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This covers how to say words, based on their written form. It is therefore a system of rules which cover the process of reading out loud - going from writing to speech. There are a huge number of rules, with many exceptions, so the principles below are simplified.
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Most letters are sounded in a roughly similar way to English. Perhaps the most obvious differences are the increased use of nasal sounds, and the 'r' - which is made at the back of the throat (go here for more information).
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Accents are typically used to alter a vowel’s sound:
The other vowel accents are:
They are mostly there to give a sound similar to a short English vowel.
There is however one consonant accent
ç This makes an 's' sound - as in ça
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Most final consonants are not sounded.
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‘e’s are frequently not sounded
- particularly at the end of words (when the previous consonant is sounded)
- but can also happen within words
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Words are often run together when one ends in a consonant, and the next starts with a vowel sound (even if the consonant would normally be left off)
The effect (and purpose) of all of this is to make the language ‘flow’, avoiding any awkward sound combinations.
The use of syllables, which are based on Consonant + Vowel combinations also makes French speech have a regular rhythm.
This means that French can be (and usually is) spoken somewhat faster than English. This is also helped by mostly having a minor emphasis just on the final syllable of the final word in each phrase.
Hier, j'ai vu mon patron, qui courait vers son bureau.
The detailed rules for pronunciation are covered in the Letters and Pronunciation section. They are many of these, they are sometimes complex, and have many exceptions.
As with all grammatical principles, it seems likely that such rules are the outcome of learning a language, rather than the other way around. Therefore in practice the best way to learn pronunciations is to hear and use them yourself.