How to Count to Ten in French
Learn how to count from one to ten in French with correct pronunciation. Covers each number, common mistakes, and when you will actually use them.
French numbers from one to ten are some of the most useful words you can learn before visiting France or any French-speaking country. You will use them to order food, ask for a table, buy things at markets, give your hotel room number, and tell a taxi driver where to go.
The pronunciation is the tricky part. French has sounds that do not exist in English, particularly the nasal vowels and the rolled R. But for counting to ten, you only need to handle a few of these sounds, and approximate pronunciation is perfectly understandable.
This guide gives you each number with a phonetic pronunciation guide that works for English speakers, plus the common mistakes to avoid.
Un, deux, trois (one, two, three)
"Un" (uh) sounds like the "u" in "uh-huh" spoken through your nose. Your lips should be slightly rounded. This is a nasal vowel, meaning air passes through your nose as you say it. "Deux" (duh) rhymes roughly with a short "duh" but with rounded lips, almost like you are about to whistle. The "x" is silent. "Trois" (twah) starts with a "tw" sound (not "tr") and rhymes with "wah." The "oi" in French always makes a "wah" sound. The final "s" is silent. Practice these three together as a group until the rhythm feels natural. French speakers often count in groups of three.
Quatre, cinq, six (four, five, six)
"Quatre" (KAH-truh) has a soft "r" that comes from the back of the throat, not the tip of the tongue like in English. The final "e" is a short, barely-there "uh" sound. Think "KAH-truh" with the "truh" very soft. "Cinq" (sank) sounds like the English word "sank" but with a nasal quality on the vowel. The "nq" at the end makes it nasal. When counting alone, pronounce the final consonant. "Six" (seess) sounds like "cease" in English. The "x" makes an "ss" sound when the number is said by itself. When followed by a noun starting with a consonant, the "x" becomes silent ("six personnes" sounds like "see").
Sept, huit, neuf, dix (seven, eight, nine, ten)
"Sept" (set) sounds like the English word "set." The "p" is silent. This is one of the easier French numbers for English speakers. "Huit" (weet) sounds like "wheat" without the "h." Start with your lips rounded into a "w" shape and slide into "eet." "Neuf" (nuhf) has the same rounded "uh" vowel as "deux." It sounds like "nuhf" with rounded lips on the vowel. The "f" is always pronounced. "Dix" (deess) sounds like "peace" with a "d" at the front. Like "six," when counting alone the final consonant is pronounced. When followed by a consonant-starting noun, the "x" goes silent.
Good to know: Record yourself saying all ten numbers and play it back. The sounds you think you are making are often different from what comes out. Compare with any online French pronunciation resource to calibrate your ear.
Practice the nasal vowels
French has four nasal vowels that do not exist in English. For counting to ten, you only need two: the one in "un" and the one in "cinq." To make a nasal vowel, say the vowel normally and then let air pass through your nose at the same time, as if you are about to hum. The trick is that your tongue should not touch the roof of your mouth like it does for an English "n" or "m." The "n" in "un" and "cinq" is not a real "n" sound. It just tells you that the vowel before it is nasal. Practice by saying "ah" and then pinching your nose. You should feel vibration. Now say "ah" without pinching but let some air escape through your nose. That is approximately a French nasal vowel.
Put them together and count smoothly
Count from one to ten in a steady rhythm: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix. French counting has a musical quality when spoken smoothly. There should be no gap between the numbers, just a steady flow. Practice in groups of three first (un-deux-trois, quatre-cinq-six, sept-huit-neuf, then dix). Once each group is comfortable, link them together. Speed comes naturally with repetition. Do not rush it. Count along while walking, waiting in line, or doing any repetitive task. Aim for ten smooth repetitions per practice session.
Use them in common phrases
Numbers rarely appear alone in real conversation. Practice them in context: "une table pour deux" (a table for two), "trois croissants, s'il vous plait" (three croissants, please), "chambre neuf" (room nine), "cinq euros" (five euros). Notice that "un" becomes "une" before feminine nouns. For ordering and shopping, this distinction matters but you will be understood either way. When giving your phone number or hotel room, say each digit individually just like in English. French people will understand even if your pronunciation is imperfect because context makes the meaning clear.
Once you can count to ten confidently, the rest of French numbers follow a logical pattern. Eleven through sixteen have unique forms, but seventeen through sixty-nine are combinations of the numbers you already know (dix-sept is 17, literally "ten-seven"). Practice these ten numbers out loud until they feel automatic. They will come up constantly in any French-speaking context, from ordering "deux croissants" at a bakery to confirming "chambre cinq" at a hotel. Even imperfect pronunciation gets you understood, and the effort is always appreciated.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
French pronunciation changes based on what follows a word. When "six" and "dix" are said alone or at the end of a sentence, the final consonant is pronounced (seess, deess). Before a word starting with a vowel, the "x" becomes a "z" sound (six amis sounds like "seez-ah-mee"). Before a word starting with a consonant, the "x" is silent (six personnes sounds like "see pair-son"). This is called liaison and it is one of the trickier aspects of French, but for basic counting it only matters when you use numbers with nouns.
The French R is not rolled like in Spanish or Italian. It is a guttural sound made in the back of the throat, similar to a gentle gargle or the "ch" in the German word "Bach." If you cannot produce this sound, using a soft English R will still be understood. Most French speakers will appreciate the effort regardless of a perfect R. Focus on getting the vowels right first, as they affect intelligibility more than the R does.
Eleven through sixteen have unique forms: onze (11), douze (12), treize (13), quatorze (14), quinze (15), seize (16). From seventeen onward, numbers are combinations: dix-sept (17, literally ten-seven), dix-huit (18), dix-neuf (19), vingt (20). The pattern continues logically. The notoriously complex part of French numbers starts at 70, where "soixante-dix" (sixty-ten) means 70, and 99 is "quatre-vingt-dix-neuf" (four-twenty-ten-nine). But that is a problem for later.
The numbers themselves are the same everywhere, but there are regional differences for 70, 80, and 90. In France, 70 is "soixante-dix" (sixty-ten) and 90 is "quatre-vingt-dix" (four-twenty-ten). In Belgium and Switzerland, they use "septante" (70) and "nonante" (90), which are much more logical. For one through ten, the pronunciation and usage is identical across all French-speaking countries.
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