French Corrective Phonetics Guide

Vowels

Description

Vowels

Vowel sounds are produced when air flows through the mouth without stopping or disrupting the airflow. The following chart shows French oral vowels according to place of articulation. Vowels are described vertically (e.g.: "high", "low") and horizontally ("front", "back") to reflect the relative position of the tongue during articulation.

 

 

Following this approach, the vowel /i/ is described as a high, front vowel. It is also "unrounded" since the lips are spread apart during articulation (unlike /o/ which is "rounded"). The complete list of vowels, including nasals, is given below:

 

 

French vowels are described in detail in the following sections.


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