LingoDrop
French · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "l'idée (f.)" in French?
lee-DAY — two syllables with the article fused on, and the "-ée" giving a closed "ay".
l'i-DÉE, weight on the second syllable. Two beats, both with full clear vowels — English "idea" has three and reduces two of them.
Listen: l'idée (f.)
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
C'est une bonne idée.
That's a good idea.
Listen: C'est une bonne idée.
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"C'est une bonne idée" uses the feminine "bonne", /bɔn/, with a real "n" and an oral vowel — the masculine "bon" would be nasal. "Bonne idée" links smoothly, with the "n" carrying into the vowel. "C'est une" also links: /sɛ.t‿yn/, with the silent "t" of "est" surfacing.
Where English speakers slip
The English "idea" has three syllables and a schwa at the end, and it drags the French word out of shape. French has two beats and ends on a crisp closed "ay". Learners also give the apostrophe a beat, producing "la-ee-DAY". And the agreement matters: it is "bonne idée", never "bon idée", since the noun is feminine.