Can someone who's fluent at french help me pronounce these french words?

Question

How do you say:

Responsabilities? Would it be the same as the english responsabilities?

how about désire would it be day-sear-ree?

points - would it be poe-n?

forts?

and principaux?

référence?

rabais?

Who ever gives the more accurate answer will get 10 points thanks! =]

Answer 1

the letter r is pronounced from deep in your throat -- think of a pirate saying Arrrrgh, and you've pretty much got the sound.  

Responsabilities = ruh-spawn-sah-beel-ee-tee

désire = day-zeer (an e at the end of a word is silent unless it has an accent mark - see next item)

désiré = day-seer-ay

points = pwahn

forts = for

principaux = prawn-see-poh

référence = pretty much the same as in English, just adding the French growled R's

rabais = rah-bay

There's another little complication...if a word that ends in a consonant is followed by a word that starts with a vowel sound or y, then you often will hear French slur the words together.  It's called liaison.  Here's a simple example:  Ou est-il?  Means where is he?  Pronounced = oo ay-teel.

Answer 2

responsabilités has a rolled 'r' at the start, and then it's got quite a pronounced 'e' (like the first e in everybody) the end isn't the same, in english the bilities is like bill-i-tees, but in french it's bill-i-t-e (with the e like in everybody again).

désire = d- e (like everybody again) and then zire like z-ee-r.

notice how it doesnt have an accent aigu (é) at the end, so you don't pronounce the e.

forts = for with a rolled r

principaux = princi (like how you would say principal) and then oh.

référence = the two accents both make the everybody e again, and the e after the r with the n is almost an 'on' sound.

Answer 3

@soph: the "R" are not rolled in french!!!

And "respnsabilités" and "désir" are the correct words.