How do you pronounce princesse in french?

Answer 1

There are two major differences between the pronunciation of the English word "princess" and the French word "princesse".

First is the letter R. The French R is basically a very soft K sound, similar to the German ch. It is sometimes voiced, such as in a word like regarder, but here it is unvoiced because it immediately follows the unvoiced consonant P.

Secondly, the "in" in French is a single nasal vowel (don't make the mistake of pronouncing the N as a separate consonant) that sounds like "eh" but with the sound passing through the nose as well as the mouth. This "in" sound is the same as the "in" in linge and fin, the "ain" in pain and américain, and the "en" in bien and canadien.