Yes French people can understand you ! | 6 French pronunciation tips

Описание: French people can understand you, even with an accent.
But if you sometimes feel people look confused when you speak French, it is usually not your grammar. It is pronunciation and flow.

In this video, I share 6 simple things that make your French much easier to understand in real conversations, without sounding perfect or overthinking rules.

My classes https://bonjourmate.com/

The 6 tips covered in this video

Slow down and pronounce every syllable
French is a syllable-timed language. When you rush, you often drop syllables you think do not matter, but in French that can completely change the word being heard.

Clearly distinguish un and une
This is one of the most common pronunciation issues.
If un is pronounced too clearly, it often sounds like une to French ears, which can change the meaning of the sentence.

The final e is usually silent
In spoken French, the final e is almost always silent.
If you pronounce it, the word can sound strange or unfinished.
The main exception is when there is an accent, especially é, which must be pronounced.

French is a connected language and uses liaison
French words are meant to flow together. When the connection is broken, speech can sound unnatural and sometimes harder to understand, even if the words are correct.

Nasal vowels matter more than you think
French relies heavily on nasal sounds. If they are not pronounced correctly, French ears may hear a completely different word.

Avoid over-stressing words
French does not use strong word stress like English. A flatter, smoother rhythm often makes you more understandable, even if you make mistakes.

Nasal sounds in French explained simply

French has nasal vowels, meaning the air goes through the nose while pronouncing the vowel. These sounds are represented by phonetic symbols and can be written in several different ways.

/ɑ̃/

Spellings
an, en, am, em

Examples
sans, enfant, chambre, temps

/ɔ̃/

Spellings
on, om

Examples
bon, maison, sombre

/ɛ̃/

Spellings
in, im, ain, ein, yn, ym

Examples
vin, important, pain, plein

/œ̃/

Spellings
un, um

Examples
un, parfum

Important note about /œ̃/ and /ɛ̃/

In contemporary French spoken in France, the nasal vowel /œ̃/ (un, um) is now very close to and often merged with /ɛ̃/ (in, im, ain…).
As a result, many speakers pronounce un and in almost the same in everyday speech.

However, some speakers still maintain a clearer distinction:

in Quebec French

in parts of southern France

in more careful or formal speech

Both pronunciations exist. In most everyday situations, grouping un / um with the /ɛ̃/ sound will still be clearly understood.


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