French · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "propre" in French?

Q: How do you pronounce propre in French?

propre is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /pʁɔpʁ/. It means “clean.” PRO-pruh — two throat "r"s in five letters, with the second one fading away.

PRO-pruh — two throat "r"s in five letters, with the second one fading away.

propre /pʁɔpʁ/

One full syllable plus a fading cluster: PRO-pr. Because the ending has no real vowel, the weight is at the front. Both genders share the form.

Listen: propre

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Sound it out

pr An unaspirated "p" into a uvular "r". No puff of air, and the tongue tip stays down.

o A short open "o" as in "cot".

pre A second "p" into a second uvular "r", with the final "e" silent or barely breathed. The word opens and closes with the same cluster.

Hear it in a sentence

Les draps sont propres.

The sheets are clean.

Listen: Les draps sont propres.

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"Les draps sont propres" carries a plural "s" on the adjective that is silent, so "propre" and "propres" sound identical — "les" and "sont" are what mark the plural. "Draps" is /dʁa/, with both the "p" and the "s" silent, so five letters give two sounds. Note that placing "propre" before the noun changes its meaning to "own": "ma propre chambre" is my own room, not my clean room.

Where English speakers slip

Two uvular "r"s in one short word is demanding, and English speakers respond by curling the tongue twice, producing "PROP-er". Keep the tongue tip on the floor of your mouth throughout and let the back do everything. Learners also inflate the ending into a full "-per" or "-puh"; it should fade. And watch the meaning shift with position — before the noun it means "own".