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Level A2 (Upper beginner)
Published February 6, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is millefeuille (m.), a famous layered pastry dessert often called a Napoleon. I specifically picked this word because it almost always shows up on lists of the most difficult French words to pronounce. Follow my simple pronunciation tip and you’ll get it!
📘 Millefeuille meaning in French
Millefeuille (m.) translates literally to “a thousand leaves” or “a thousand sheets” and is a classic French puff pastry dessert made of many thin, flaky layers. Traditionally, a millefeuille is prepared with three crisp layers of pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) filled with two layers of smooth crème pâtissière (pastry cream), then finished with powdered sugar or icing on top. You may also see it written as mille-feuille. Outside France, this pastry is often called a Napoleon.
🎧 Millefeuille pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of millefeuille is /mil.fœj/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “meel-fuhy.”
👉 Pronunciation tip: The -euille ending is particularly hard for most students to pronounce — don’t say “foil.” Instead, glide quickly from fuh to a soft y sound (fuhy), keeping it light and smooth.
📝 Millefeuille usage examples
Je vais prendre un café et un millefeuille.
I’m going to have a coffee and a millefeuille.
👉 See also: Prendre conjugation chart (with audio) »
J’ai commandé un millefeuille à la boulangerie.
I ordered a millefeuille at the bakery.
Il est difficile de manger un millefeuille proprement.
It’s hard to eat a millefeuille neatly.
Le millefeuille est un dessert français classique.
A millefeuille is a classic French dessert.
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👉 See also: 25 Most Difficult French Words to Pronounce »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- la pâtisserie — pastry shop / pastries
- la boulangerie — bakery
- le dessert — dessert
- la crème pâtissière — pastry cream
- le feuilleté / la pâte feuilletée — flaky pastry / puff pastry
- le gâteau — cake
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
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👉 French pastry names »
