Accent aigu: é
é changes the sound
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é changes the sound
É normally represents the close-mid vowel /e/, as in café, été, and parlé. Unaccented e has several pronunciations or can be silent; the accent is part of the spelling, not a volume mark.
Examples in context
Read the examples and compare their English meanings.
Past Tense Verbs
The past participles of regular -er verbs end in -é.
J'ai parlé français.
I spoke French.
Common Nouns
É represents /e/, a close-mid vowel.
Un café, s'il vous plaît.
A coffee, please.
Common mix-ups
Parlé is the past participle and ends in é. Parle is a present-tense form.
I spoke French.
Try a reply
Say or write your answer in French before opening the example.
Write the French words for summer and coffee, including their accents.
Show one possible answer
été, café
Other wording can work too. Compare the verb form, agreement, and word order with the lesson. Then try a sentence about your own day.
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