How to Teach the French -eau Sound
- Sharon Burgess
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Here are five facts about this sound that will help you better understand how to teach it:
One Sound, Three Letters
The trigramme -eau always makes the sound /o/ — making it one of the most consistent and reliable graphemes in French.
Found at the End in High-Frequency Bisyllabic Words:
Many frequent early reading words follow a CV.CV + EAU pattern — think cadeau, bateau, chapeau, manteau, pinceau… these bisyllabic words are common in French vocab lists and ideal for teaching pattern-based decoding.
Exceptionally Consistent
The pronunciation of -eau never changes — a huge advantage for beginner readers learning spelling-to-sound rules.
Spelling Transparency in an Opaque Language
French spelling can be tricky, but -eau offers a clear and transparent spelling-sound correspondence, helping students grasp phoneme-grapheme relationships with confidence.
French vs. English
Phonological structure differs because French vocabulary predominantly features bisyllabic CVCV words ending in vowel sounds like -eau (e.g., cadeau, drapeau), while English vocabulary often contains monosyllabic CVC words (e.g., cat, dog).
The -eau sound might seem tricky at first, but once you understand how it fits into those bisyllabic patterns, it actually makes reading and spelling it way easier for kids. The key is using evidence-based strategies grounded in the science of reading — breaking things down, practicing systematically, and helping kids spot those common words they’ll keep seeing. When we teach -eau right, with solid, research-backed methods, it gives learners a real boost in their French reading and spelling skills.
Click here to download a a list of words that you can use to teach phonemic awareness, decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling).
Click here for resources to teach on phonemic awareness skills, decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) of the French -eau sound.
Bon enseignement!
Sharon 💖⭐️🤓
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