Allons en France 7.9 Prononcez bien! French nasal vowels


Vowels followed by ‘m’ or ‘n’ are usually nasal vowels. This means that the vowel sound is made by expelling air through the mouth and the nose without obstruction of the lips or tongue.


Nasal vowels exist in the English language (the American twang, for example) but there is a difference: in English, the consonant ‘m’ or ‘n’ is pronounced whereas in French, the consonant is not pronounced. Here are some tips to pronounce French nasal vowels:


When a nasal vowel contains an ‘n’, keep your tongue tight against the bottom of your mouth. Don’t lift it or move it at all. When a nasal vowel contains an ‘m’, don’t bring your lips together. Keep your mouth open.


Écoutez et répétez! in


bain lin


faim sain


on an


bon banc long lent font faon son cent


daim dont dans teint


Écoutez et répétez! un – chien - bien – combien – simple


on – mon – ton – son – sont – non – pardon – station – combien – compliqué en – dans – quand – comment – boulangerie – gendarme – prends


Say each of the following words in English and then in French! cent


grand salon en suite croissant flan 118 cent dix-huit France centre ton temps


province continent restaurant boulangerie


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