Nasal Vowels

Click below to listen to the audio

Lots of my students have difficulties figuring out when a vowel followed by N or M will combine to form a nasal sound (like cousin - coo zIN) , or when to distinctly pronounce the sounds "N" or "M" (like cousine - coo zee n).

The main idea is that, to show a nasal sound in writing, you will write a vowel followed by N or M. The French language could have chosen another sign to express this is a nasal vowel sound, it would have been much easier, but they chose a combination of vowel and N or M. Now, the trick is to be able to recognize them.

The main rule is ; when used alone (such as in words like un, on, an) or followed by a consonant (except another N or M), vowels and N or M will combine to form a nasal sound. But let me explain a bit more.

1) How to pronounce a nasal sound ?

Click below to listen to the audio

In these nasal vowels, the N or M is only there in writing to indicate that this is a nasal sound ; it is never pronounced like N or M ; you only hear a nasal vowel sound. These do not exist in English. Try to pronounce the plain vowel while pinching your nose ; after, you can actually speak like that by using a muscle in the back of your mouth. A good idea is to practice in front of a mirror. The shape of your mouth is really the condition for the right sound.

[IN]
i + nasal (lips on the side like a smile)
Can be spelled in, im, ain, aim, un, ym, yen, ein, and ien (do pronounce the i and then the [IN])
intéressant, important, train, faim, un, sympathique, moyen, peinture, chien.

Note that UM is usually pronounced the latin way, U and M separately, like in calcium or aluminium.

[AN]
a + nasal (lips open wide in a square)
Can be spelled en, em, an, am, aon.
enfant, temps, an, ambiance, paon.

[ON]
o + nasal (lips rounded and almost closed)
Can be spelled on and om.
pont, ombre.

[OIN]
o + nasal [IN]
loin, point.

2) So, nasal or not ?

Click below to listen to the audio

When used alone (such as in words like an, on, un) or followed by a consonant (except another N or M), these vowel and N or M will combine to form a nasal sound. There are 3 main cases :

a) Nasal alone, or at the beginning of a word, followed by a consonant (except N or M).
- an, on, un, en,
- IMportant, ONcle, AMple, INtéressant.

b) Nasal at the end of a word, or followed by a consonant (except N or M, and ENT in a verb, wich is always silent).
- pAON, américAIN, sON,
- tEMps, rONd, sONt, pEINt, intéressANt

c) Nasal in the middle of a word, locked between 2 consonants.
- intEMpérie, orANge, bONjour.

So as you now understand, it is really the following consonant that allows the nasal to lock into one.

Now, the golden rule :

Whenever a consonant is followed by a vowel, this consonant will be pronounced

ex : say intéressant (t is silent), but intéressante (t is pronounced).

Based on this rule, whenever an N or an M are followed by a vowel (or another N or M and then a vowel), these N and M will have to be pronounced. And if they are pronounced, they cannot be nasal. So you'll pronounce the vowel and the N or M separately.

ex : cousin (IN nasal) but cousine (i,n)
américain (IN) but américaine (ê,n)
un, but uni (u, n, i)
inaperçue (i,n,a)
aime (ê,m)

When a nasal is followed by an N or an M, these will be sort of "transparent", so if there is a vowel after, it will break the nasal apart.
ex : Anne (a,n)
innactif (i,n,a....)
bonne (b,o,n)
immortel (i,m,o,r....)
viennent (v,i, ê,n) remember, ent is always silent in a verb.




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