French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "neuf" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce neuf in French?

neuf is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /nœf/. It means “nine (also 'brand new').” nuhf — the vowel is a lax, open version of the "eu" in "deux", and the final "f" is pronounced.

nuhf — the vowel is a lax, open version of the "eu" in "deux", and the final "f" is pronounced.

neuf /nœf/

One syllable. Worth knowing: in the two set phrases "neuf heures" and "neuf ans", the "f" turns into a "v" — a small irregularity unique to this word.

Listen: neuf

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Sound it out

n A normal "n" consonant here, with the tongue on the ridge behind the teeth.

eu The vowel /œ/, close to the sound in British English "her" or "burn" but with no "r" colouring and with the lips more actively rounded. Compare it with the tighter /ø/ of "deux": this one is more open, because a consonant follows.

f Pronounced. "f" is one of the four consonants (c, r, f, l) that usually survive at the end of a French word.

Hear it in a sentence

Le cours commence à neuf heures.

The class starts at nine.

Listen: Le cours commence à neuf heures.

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"Le cours commence à neuf heures" contains exactly that irregularity: "neuf heures" is pronounced /nœ.v‿œʁ/, not with an "f". It is one of the few liaisons in French where a consonant changes identity rather than simply appearing. This applies only to "heures" and "ans"; before anything else, "neuf" keeps its "f".

Where English speakers slip

Two habits fight each other here. Learners who have absorbed the silent-final-consonant rule drop the "f" and say "nuh", which collides with nothing but sounds wrong. Others say the "f" correctly but then keep it in "neuf heures", producing "nuhf-UR" instead of the required "nuh-VUR". The vowel is also frequently flattened to a plain "uh" without lip rounding; round the lips and the whole word snaps into focus.