What are Vowels? Vowels are the sounds which you make in your mouth without constricting the air flow.

What are consonants? Consonants are sounds which are produced with some air constriction ex. closing your tongue against your teeth(t, d), putting your lips together(p,b)

When we pronounce the French vowels… We need to think about how and where in the mouth they are pronounced: closeness and openness backness and frontness rounded and unrounded

French sounds can be tricky There are about 16 vowel sounds in French They can be divided in 3 categories: 1. pure 2. nasal 3. semi-vowels

Long Vowels Short Vowels Similar English [a] [ə] not - nut [i] ---- sheep [e] [ɛ] wait - wet [o] [ɔ] coat - caught [u] moon

Pure vowels i, y ee vie, midi, lit, riz General spelling: how it sounds: sample words i, y ee vie, midi, lit, riz u ee rounded rue, jus, tissu, usine é, et, final er and ez ey blé, nez, cahier, pied eu ey rounded jeu, yeux, queue, bleu e, è, ê, ai, ei, ais eh lait, aile, balai, reine œu, eu eh rounded sœur, œuf, fleur, beurre a, à, â ah chat, ami, papa, salade a, â ah longer bas, âne, grâce, château ou oo loup, cou, caillou, outil o, ô oh eau, dos, escargot, hôtel o aw sol, pomme, cloche, horloge e uh fenêtre, genou, cheval, cerise

NASAL VOWELS (vowels followed by n or m) en, em, an, am, aon, aen [ awn ] gant, banc, dent in, im, yn, ym, ain, aim, ein, eim, un, um, [ ahn ] pain, vin, linge en, eng, oin, oing, oint, ien, yen, éen un [ uhn ] brun, lundi, parfum on, om [ ohn ] rond, ongle, front

Semi-vowels phonetic spelling (how it sounds) sample words oi, ou, w fois, oui, Louis ui, ee-we lui, suisse ill, y yuh oreille, Mireille