French pronunciation question

Factual Questions
1

I don’t speak French, but many years ago I came across this saying:

Ce ne est que le premier pas qui coûte.
(It is only the first step that costs.)

ISTR that it’s pronounced something like ‘snek le prim-YAY pah kee coot’. Is that correct? If not, how is it properly pronounced?

2

Try entering it in translate.google.com and click the Listen icon.

3

Suh-ney-kih-leh-prem-yay-pa-key-coot

4

Using your made-up phonetic system, I’d say closer to “snay kuh luh prem-YAY pah kee coot”.

5

I’d say close enough.

St Denis et Montmartre, eh?

6

Ce ne est que le premier pas qui coûte.

Say nes kuh luh premeeaire pah key koot. (Premier has three syllables , but just barely: prem-ee-aire. And both Rs are pronounced.

7

Correct, just don’t stress the “yay”.

8

No, it’s “prem-yay”: only the first R is pronounced. The feminine, *première *, does have both Rs pronounced.

9

I stand corrected.

10

“Ce ne est” isn’t correct. It’s “Ce n’est”
But anyway, the saying is :

“Il n’y a que le premier pas qui coûte” . Googling, I find “ce n’est” for this sentence only in English sources (French-English dictionnaries and articles).
Can’t help with the pronounciation, since my english pronounciation is atrocious, I couldn’t give an equivalent.

11

Your written English is wonderful.

12

I just tried this with the correct “Il n’y a que le premier pas qui coûte” and I think that’s the best answer. Google’s pronunciation is robotic but correct. The transliterations into pseudo-English can only give you at best a terrible approximation.