Practice the high front vowels, i vs y
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| This is the i sound. And this is the y 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 i. This is the i sound in il, si, vie, and other words. |
| y is the y sound in une, tu, rue and other words. |
| i and y are both "front vowels." They are pronounced with the highest part of the tongue positioned in the front part of the mouth. |
| In Lesson 1, we have learned how to make the i sound: the tip of your tongue should touch the lower front teeth. Your lips should be very tensed, and the corners of your mouth stretched apart. |
| i |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i |
| i |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i |
| To make the y sound: first, make the i sound and round your lips without moving your tongue. |
| y |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y |
| y |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y |
| The difference between these two sounds is about whether your lips are rounded or unrounded. |
| When you say the vowel /i/, like in dire, |
| the lips are stretched out and unrounded. |
| For the vowel /y/, like in dur, |
| the lips are rounded. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| i y. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i y (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i y. |
| i y. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i y (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i y. |
| So try to focus on whether the lips are rounded or unrounded when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| dire/dur |
| (space for repetition) |
| dire/dur |
| Gilles/Jules |
| (space for repetition) |
| Gilles/Jules |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that's rounded? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| y |
| (1) |
| y |
| And the unrounded sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| i |
| (1) |
| i |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the rounded sound, and which has the unrounded sound? |
| dire/dur |
| (1) |
| dire/dur |
| (1) |
| Dur has the rounded sound, and dire has the unrounded sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Gilles/Jules |
| (1) |
| Gilles/Jules |
| (1) |
| Jules has the rounded sound, and Gilles has the unrounded sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| pire/pur |
| (1) |
| pire/pur |
| (1) |
| Pur has the rounded sound, and pire has the unrounded sound. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. Which words have the rounded sound, and which have the unrounded sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| C'est-à-dire que c'est dur. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| dire, dur |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Gilles et Jules sont amis. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Gilles, Jules |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| Le lait est pur, le jus est pire. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| pire, pur |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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