Beginning/Start – le debut

(Pronounced day-bew (second syllable rhymes with "you")

To remember that Beginning/Start is pronounced day-new (debut) in French, use the following mnemonic:

They knew it was the beginning of a huge battle the day a bugle (debut) was blown.

Debut is masculine, so it's le début. Imagine that at the start of the battle, the little drummer boy is our early learner.