Practice the dental stop consonants, t vs d
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 t sound, and this is the d 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 t. This is the t sound in thé, tout, tête and other words. |
| d is the d sound in demain, dent, salade, and other words. |
| t and d are called "plosives" or "stop consonants" because they are pronounced by completely blocking the airflow and then releasing it. |
| The French t sound is less aspirated compared to the English t sound. To make the t sound, say "stop," as the t in "stop" is similar to the French t, with little to no puff of air when released. |
| t |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t |
| t |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t |
| To make the d sound: place the tip of the tongue against the back of the upper teeth. |
| Vibrate your vocal cords, and push air against the upper teeth. |
| Release the air as your vocal cords continue to vibrate. |
| d |
| [3 sec pause] |
| d (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| d |
| d |
| [3 sec pause] |
| d (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| d |
| The difference between these two sounds is about whether your vocal folds vibrate or not. |
| /t/ is voiceless, and /d/ is voiced |
| When you pronounce /t/, like in tes, |
| your vocal cords do not vibrate. |
| When you pronounce /d/, like in des, |
| your vocal cords do vibrate. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| t d |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t d (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t d |
| t d |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t d (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| t d |
| 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? |
| tes/des |
| (space for repetition) |
| tes/des |
| vite/vide |
| (space for repetition) |
| vite/vide |
| 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) |
| d |
| (1) |
| d |
| And the voiceless sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| t |
| (1) |
| t |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the voiced sound, and which has the voiceless sound? |
| tes/des |
| (1) |
| tes/des |
| (1) |
| Des has the voiced sound, and tes has the voiceless sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| vite/vide |
| (1) |
| vite/vide |
| (1) |
| Vide has the voiced sound, and vite has the voiceless sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| ton/don |
| (1) |
| ton/don |
| (1) |
| Don has the voiced sound, and ton 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) |
| Tes amis mangent des gâteaux. |
| tes, des |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Il vide la poubelle plus vite que moi. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| vite, vide |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Merci pour ton don. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| ton, don |
| 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