Why Do You Have an Accent When You Speak French?

If you’ve been learning French for a while, you may have noticed something frustrating:
even though your grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension are improving, your accent remains strong.

You’re not alone.

I’m a foreign language teacher, and I’ve been teaching for nearly 10 years. I specialize in French pronunciation, and throughout my career, I’ve observed the same pattern again and again: learners can make fast, steady progress in all areas of the language, yet still sound very “foreign” when they speak.

So why does this happen?

In this article (and in the video above), I’ll explain what an accent really is and walk you through the four main reasons why you still have one when speaking French.

What Is an Accent, Really?

You are considered to “have an accent” when you pronounce a language differently from what native speakers expect to hear.

This does not mean that you speak badly. French and English are global languages, spoken all over the world by millions of non-native speakers. Having an accent does not automatically mean poor language skills.

However, an accent becomes noticeable when your pronunciation deviates from the phonetic, rhythmic, and melodic standards of the native language. And to some extent, this matters especially when it affects understanding or social perception.

Reason #1: You Cannot Physically Produce Certain Sounds

The first and most fundamental reason is simple:
you may not be able to physically produce some of the sounds that exist in French.

French has 36 distinct sounds. If you were never taught how to produce them how to use your vocal cords, tongue, lips, jaw, mouth opening, or even your nose then your accent will be immediately noticeable.

When faced with a new sound, your brain naturally looks for the closest equivalent in your own language, because it requires less effort. This is normal human behavior.

Example 1: Nasal Sounds

Many learners confuse French nasal vowels because they resemble sounds in their native language but are not produced the same way. Learners often “approximate” instead of truly reproducing the French sound.

Example 2: The “A” Sound

Consider the word cat:

• In English, the mouth opens very wide and briefly

• In French, the jaw drops but the mouth opening is narrower

• In Vietnamese, it sits somewhere in between

Even though it sounds like the same “ah,” it is not the same sound.

So accents often come from:

1. Bias toward your native language

2. Lack of explicit instruction on how sounds are actually formed

Reason #2: You Apply the Wrong Reading Rules

We all learn to read very early in life, and reading permanently shapes how our brain processes language.

When you read a foreign language, you often apply the reading rules of your native language (or another language you know). This creates pronunciation habits that become deeply rooted and hard to undo.

This matters because:

• We learn many words by reading before hearing them

• We mentally “hear” words as we read them

• Those imagined sounds later appear in our speech

Why This Is Critical in French

French has 36 sounds but only 26 letters. To compensate, the language relies heavily on reading rules.

For example:

• Certain letter combinations do not represent the sounds you might expect

• Some sounds don’t exist as single letters at all and are written using combinations like an, en, etc.

If you don’t master these rules early, you will consistently mispronounce words even if you know them well.

Reason #3: You Use the Wrong Rhythm and Melody

Words are not just sounds placed one after another.
They have rhythm, pace, stress, and musicality.

Different languages organize time and melody very differently.

Example: “Comfortable”

• In English, one syllable is almost swallowed

• In French, syllables are pronounced more evenly, and the melody often falls at the end

This applies to sentences too.

A learner might pronounce a perfectly correct sentence but use the wrong intonation, unintentionally sounding rude, bored, or irritated simply because they transferred the melody of their native language into French.

There is no shortcut here.
The key is conscious listening: paying attention not just to words, but to how they are said.

Over time, your brain will slowly absorb these musical patterns.

Reason #4: You Don’t Connect Words Like Native Speakers Do

The final reason has nothing to do with individual sounds or intonation.

It’s about how words connect inside a sentence.

In French:

• Words often link together (liaison)

• Certain sounds disappear (elision)

• Letters may be pronounced or silent depending on context

These rules are extremely common and often invisible to learners.

Even if every word is pronounced “correctly,” missing these connections will make your speech sound unnatural and foreign.

This is why two sentences can contain the same words, yet only one sounds “right” to a native ear.

Accent vs. Understanding: What Really Matters

Having an accent does not mean you are wrong.
Even within French, many regional accents exist, all valid.

The real issue starts when:

• You are not understood

• Or when your pronunciation creates misunderstandings

As a learner, your priority is:

1. To understand

2. To be understood

Improving pronunciation isn’t about erasing who you are, it’s about removing obstacles to communication.

    Benjamin Respaud