180 - The /ɛ/ Sound [French Pronunciation Practice]

In this episode, you’ll practice the French /ɛ/ sound with a simple listen & repeat exercise. 🎧✨

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Transcript

Bonjour à tous, and welcome back to the French Made Easy podcast! This is episode number 180 — numéro cent-quatre-vingts.

In today’s episode, we’re continuing our Listen & Repeat pronunciation series, and this time, we’re focusing on the French vowel sound /ɛ/ — that’s the sound you hear in words like mère or tête. 🎧✨

So here's how it works: I’ll say some French sentences where the /ɛ/ sound appears, and your job is simple — just listen carefully and repeat after me.

This listen & repeat technique helps you train your ear and build muscle memory, so you can eventually feel more confident when speaking French.

To help you follow along, make sure to download your free cheat sheet — it includes all the sentences and English translations. And if you love this kind of practice, don’t miss the full Listen & Repeat Guide! It’s packed with even more French sounds and sentences to keep your pronunciation sharp. 🗂️✨

You’ll find all the links in the episode notes!

Alright, let’s start with a few French words that contain the /ɛ/ sound:

• la mère (mother)
• la fenêtre (window)
• la crêpe (crêpe, pancake)
• la tête (head)
• la veste (jacket)

Ready to go? Let’s practice with full sentences! 🎙️

Repeat after me:

1. Ma mère essaie une nouvelle recette. 👩‍🍳 (My mum is trying a new recipe.)
2. Cette fenêtre est ouverte. 🪟 (This window is open.)
3. On fait des crêpes pour la fête. 🎉🥞 (We’re making crêpes for the party.)
4. J’ai très mal à la tête. 🤕 (I have a really bad headache.)
5. J’achète une veste verte. 🧥 (I’m buying a green jacket.)

Great! If any of those sentences felt tricky — feel free to go back and replay them. Repetition really is the key to improving your pronunciation.

And that’s it for today’s episode! 🎧

Don’t forget to download your free cheat sheet — it includes all the French sentences and their English translations to help you follow along more easily.

If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll love my Listen & Repeat Guide — it’s a full resource with every French sound, and tons more sentences to help you build strong pronunciation habits.

You’ll find all the links you need in the episode notes.

Merci beaucoup for practicing with me today! Keep up the great work, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

À bientôt, bye! 🤍