French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "l'hiver (m.)" in French?

lee-VEHR — the "h" is silent, the article fuses on, and the final "r" is pronounced.

l'hiver (m.) /li.vɛʁ/

l'hi-VER, weight on the second syllable. The final "r" is the audible feature — compare it with -er verbs, where the same letters are silent.

Listen: l'hiver (m.)

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Sound it out

l'h The article elided before the mute "h", which French treats as no consonant at all. There is no break and no breath.

i A tense, pure "ee".

ver A "v", an open "eh", then a uvular "r" that is fully pronounced. This "-er" ending sounds its "r" because the word is a noun, not an infinitive.

Hear it in a sentence

En hiver, il fait très froid.

In winter it's very cold.

Listen: En hiver, il fait très froid.

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"En hiver, il fait très froid" links "en" into the mute "h": /ɑ̃.n‿i.vɛʁ/, with the nasal releasing into a real "n". "Il fait froid" is the weather construction with "faire", and "très froid" makes no liaison since "froid" begins with a consonant. "Froid" is one beat ending in open air.

Where English speakers slip

Learners aspirate the "h", producing "luh-HEE-ver" with a break. There is none. They also silence the final "r" by analogy with -er infinitives, which does not apply here. And the English word "hibernate" makes people expect a "h" sound — French "h" is always silent, without exception.