Stage 1 · A1
Level A1
è, ai and ei
Recognise three frequent spellings of open /ɛ/ in common words: è, ai and ei.
1. Objective
By the end, you will recognise è, ai and ei in frequent words and read them accurately.
2. I discover
Compare “père, maison, neige”. Three different spellings can lead to a similar /ɛ/ sound.
3. I understand
In many words, è, ai and ei correspond to /ɛ/: père, faire, neige. It is not an absolute rule for every letter sequence, so learn the whole word with its pronunciation.
pèretrèsfairechaiseneigeseize
Watch out
Do not turn this into a universal spelling rule; the goal is to recognise frequent patterns in known words.
4. Guided practice
5. Independent practice
6. I write / I speak
Write two words with è, two with ai and two with ei, then read them aloud.
7. Check my learning
8. What I remember
In many words: è, ai, ei → a sound close to /ɛ/. Always learn the whole word.
9. Now I can…
- I can spot è, ai and ei in a word.
- I can read frequent words such as père, faire and neige.
