Pronunciation - Part 2
The Role of Syllables in the French Language
Let's talk about nasal vowel sounds now. A nasal vowel is when you pronounce a sound as if it's coming out of your nose instead of your mouth. It might seem a bit tricky at first, but it's simpler than you think. In English, we also have some nasal vowels, like in the word "sing," where the "i" takes on a nasal quality because of the "ng" sound.
However, in French, it's the nasal vowels themselves that bring a unique twist. They often cause the following nasal consonant sound to be dropped, but you might still catch a hint of that dropped consonant. Most of the time, you'll find French nasal vowels right before the letters 'm' and 'n.'
For instance:
"blanc" is pronounced as /blông/ with a slight hint of a pronounced 'k' at the end.
"brun" is pronounced as /brung/.
"parfum" has a nasal sound on the last syllable, while the vowel on the first syllable is pronounced with a short and sharp tone. It would be pronounced as /pâhr-fang/, with a slight trace of the 'm' at the end of the nasal sound.
Sometimes, a single vowel causes the nasal quality, as seen in examples like
• faim - pronounced as /fang/
• certain - pronounced as /cer-täng/
• chien - pronounced as /chi-yông/
Other times, two vowels together create the nasal sound, like when 'a' and 'i' or 'i' and 'e' are placed before 'm' or 'n' in a sentence.
And there's also the open 'eu' in the French alphabet. Pronouncing these vowels involves rounding your lips while keeping your mouth open. Words with open 'eu' vowels are pronounced similarly to the English words "set," "pet," and "get." Examples include
• fête /fεt/
• tête /tεt/
• père /pεr/
• mère /mεr/
Practice these, and you'll master the unique sounds of French!
Let's talk about nasal vowel sounds now. A nasal vowel is when you pronounce a sound as if it's coming out of your nose instead of your mouth. It might seem a bit tricky at first, but it's simpler than you think. In English, we also have some nasal vowels, like in the word "sing," where the "i" takes on a nasal quality because of the "ng" sound.
However, in French, it's the nasal vowels themselves that bring a unique twist. They often cause the following nasal consonant sound to be dropped, but you might still catch a hint of that dropped consonant. Most of the time, you'll find French nasal vowels right before the letters 'm' and 'n.'
For instance:
"blanc" is pronounced as /blông/ with a slight hint of a pronounced 'k' at the end.
"brun" is pronounced as /brung/.
"parfum" has a nasal sound on the last syllable, while the vowel on the first syllable is pronounced with a short and sharp tone. It would be pronounced as /pâhr-fang/, with a slight trace of the 'm' at the end of the nasal sound.
Sometimes, a single vowel causes the nasal quality, as seen in examples like
• faim - pronounced as /fang/
• certain - pronounced as /cer-täng/
• chien - pronounced as /chi-yông/
Other times, two vowels together create the nasal sound, like when 'a' and 'i' or 'i' and 'e' are placed before 'm' or 'n' in a sentence.
And there's also the open 'eu' in the French alphabet. Pronouncing these vowels involves rounding your lips while keeping your mouth open. Words with open 'eu' vowels are pronounced similarly to the English words "set," "pet," and "get." Examples include
• fête /fεt/
• tête /tεt/
• père /pεr/
• mère /mεr/
Practice these, and you'll master the unique sounds of French!