CRFL (CaReFuL mnemonic)
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CRFL, often augmented to CaReFuL, is a memory aid for English-speaking students of French as a foreign language. Students use it to remind themselves of which final consonants (aka terminal consonants or word-ending consonants) are usual exceptions to the general rule that in French pronunciation, final consonants are usually silent.
[edit] For example
In the following French words, the final consonants are silent:
- coup
- devant
- maintenant
- part
- prix
- restaurant
- salut
However, in the words below, the final consonants are heard:
| C | chic parc sec |
| R | bonjour au revoir |
| F | actif bref chef |
| L | espagnol mal |
[edit] Infinitives ending in -er do not follow the CRFL rule
The main exception to the CaReFuL rule is that it does not apply to infinitives ending in -er, which end in an /é/ sound. For example: parler (/par·lé/); manger (/man·zhé/).
