NASAL VOWELS

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  • The NASAL VOWELS
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A SINGLE N or M after a vowel, at the end of a syllable, will turn the normal N, when the tongue flaps on the roof of the mouth, into a nasal vowel.

The tongue stops for the N or M half way up in the mouth, and the AIR ESCAPES THROUGH THE NOSTRILS. Now, that is the nasal vowel.

Make sure NOT TO CLOSE your lips for the M just let the aair through your nose as for N.

Warning:double NN or double MM must be pronounced just as a NORMAL N or M but you do not pronounce double of them. The tongue must hit the palate in your mouth for the N and the lips must close up for the M. Eg. i-nno-va-tion, con-so-mma-tion

 

un/um
begin with the French alphabet E sound and then let the air through your nose for the N or M: un, parfum
in/im yn/ym begin with the French AI sound then let the air through your nose: cinq, impossible, synthèse, sympathique
on begin with the French O sound then let the air through your nose: on, nation, maison
en/em an/am begin with the English U sound, like in HUNG, then let the air through your nose: enfant, emploi, ambassade
Exception:-ien australien, chien, mien, je viens

 

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True-False Question
Study the Nasal Vowels above before attempting this task.


The IM in impossible French is a nasal vowel but in the word immigration the M is sounded a normal M.

True False     


in, yn, im, ym sound all the same nasal sound when syllable final sounds.

True False     


The UN of un and the UM of parfum sound exactly the same.

True False     


EN, AN, EM, AM are always sounded the same when syllable final.

True False     


ON in syllable final position can only be a nasal vowel.

True False     


The regular N and M in French are pronounced the same way as those in the nasal vowels.

True False