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In French the stress almost always falls on the last pronounced syllable: ca-fé, Pa-ris, choco-lat. You never have to memorise it.
French stress is light: the last syllable is a little longer, not louder. The other syllables stay even, without the dips you hear in English.
In a phrase the stress moves to the end of the whole group: un café, but un café au lait. That is why French sounds like a wave that rises at the end.
| FR | Sounds like | Means |
|---|---|---|
| café | ka-FEH | coffee; caféstress on the last syllable |
| Paris | pa-REE | Pariss is silent |
| chocolat | sho-ko-LA | chocolatet is silent |
| restaurant | res-to-RA(N) | restaurantstress on the last syllable |
| banane | ba-NAN | bananafinal e silent |
| important | a(n)-por-TA(N) | important |
| un café au lait | u(n) ka-feh oh LEH | a coffee with milkstress at the end of the group |