What nasal vowels are
A nasal vowel is a vowel pronounced while air flows through both the mouth and the nose. English only nasalizes vowels slightly before n or m. In French the nasal vowel is a distinct sound in its own right.
The four nasal vowels
| Written | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| an, en | [ɑ̃] | dans |
| on | [ɔ̃] | bon |
| in, ain, ein | [ɛ̃] | vin |
| un | [œ̃] | lundi |
The four sounds
an / en [ɑ̃]
Open your mouth as if to say “ah”, then nasalize. an and en sound the same.
l'enfant
the child
dans
in
la France
France
on [ɔ̃]
Round your lips as if to say “oh”, then nasalize.
bon
good
bonjour
hello
la maison
the house
in / ain / ein [ɛ̃]
Like the “e” in bed, nasalized, with the lips slightly spread. All three spellings sound the same.
le vin
the wine
le pain
the bread
le matin
the morning
un [œ̃]
Like the vowel in fur without the r, with rounded lips, nasalized. Today many speakers pronounce un exactly like in. You do not need to keep the two apart.
un café
a coffee
lundi
Monday
brun
brown
Nasal or not?
If a vowel follows the n/m, or the n/m is doubled, the vowel is not nasal and the n/m is pronounced. That is why masculine and feminine forms often sound different.
With and without a nasal
bon
good (masc.)
bonne
good (fem.)
un
a (masc.)
une
a (fem.)
Three nasal vowels compared
banc
bench
bon
good
bain
bath
