Pronunciation of the word Plus in French

Pronunciation of the Word "Plus" in French

Introduction

The word "plus" is one of the most complex words in French because it has three different pronunciations depending on the context. The fundamental general rule is simple: we pronounce the "s" when "plus" has a positive meaning (more), and we don't pronounce it when "plus" has a negative meaning (cessation, stopping).

Fundamental General Rule

Basic Rule:

Positive meaning (more) → pronounce the "s": [plys]
Negative meaning (cessation, stopping) → don't pronounce the "s": [ply]
Before a vowel or silent "h" → liaison with "z": [plyz]

Cases where we DON'T pronounce the "s": [ply]

1. In negations (ne... plus)

When "plus" is part of the negative expression "ne... plus", the "s" is never pronounced.

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Je ne veux plus de café Il n'y en a plus Elle ne sort plus le soir Moi non plus	[ply]	I don't want coffee anymore There's none left She doesn't go out at night anymore Me neither

2. In comparisons before an adjective or adverb + consonant

When "plus" precedes an adjective or adverb starting with a consonant in a comparison.

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Il est plus grand que moi Julie est plus petite que Pierre Il court plus vite C'est le plus rapide	[ply]	He is taller than me Julie is shorter than Pierre He runs faster It's the fastest

3. Before "plus de" + number

When "plus" is followed by "de" and a number, we don't pronounce the "s".

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Plus de 20 ans Plus de la moitié J'ai plus de 36 ans	[ply]	More than 20 years More than half I'm over 36 years old

4. In the expression "plus... plus" before a consonant

In this correlative construction, "plus" is pronounced [ply] before a consonant.

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Plus je mange, plus je grossis Plus tu te couches tôt, plus tu te lèves tôt	[ply]	The more I eat, the more I gain weight The earlier you go to bed, the earlier you get up

5. In certain fixed expressions

Expressions	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Ni plus ni moins Au plus Sans plus Tout au plus	[ply]	Neither more nor less At most Without more At most

Cases where we pronounce the "s": [plys]

1. At the end of a sentence (positive meaning)

When "plus" ends a sentence with a positive meaning of "more", we pronounce the "s".

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
J'en veux plus Il y en a plus ? Je ne peux pas en faire plus	[plys]	I want more (of it) Is there more? I can't do more

2. Before "que" or "de" (positive comparative meaning)

When "plus" means "more" before "que" or "de", the "s" is pronounced.

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Il travaille plus que moi Tu as plus de chance que lui Elle a plus de bonbons	[plys]	He works more than me You have more luck than him She has more candies

3. As a noun (advantage, asset)

When "plus" is used as a masculine noun to designate an advantage.

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Cette formation est un plus Parler anglais est un plus sur un CV	[plys]	This training is an asset Speaking English is a plus on a CV

4. In mathematics (+ sign)

For mathematical addition, we always pronounce the "s".

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Trois plus quatre font sept Un plus un égale deux	[plys]	Three plus four equals seven One plus one equals two

5. In certain positive expressions

Expressions	Pronunciation	English Meaning
En plus De plus Une fois de plus Bien plus	[plys]	In addition Moreover Once more Much more

Special case: liaison with [plyz]

When "plus" is followed by a word starting with a vowel or silent "h", the "s" is pronounced "z" through liaison.

With obligatory or common liaison

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Plus intelligent Plus ou moins Plus à s'inquiéter (negation) Plus ancienne (comparison)	[plyz]	More intelligent More or less Nothing more to worry about Older (feminine)

With optional liaison

In the expression "plus... plus" before a vowel, liaison is optional, [plyz] being more formal.

Examples	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Plus il en parle, plus il m'énerve	[ply] or [plyz]	The more he talks about it, the more he annoys me

Summary Table

Context	Pronunciation	Example	English Meaning
Negation "ne... plus"	[ply]	Je n'en veux plus	I don't want any more
Comparison + consonant	[ply]	Plus grand	Bigger
Plus de + number	[ply]	Plus de 20 ans	More than 20 years
End of positive sentence	[plys]	J'en veux plus	I want more
Plus que/de (positive)	[plys]	Plus de travail	More work
Addition	[plys]	Trois plus deux	Three plus two
Liaison + vowel	[plyz]	Plus intelligent	More intelligent

Pronunciation Exercises

1. Repetition by category

Listen and repeat these sentences with [ply]:

Je ne veux plus de café. Il est plus grand que moi. Plus de 20 personnes.

Listen and repeat these sentences with [plys]:

J'en veux plus ! Deux plus trois égale cinq. C'est un plus sur votre CV.

Listen and repeat these sentences with [plyz] (liaison):

Plus intelligent. Plus ou moins. Plus ancienne.

2. Contrastive training sentences

Repeat these sentences paying attention to the different pronunciations:

"Je ne veux plus [ply] de café, j'en ai déjà bu plus [plys] que d'habitude."
(I don't want any more coffee, I've already drunk more than usual.)
"Plus [ply] on avance, plus [ply] c'est difficile, mais on n'abandonne plus [ply] !"
(The more we advance, the more difficult it gets, but we don't give up anymore!)
"Il est plus [plyz] intelligent que moi, mais je travaille plus [plys] que lui."
(He is more intelligent than me, but I work more than him.)

Comparison with English

In English, the word "plus" has only one pronunciation, always with the "s" sound. However, the French "plus" can be compared to different English expressions:

Plus [plys] = "more" or "plus" (in mathematics)
Plus [ply] = "no more" or "no longer" (in negations)
Plus [ply] = "more" (in comparisons, but silent "s")

Key difference: English speakers often want to pronounce the "s" in all cases because that's how it works in English. Remember that in French, the pronunciation changes based on meaning and context!

Common Pronunciation Mistakes for English Speakers

English speakers often make these common mistakes when pronouncing French "plus":

Always pronouncing the "s": Remember that in negations and comparisons, the "s" is usually silent.
Confusing positive and negative contexts: Pay attention to whether "plus" means "more" (positive) or "no more" (negative).
Forgetting liaison: Before vowels, don't forget the [z] sound in liaison.
Wrong pronunciation in "ne... plus": This is always [ply], never [plys].

Tip: Ask yourself: "Does 'plus' mean 'more' (positive) or 'no more' (negative)?" This will help you choose the right pronunciation!

Interactive Exercise

Identify the pronunciation of the word "plus" in the following sentences:

In "Je ne veux plus de thé" (I don't want tea anymore), "plus" is pronounced:
In "Il est plus grand que moi" (He is taller than me), "plus" is pronounced:
In "Quatre plus six égale dix" (Four plus six equals ten), "plus" is pronounced:
In "Plus intelligent que prévu" (More intelligent than expected), "plus" is pronounced:
In "J'en veux plus !" (I want more!), "plus" is pronounced:
In "Plus de 50 personnes" (More than 50 people), "plus" is pronounced:
In "C'est un plus sur votre CV" (It's an asset on your CV), "plus" is pronounced:
In "Plus je vieillis, plus je comprends" (The older I get, the more I understand), "plus" is pronounced:

Conclusion

The pronunciation of the word "plus" becomes intuitive with practice by focusing on the fundamental meaning:

Positive meaning (more) → with "s": [plys]
Negative meaning (cessation) → without "s": [ply]
Before a vowel → liaison: [plyz]

Memorize this simple rule and you'll master this French difficulty!

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