Practice the nasal consonants, bilabial vs alveolar, m vs n
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| This is the /m/ sound. And this is the /n/ 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 m. This is the m sound in moi, aimer, mardi, and other words. |
| n is the n sound in nuage, non, nature, and other words. |
| m and n are called "nasal stops" because the air is blocked in the mouth and allowed to escape through the nose. |
| To make the m sound: |
| The lips are closed and curled slightly inward. |
| Then, push air through the nose. |
| m |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m |
| m |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m |
| To make the n sound: the lips and teeth move slightly apart. |
| The tip of the tongue touches the top of the mouth near the upper teeth. |
| Then, push air through the nose. |
| n |
| [3 sec pause] |
| n (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| n |
| n |
| [3 sec pause] |
| n (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| n |
| The difference between these two sounds is about where the air is blocked in your mouth. |
| When you pronounce /m/, like in moi, |
| your lips are closed. |
| When you pronounce /n/, like in noix, |
| your lips are slightly open, and the tip of your tongue touches the gums behind the upper teeth. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| m n |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m n (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m n |
| m n |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m n (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m n |
| So try to focus on where the air is blocked in your mouth when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| moi/noix |
| (space for repetition) |
| moi/noix |
| mou/nous |
| (space for repetition) |
| mou/nous |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that is pronounced with a closed mouth? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| m |
| (1) |
| m |
| And the sound that is pronounced with a slightly opened mouth? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| n |
| (1) |
| n |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the sound with a closed mouth, and which has the sound with a slightly opened mouth? |
| moi/noix |
| (1) |
| moi/noix |
| (1) |
| Moi has the sound with a closed mouth, and noix has the sound with a slightly opened mouth. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| mou/nous |
| (1) |
| mou/nous |
| (1) |
| Mou has the sound with a closed mouth, and nous has the sound with a slightly opened mouth. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| sème/seine |
| (1) |
| sème/seine |
| (1) |
| Sème has the sound with a closed mouth, and seine has the sound with a slightly opened mouth. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. Which words have the sounds with a closed mouth, and which have the sounds with a slightly opened mouth? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| Moi, j'aime les noix. |
| moi, noix |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Nous préférons le fromage mou. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| mou, nous |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Elle sème des fleurs près de la Seine. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| sème, seine |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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