Me and some friends have a bet - they think they can pronounce French, and I think they are saying some things wrong.  Can you settle this bet for us?  I actually took a few French classes in school, and I don't know where my friends are getting their ideas.

They think "Les Miserables" is pronounced "lay miz-er-ob," is that right?

They also think "Ratatouille" is pronounced "rah-tah-too-lee."  I think that's a little off...?

They also say things like "boo-coo" for "beaucoup" (like "boo-coo bucks") and "boo-joo-lais" for Beaujolais.  I think you pronounced "beau" more like "bow" in English.  They drive me crazy with this!

So who wins?  Please respond line-by-line with the proper pronunciation of all these words, and merci BOW-COO!
To answer your question, I'd say everybody wins because your friends will learn to pronounce these words properly, and you will not feel like you are going crazy any longer!

* Les Misérables - Yes, you should pronounce the "L." Tell them I said to try pronouncing it like this:  "leh MEE-zair-AH-bluh"

* Ratatouille - the dish, or adorable cartoon rat, is pronounced more like "Rah-tah-TOO-ee" - the two "ll's" are pronounced almost like a soft "y" (not a hard one, like in Spanish).

*  The word "beau" is pronounced like "bow," tout à fait.  Ask your friends to practice the phrase "beaucoup de beaujolais" like this:  "bow-COO duh bow-zho-LAY."  The "zh" sound is pronounced like the "g" in "beige."