10.1: Nasal Vowels - Introduction
- Page ID
- 269277
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In this section, you will learn about nasal vowels.
Listen to the audio clips that follow on this page to hear the French pronunciation of vocabulary and examples presented.
Let's get started!
Nasal Vowels
You may have noticed that the French language has a lot of nasal sounds. That’s because there are 4 different types of nasal vowels in French. For some words, the sound makes the nose vibrate. Try closing your mouth and making a sound with your nose. French nasal sounds sound almost like that.
In French, there are 4 nasal sounds. The people of the south clearly distinguish between these 4 sounds, but the people of northern France can only hear 3 nasal vowels. Here they are.
[ɔ̃] or Nasal O
Your mouth should be round when pronouncing these vowels. There are two ways to write them: on and om.
pompier, décontracté, tomber, contrôle
When on or om is followed by another vowel, however, the sound is no longer nasal. This is also the case when o is followed by nn or mm.
colonel, tome, conifère, comique
connu, communiquer, connivence, commercial.
[ɛ̃] or Nasal I
Your mouth should open for this sound, as if you were about to smile. There are many ways to write this vowel sound: in, im, yn, ym, ain, aim, ein, and very rarely en (like in examen).
pain, vin, important, thym, synthèse
As the examples above illustrate, the nasal sound is only produced when in/yn or any of the other variations are either at the end of a word or followed by another consonant, other than another m or n. The words in the examples below do not have a nasal sound.
Maine, climat, synonyme, reine
[œ̃] or Nasal U
People from the northern region of France would say that this third nasal vowel can also be placed under the [ɛ̃] sound category, but people from the south say that this is yet another nasal vowel, [œ̃], or nasal u. In order to make this sound, try contracting your mouth. There are two ways to write this sound: un and um.
parfum, un, brun, emprunt
Once more, if um or un is followed by a vowel, then the sound is no longer nasal.
brume, lune, résumé, funiculaire
[ɑ̃] or Nasal A
There are 5 ways to write this vowel sound: am, an, en, em, and very rarely aon.
lentement, pandémie, paon, jambe
When m or n is the last letter of a word, or when it is followed by another consonant (for example, -nt, -mp, -ns), we pronounce a nasal vowel, as in faim, pain, bon, champ, tante, penser.
When m, mm, n, or nn are followed by a vowel, the consonant is pronounced.
même, comme, ami, une, bonne, banane, panne
- Watch this video for additional practice: French Nasal Vowels.
Let's practice!
Activity A
Do each of the words in the audio recording have a nasal vowel sound or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
- Is there a nasal vowel or not?
Activity B
Listen and repeat.
- son / donne / don / pont / somme / nom / plomb / chanson / atomes / menton / démon
- sein / Seine / main / chêne / chaine / grain / bien / vient / viennes / chante / veines / coréenne
- sang / grand / crâne / champ / plan / pannes / sent / vent / Anne / autant
- sons / ton / tonne / fond / donnes / Toulon / couronne / Narbonne / voyons / personne / bonbon / Yvonne