f. pl.) /le va.kɑ̃s/

les va-CANCES, weight on the final syllable. The "(f. pl.)" note is essential: this noun has no singular in this meaning, so it is always "les vacances" and always takes a plural verb.

Listen: les vacances (f. pl.)

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Sound it out

les A light "l" plus a closed "ay", with the "s" silent since "vacances" begins with a consonant.

va A "v" plus a short open "ah", unstressed.

can A hard "k" plus the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/, open and through the nose.

ces "c" before "e" is soft, giving a hissing "s" that is fully pronounced. The final plural "s" is silent.

Hear it in a sentence

Bonnes vacances !

Have a good vacation!

Listen: Bonnes vacances !

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"Bonnes vacances !" uses the feminine plural "bonnes", agreeing with the noun. The "nn" keeps the vowel oral and the "n" real, so it is /bɔn/, unlike the nasal masculine "bon". This is the same farewell pattern as "bon week-end" and "bonne journée" — "bon" plus a time expression.

Where English speakers slip

Learners use the singular, saying "la vacance", which either means a job vacancy or sounds simply wrong. It is always plural. Phonetically, the nasal gets a real "n" and the pronounced "s" gets dropped. And the adjective must agree in the feminine plural — "bon vacances" is a visible error.