Our Day 4

Immersion – 4
French Nasal Sounds and
Pronunciation of consonants

1. Nasal Sounds

French	Sound	As in English	Example
an am en em	ahN	fond	grand (grahN) = big,large ambitieux (ahN – bee-syuh) = ambitious l’enfant (lahN –fahN) = child l’employé (lahN-plwah-yey)= employee
un	uhN	uncle	brun (bruhN) = brown
in ain im aim	aN	slang	le pain (luh paN) = bread le matin (luh mah- taN) = morning la faim (lah faN) = hunger impossible (aN-poh-see-bluh)=impossible
oin uin	waN	wang	loin (lawn) = far juin (zh-waN) = June
ien	yan	yankee	le chien (luh shyaN) = dog
on om	ohN	wrong	bon (bohn) = good le nom (luh nohN) = name

2. Pronunciation of consonants

• French consonants are pronounced almost like in English except that you don’t linger on them: let them explode and move on to the vowel that follows.

• French ‘r’ sound should be pronounced with your throat, but make the sound as soft as possible.

• French consonants at the end of a word are not usually pronounced.

    Ex:
    1. l’argent (lahr-zhahN) = money
    2. vingt (vaN)= twenty
    3. les fruits (ley frwee) = fruits

• The consonants c,f,r,l (think of the consonants in the word ‘careful’ to help you remember) coming at the end of a word are pronounced.

    Ex:
    1. chic (sheek) = chic, stylish
    2. neuf (nuhf) = nine, new
    3. cher (shehr) = dear, expensive
    4. avril (ah-vreel)= April

• The letter ‘s’ is pronounced as ‘s’ if it starts a word; but when it is within a word you pronounce it as you do the letter ‘z’

    Ex:
    1. le soleil (luh soh-lehy) = sun
    2. la civilisation (lah see-vee-lee-zah-syohN) = civilization