Practice the high to mid front rounded vowels, u vs ø
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| This is the ø sound. And this is the u 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 ø. This is the ø sound in deux, feu, eux, and other words. |
| u is the u sound in nous, fou, où, and other words. |
| ø and u are both pronounced with rounded lips. |
| To make the ø sound: the tongue position is similar to the /e/ sound, so make the /e/ sound first, keep the tongue forward, and try to make your lips rounded. |
| ø |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø |
| ø |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø |
| In Lesson 5, we have learned how to make the u sound: part the lips and round them more tightly. |
| The tongue is in the far back of the mouth. |
| u |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u |
| u |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u |
| Both vowels are pronounced with rounded lips. |
| The difference between these two sounds is about the tongue position. |
| The tongue in /ø/ is in front, and the tongue in /u/ is at the back of the mouth. |
| When you say the vowel /ø/, like in feu, |
| your lips are rounded, |
| and your tongue is in the front part of your mouth, |
| like in /e/ |
| For the vowel /u/, like in fou, |
| your lips are rounded, |
| but your tongue pulls towards the back of your mouth. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| ø u. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø u (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø u. |
| ø u. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø u (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø u. |
| So try to focus on the tongue position when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| feu/fou |
| (space for repetition) |
| feu/fou |
| peu/poux |
| (space for repetition) |
| peu/poux |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that has the front vowel? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ø |
| (1) |
| ø |
| And the sound that has the back vowel? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| u |
| (1) |
| u |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the front vowel, and which has the back vowel? |
| feu/fou |
| (1) |
| feu/fou |
| (1) |
| Feu has the front vowel, and fou has the back vowel. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| peu/poux |
| (1) |
| peu/poux |
| (1) |
| Peu has the front vowel, and poux has the back vowel. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| deuxième/douzième |
| (1) |
| deuxième/douzième |
| (1) |
| Deuxième has the front vowel, and douzième has the back vowel. |
| Now listen to the following sentences. Which words have the front vowel, and which words have the back vowel? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| Il est fou de jouer avec le feu. |
| fou, feu |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Il y a peu de poux dans cette école.. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| peu, poux |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Le douzième mois de l'année est décembre, et le deuxième est février. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| douzième, deuxième |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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