French oi

The 'oi' diphthong — moi, trois, boire

Semi-vowelIPA: /wa/

Practice Words

moitoitroisboirenoirvoirsoirpourquoiroifroid

Accent-Specific Pronunciation Guide

How you approach this sound depends on your English accent. Find yours below for personalised coaching.

American English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

You already make this sound. The French 'oi' is simply 'wa' — like the beginning of 'watch' or 'wasp'. Say 'mwa' and you've said 'moi'. This is a freebie.

Bridge from: wah (watch) (wɑ)

Common mistakes:

•Over-thinking it and saying 'oy' as in 'oil'
•Pronouncing the letters o-i separately

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi
watch → twah → trois

British English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

This one's free. French 'oi' = 'wa'. Your RP 'wa' in 'watch' or 'water' maps directly. Say 'mwa' and you've nailed 'moi'.

Bridge from: wah (watch) (wɒ)

Common mistakes:

•Saying 'oy' instead of 'wa'

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi
watch → twah → trois

Australian / NZ English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

Free point. The French 'oi' is just 'wa'. Say 'mwa' — that's 'moi'. Your Australian 'wa' in 'watch' is actually slightly closer to the French vowel quality than the American version.

Bridge from: wah (watch) (wɒ)

Common mistakes:

•Saying 'oy' instead of 'wa'

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi
watch → twah → trois

Irish English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

Direct transfer. French 'oi' is 'wa'. Say 'mwa' for 'moi'. Done.

Bridge from: wah (wɑ)

Common mistakes:

•Over-pronouncing as two syllables

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi

Scottish English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

Direct transfer. French 'oi' is 'wa'. Say 'mwa' for 'moi'. Your Scottish vowel in 'watch' works perfectly here.

Bridge from: wah (wɑ)

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi

Indian English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

Direct transfer. French oi is simply wa — like the start of watch. Say mwa for moi. Note: use a clean w sound, not the Hindi v/w approximant — lips should come together fully.

Bridge from: watch, wah (wɑ / ʋɑ)

Common mistakes:

•Using Hindi labio-dental approximant ʋ instead of clean bilabial w
•Saying oy instead of wa

Drill sequence:

watch → wa → mwa → moi
Lips fully together for w → trois

South African English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

Direct transfer. French oi = wa. Say mwa for moi.

Bridge from: wah (watch) (wɑ)

Common mistakes:

•Saying oy

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi

Nigerian / W. African English

Direct TransferDifficulty: 1/5

Direct transfer. French oi is wa. Say mwa and you have said moi.

Bridge from: watch, wah (wɑ)

Common mistakes:

•Reading spelling oi and saying oy

Drill sequence:

wah → mwa → moi
watch → twah → trois

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce the French French oi?▾

The French French oi is written as wa in IPA. The 'oi' diphthong — moi, trois, boire. The technique varies by your English accent — scroll down for personalised coaching for American, British, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Indian, South African, and Nigerian speakers.

Is the French French oi hard for English speakers?▾

It depends on your accent. For some English accents, this is a direct transfer (you already make this sound). For others, it's genuinely new. Check the accent-specific section below to see your difficulty rating.

What words use the French French oi sound?▾

Common practice words include: moi, toi, trois, boire, noir, voir. These are good starting points for drilling this sound.