A
vowel is a sound that is pronounced through the mouth (and, in the case of
nasal vowels, the nose) with no obstruction of the lips, tongue, or throat.
There are a few general guidelines to keep in mind when pronouncing French vowels:
- Most French vowels are pronounced further forward in the mouth than their English counterparts.
- The tongue must remain tensed throughout the pronunciation of the vowel.
- French vowels do not diphthong. In English, vowels tend to be followed by a y sound (after a, e, or i) or a w sound (after o or u). In French, this is not the case - the vowel sound remains constant: it does not change into a y or w sound. Thus the
French vowel is a "purer" sound than the English vowel.
Hard and soft vowels
A,
O, and
U are sometimes called
hard vowels and
E and
I are
soft vowels, because certain consonants (
C,
G,
S) have a "hard" and a "soft"
pronunciation, depending on which vowel follows.
Nasal vowels
Vowels followed by
M or
N are usually
nasal. Nasal pronunciation can be very different from the normal pronunciation of each vowel.
Accents
Accents may change the pronunciation of vowels. They are required in French.
Detailed lessons on French vowels
A E I O U
