Hello Ben, glad you liked my article. I don't use IPA because I don' know it and I don't want learner to have to learn a second alphabet (IPA) to be able to learn a third one (French). Seems overly complicated and too grammarian for my liking. I'm sorry if my tone of writing is distracting too. I write like I speak, that's just my personality. I'm no specialist of accents but maybe I'll write something about mine (Canadian) vs France one day. I'm not sure if I'll be able to link it to famous people's accents as I'm totally out of touch (I don't watch tv).

Yes, out of 338 million French Speakers worldwide.

I've never hear Hollande, Valls and Fabius speaking, not even once! I don't even know who Valls and Fabius are... I'm the wrong person for the task, clearly.

Caroline, thank you for helping.  One really appreciates it.  May I suggest  that you use IPA - international phonetic alphabet - to accurately mark what you wish to say, instead  of using eeeee or oo or other English references.  It is impossible to learn French pronuniciation if one is fixated with English pronuniciation. Many thanks again.

Quand on débute en français, on lit cet article, ça fait peuuuur !!! Comment ils font les francophones pour connaître toutes ces règles et be pas se tromper ?!! On dirait qu'il faut avoir fait des études supérieures piur maîtriser la langue française....une licence en grammaire française