A1 · Alphabet and pronunciation
Nasal vowels
Before n or m the vowel goes through the nose, and the n disappears.
When a vowel is followed by n or m and no further vowel comes after, the two merge into a nasal vowel: the vowel is sent through the nose and the n itself is not pronounced. bon is not “bonn” but an “o” through the nose. English only has these sounds in borrowed words such as “restaurant” or “croissant”, said the French way.
There are three, four for some speakers: an and en sound the same (enfant, temps); on as in bon, nom; in, ain, ein as in vin, pain, plein; and un as in brun, which most people today say exactly like in.
If a vowel or a second n or m follows, the sound is not nasal and the n is heard: bon against bonne, an against année, brun against brune. Very often that is the whole difference between masculine and feminine.
The form
| “ah” through the nose | an, en — enfant, temps |
| “oh” through the nose | on, om — bon, nom |
| “e” of “bed” through the nose | in, ain, ein — vin, pain, plein |
| today mostly like the row above | un — brun, lundi |
| not nasal, because a vowel follows | bonne, brune, année |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
A vowel with n or m at the end of a syllable turns nasal, and the n stays silent.
un bon vina good wine
an and en sound the same.
enfant, cent, grandchild, hundred, big
If a vowel or a second n follows, the vowel is not nasal.
un bon café, une bonne soupea good coffee, a good soup
Before b and p you write m instead of n — the sound stays the same.
temps, jambe, impossibletime, leg, impossible
How to spot it
- an
- en
- on
- in
- ain
Example sentences
J’ai faim, je voudrais du pain.I am hungry, I would like some bread.
Il y a du vent ce matin.It is windy this morning.
C’est un bon restaurant.It is a good restaurant.
Elle est brune, il est brun.She has dark hair, he has dark hair.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
An English speaker tends to finish the vowel with a real n or ng: “bong”, “vang”, “pang”. Do that and bon starts to sound like bonne. In a nasal vowel the tongue never touches the roof of the mouth — no n, no ng, only the vowel through the nose.
In a nasal vowel the n is never heard.
Your turn
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