Practice the labiodental fricative consonants, f vs v
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 /f/ sound, and this is the /v/ 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 f. This is the f sound in faire, fou, femme, and other words. |
| v is the v sound in vous, vrai, verre, and other words. |
| f and v are called "fricatives" because they are pronounced by forcing air through a narrow channel in the mouth, causing friction as the air passes through it. |
| To make the f sound: rest the front of the upper teeth on the lower lip. |
| The lower lip may curl slightly. |
| Push the air out, making it flow between your teeth and lower lip. |
| f |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f |
| f |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f |
| To make the v sound: rest the front of the upper teeth on the lower lip. |
| The lower lip may curl slightly. |
| Push the air out, making it flow between your teeth and lower lip as your vocal cords vibrate. |
| v |
| [3 sec pause] |
| v (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| v |
| v |
| [3 sec pause] |
| v (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| v |
| The difference between these two sounds is about whether your vocal folds vibrate or not. |
| /f/ is voiceless, and /v/ is voiced |
| When you pronounce /f/, like in fou, |
| your vocal cords do not vibrate. |
| When you pronounce /v/, like in vous, |
| your vocal cords do vibrate. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| f v |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f v (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f v |
| f v |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f v (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f v |
| 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? |
| fou/vous |
| (space for repetition) |
| fou/vous |
| font/vont |
| (space for repetition) |
| font/vont |
| 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) |
| v |
| (1) |
| v |
| And the voiceless sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| f |
| (1) |
| f |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the voiced sound, and which has the voiceless sound? |
| fou/vous |
| (1) |
| fou/vous |
| (1) |
| Vous has the voiced sound, and fou has the voiceless sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| font/vont |
| (1) |
| font/vont |
| (1) |
| Vont has the voiced sound, and font has the voiceless sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| neuf/neuve |
| (1) |
| neuf/neuve |
| (1) |
| Neuve has the voiced sound, and neuf 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) |
| Vous êtes fou! |
| vous, fou |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Le neuf janvier, il a acheté une voiture neuve. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| neuve, neuf |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Je fais du sport quand je vais au parc. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| vais, fais |
| 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