/o/ and /ɔ/
The vowels /o/ and /ɔ/ are characterized by the following features:
/o/ is mid-closed, back, rounded and oral, e.g.: dos [do] , eau /o/ , auto [oto] , faux [fo] .
/ɔ/ is mid-open, back, rounded and oral, e.g.: bol [bɔl] , mort [mɔʁ] , molle [mɔl] , bonne [bɔn] .
As you can see, these vowels are identical, except that the tongue is a little higher for /o/ than it is for /ɔ/.
Articulation of /o/ and /ɔ/
Like all French vowels, /o/ and /ɔ/ are short and tense. Since they are both rounded vowels, the lips must be rounded AND advanced during articulation.
When articulating, avoid adding a /w/ at the end. While English does have similar vowels, they are not the same. Compare for example the following word pairs.
| Word pair |
French |
English |
| "beau/bow" |
[bo] |
[bow] |
| "seau/so" |
[so] |
[sow] |
| "tôt/tow" |
[to] |
[tow] |
As these examples suggest, it is important to ensure that you do not produce a diphthong when articulating these French vowels. Keeping the vowel short and tense should help ensure a correct pronunciation.
Note that avoiding English [ow] is particularly challenging in open stressed syllables.
Distribution
The vowels /o/ and /ɔ/ tend to follow the Loi de position, i.e.: /o/ is usually found in open syllables (fardeau = [faʁdo]) and /ɔ/ is only found in closed syllables (bol = [bɔl]). However, there are exceptions. These exceptions usually involve the presence of /o/ in closed syllables. For the most part, spelling conventions will help (see below).
Spelling of /o/
The vowel /o/ is represented by the letter(s) "o" or "au" in certain contexts. Namely:
a) words written with "ô", e.g.: bientôt, [bjɛ̃to].
b) stressed "o" followed by a silent consonant, e.g.: dos [do].
c) "o" followed by pronounced /z/ or /m/, e.g.: rose [ʁoz], atome [atom]
d) "au" or "eau", e.g.: fardeau [faʁdo]
Spelling of /ɔ/
The main context for the vowel /ɔ/ is the letter "o" followed by a pronounced consonant other than "z/m", e.g.: botte [bɔt], problème [pʁɔblɛm]. Note that this is the case in both stressed and unstressed syllables. We see then that the Loi de position is frequently violated in unaccented syllables.
| Summary of spellings for /o/ and /ɔ/ |
| Spelling |
/o/ |
/ɔ/ |
/õ/ |
| ô |
tôt [to] |
|
|
| au |
auberge [obɛʁʒ], auto [oto], fardeau [faʁdo] |
|
|
| o +z/m+e |
rose [ʁoz], chose [ʃoz], poser [poze], atome [atom] |
|
|
| o + other non-nasal letter |
|
problème [pʁɔblɛm], possible [pɔsibl], procès [prɔsɛ], botte [bɔt] |
|
| o + n/m + consonant; o + n/m at end of word |
|
|
fond [fõ], bon [bõ] |
- The name Paul is pronounced [pɔl] , in spite of being written with "au"
- The word rhum is pronounced [ʁɔm]
- The singular un os is pronounded [œ̃nɔs], while the plural des os is pronounced [dezo] (in keeping with the Loi de position).
- The word oignon is pronounced [ɔɲõ] (even though "oi" is usually pronounced [wa])
- The word alchool is pronounced [alkɔl] .
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