Practice the mid back rounded vowels, ɔ vs o
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| This is the ɔ sound. And this is the o 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 ɔ. This is the ɔ sound in homme, sort, Paul, and other words. |
| o is the o sound in beau, chaud, mot, and other words. |
| ɔ and o are called "back vowels" because they are pronounced with the tongue positioned in the back of the mouth. |
| To make the ɔ sound: part the lips and round them slightly. The tongue moves slightly toward the back of the mouth and flattens. |
| ɔ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ |
| ɔ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ |
| To make the o sound: part the lips and round them tightly. |
| The tongue is in the back of the mouth. |
| o |
| [3 sec pause] |
| o (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| o |
| o |
| [3 sec pause] |
| o (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| o |
| Both ɔ and o are pronounced with rounded lips. The difference between these two sounds is about how open your mouth is. |
| /ɔ/ is pronounced with a more open mouth than /o/. |
| When you say the vowel /ɔ/, like in homme, |
| your jaw is more relaxed, |
| and the mouth is a little bit more open compared to /o/. |
| For the vowel /o/, like in eau, |
| your jaw is more tensed, |
| and your lips are more rounded. |
| The mouth is more closed than /ɔ/. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| ɔ o. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ o (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ o. |
| ɔ o. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ o (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɔ o. |
| 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? |
| pomme/paume |
| (space for repetition) |
| pomme/paume |
| taupe/top |
| (space for repetition) |
| taupe/top |
| 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) |
| ɔ |
| (1) |
| ɔ |
| And the more closed sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| o |
| (1) |
| o |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the relatively more closed sound, and which has the more open sound? |
| pomme/paume |
| (1) |
| pomme/paume |
| (1) |
| Paume has the more closed sound, and pomme has the more open sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| taupe/top |
| (1) |
| taupe/top |
| (1) |
| Taupe has the more closed sound, and top has the more open sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| sol/saule |
| (1) |
| sol/saule |
| (1) |
| Saule has the more closed sound, and sol 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) |
| Je mets la pomme dans ma paume. |
| pomme, paume |
| (3 sec pause) |
| La taupe est le top! |
| (3 sec pause) |
| top, taupe |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Le sol est sec sous le saule. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| sol, saule |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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