Practice the mid front rounded vowels, ø vs œ
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| This is the ø sound. And this is the /œ/ 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. |
| œ is the œ sound in heure, œuf, accueil and other words. |
| ø and œ 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 |
| To make the œ sound: make the /ɛ/ sound (like in English 'met') first and round your lips without moving your tongue. |
| The tip of the tongue moves near the top of the lower teeth. The tongue moves forward slightly, then round your lips. |
| ɛ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɛ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɛ |
| ɛ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø |
| Both vowels are pronounced with rounded lips. |
| The difference between these two sounds is about how open your mouth is. |
| /ø/ is pronounced with a fairly closed mouth, but /œ/ is pronounced with a more open mouth. |
| /ø/ is half closed, and /œ/ is half open. |
| When you say the vowel /ø/, like in peu, |
| your lips are rounded and almost closed, |
| For the vowel /œ/, like in peur, |
| your lips are rounded, |
| your tongue is a bit lower |
| and your lower jaw moves a little bit away from the upper jaw, which makes the mouth more open than /ø/. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| ø œ. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø œ (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø œ. |
| ø œ. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø œ (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ø œ. |
| 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? |
| peu/peur |
| (space for repetition) |
| peu/peur |
| jeu/jeune |
| (space for repetition) |
| jeu/jeune |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that's more open? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| œ |
| (1) |
| œ |
| And the more closed sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ø |
| (1) |
| ø |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the more closed sound, and which has the more open sound? |
| peu/peur |
| (1) |
| peu/peur |
| (1) |
| Peu has the more closed sound, and peur has the more open sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| jeu/jeune |
| (1) |
| jeu/jeune |
| (1) |
| Jeu has the more closed sound, and jeune has the more open sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| ceux/sœur |
| (1) |
| ceux/sœur |
| (1) |
| Ceux has the more closed sound, and sœur 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) |
| Il a un peu de peur. |
| peu, peur |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Il est trop jeune pour ce jeu. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| jeune, jeu |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Ceux sont mes sœurs. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| ceux, sœur |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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