Practice the high front vowels, i vs e
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| This is the i sound, and this is the e sound. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, plus you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Doria, and this is French Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is i. This is the i sound in il, si, vie, and other words. |
| e is the e sound in école, chanter, nez, and other words. |
| i and e are called "front vowels" because they are pronounced with the highest part of the tongue positioned in the front part of the mouth. |
| To make the French i sound: the tip of your tongue should touch the bottom row of teeth. Your lips should be very tensed, and the corners of your mouth stretched apart. |
| i |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i |
| i |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i |
| To make the e sound: the lips and teeth part slightly. |
| Place the tip of your tongue against your lower teeth, and keep your lips unrounded and relaxed. It sounds similar to the ay sound in play, but your mouth is more closed, and the vowel is shorter. |
| e |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e |
| e |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e |
| The difference between these two sounds is about how open your mouth is. |
| Both vowels are pronounced with fairly closed lips, but one is slightly more open than the other. |
| /i/ is more closed, and /e/ is slightly more open. |
| When you say the vowel /i/, like in il, your lips are very tensed, your tongue is high up and towards the front of your mouth, and your lips are stretched out more. |
| For the vowel /e/, like in manger, the highest point of your tongue is a bit lower, and your lower jaw moves a little bit away from the upper jaw, which makes the mouth slightly more open than /i/. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| e |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e |
| e |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| e |
| So, try to focus on the openness of the mouth when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| si/ses |
| (space for repetition) |
| si/ses |
| dit/des |
| (space for repetition) |
| dit/des |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that's slightly more open? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| e |
| (1) |
| e |
| And the more closed sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| i |
| (1) |
| i |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the more closed sound, and which has the more open sound? |
| si/ses |
| (1) |
| si/ses |
| (1) |
| Si has the more closed sound, and ses has the more open sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| dit /des |
| (1) |
| dit /des |
| (1) |
| Dit has the more closed sound, and des has the more open sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| prix/pré |
| (1) |
| prix/pré |
| (1) |
| Prix has the more closed sound, and pré has the more open sound. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. Which words have the more closed sound, and which have the more open sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| Si ça sonne, ses amis arrivent. |
| si, ses |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Il dit des mots. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| dit, des |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Le prix pour le pré est cher. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| prix, pré |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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