How to Say Seal in French: Phoque, and Every Other Kind of Seal
Seal in French is phoque, pronounced /fok/ - yes, really. Learn the pronunciation, phoque vs otarie, and the other French words for every kind of "seal."
Seal in French is un phoque, pronounced /fok/ - yes, really. It comes from the Latin phoca and is completely innocent in French. A sea lion, however, is une otarie, and an official seal (stamp) is un sceau.
Quick answer
Seal in French is un phoque, pronounced /fok/ - ph sounds like f and the -que ending is a simple /k/. It comes from the Latin phoca and is completely innocent in French. A sea lion, however, is une otarie, and an official seal (stamp) is un sceau.
Learn real French vocabulary with confident, accurate pronunciation. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Phoque: pronunciation and gender
/fok/: ph = f, a closed o, silent -que ending beyond the k. It’s masculine - un phoque, plural des phoques (the S is silent). Example: On a vu des phoques en Bretagne (We saw seals in Brittany). If a giggle is coming, it’s a familiar one - see the full explanation in the viral “a seal pushed me” phrase. For the mechanics behind why -que endings stay silent, see our French pronunciation guide.
Phoque vs otarie: French distinguishes seals from sea lions
Une otarie is a sea lion or fur seal - it has visible ear flaps and can rotate its rear flippers to “walk.” The performing “seals” you see in a circus are actually otaries, not phoques. Un phoque is a true seal: no visible ears, moves by wriggling on land.
| Feature | Phoque (true seal) | Otarie (sea lion) |
|---|---|---|
| Ears | No visible flap | Small visible ear flaps |
| Movement on land | Wriggles on belly | Walks on rotated flippers |
| Circus “seals” | Rarely | Usually these |
Bonus vocabulary: un veau marin (harbor seal - literally “sea calf”) and un morse (walrus).
The other seals: stamp, closure, and commandos
English “seal” covers several unrelated concepts that French splits into separate words:
| English “seal” | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| the animal | un phoque | /fok/ |
| stamp/official seal | un sceau | /soh/ |
| mechanical seal/gasket | un joint | /zhwahn/ |
| to seal (verb) | sceller | /say-LAY/ |
| Navy SEAL | stays English | - |
For sealing a container airtight, French says fermer hermétiquement. For more words with several unrelated meanings, see French words with several meanings.
Animal-word bonus: sounds and idioms
There’s no widely standard verb for the sound a seal makes, but there is a genuine idiom: souffler comme un phoque - literally “to puff like a seal,” meaning to be badly out of breath: Après ces escaliers, je soufflais comme un phoque !
Say it with confidence
Phoque, otarie, sceau - three words, three completely different concepts, and now you know exactly which one to reach for. Practice the /fok/ sound a few times out loud; once it feels routine, the giggle factor disappears entirely.
Vocabulary you can trust
LexiFr teaches every meaning and every pronunciation with native audio, so you're never guessing.
Free to start - no ads, no streak guilt. Your first 200 words are waiting.
Questions about this note
Is phoque a rude word in French?
No - it's a neutral zoology term. The resemblance to an English word only exists for English ears.
What's the difference between phoque and otarie?
Otarie (sea lion) has visible ear flaps and walks on rotated flippers; phoque (true seal) has no visible ears and wriggles on land. Circus "seals" are usually otaries.
How do you say "to seal" in French?
Sceller for documents or agreements; fermer hermétiquement for sealing a container airtight.
What is a seal stamp in French?
Un sceau, pronounced /soh/.
What does souffler comme un phoque mean?
"To puff like a seal" - to be heavily out of breath.