Practice the bilabial stop consonants, p vs b
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| This is the p sound. And this is the b 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 p. This is the p sound in petit, par, pain, and other words. |
| b is the b sound in beau, bâteau, bain, and other words. |
| p and b are called "plosives" or "stop consonants" because they are pronounced by completely blocking the airflow and then releasing it. |
| The French p sound is less aspirated compared to the English p sound. To make the p sound, try saying "spy," as the p in "spy" is similar to the French p, with little to no puff of air when released. |
| p |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p |
| p |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p |
| The French b sound is more voiced than the English b sound. To pronounce it, engage your vocal cords more actively, ensuring a stronger vibration as you release your lips. |
| b |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b |
| b |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b |
| The difference between these two sounds is about whether your vocal folds vibrate or not. |
| /p/ is voiceless, and /b/ is voiced |
| When you pronounce /p/, like in pain, |
| your vocal cords do not vibrate. |
| When you pronounce /b/, like in bain, |
| your vocal cords do vibrate. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| p b. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p b (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p b. |
| p b. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p b (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p b. |
| So try to focus on whether your vocal folds vibrate or not when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| pain/bain |
| (space for repetition) |
| pain/bain |
| port/bord |
| (space for repetition) |
| port/bord |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that's voiced? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| b |
| (1) |
| b |
| And the voiceless sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| p |
| (1) |
| p |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the voiced sound, and which has the voiceless sound? |
| pain/bain |
| (1) |
| pain/bain |
| (1) |
| Bain has the voiced sound, and pain has the voiceless sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| port/bord |
| (1) |
| port/bord |
| (1) |
| Bord has the voiced sound, and port has the voiceless sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| peigne/beigne |
| (1) |
| peigne/beigne |
| (1) |
| Beigne has the voiced sound, and peigne has the voiceless sound. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. Which words have the voiced sound, and which have the voiceless sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| Il peint les murs de la salle de bain. |
| peint, bain |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Le café est au bord du port. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| port, bord |
| (3 sec pause) |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
| Here’s a special resource just for you… |
| 30+ French PDF Cheat Sheets… |
| …That will improve your French twice as fast — yours FREE. |
| Just click the link in the comments section. |
Comments
Hide