The Nasal Vowel /œ̃/
The articulatory features of /œ̃/ are as follow: mid, front, rounded and nasal. Examples of words containing /œ̃/ are brun [bʁœ̃] , humble [œ̃bl] , parfum [paʁfœ̃] , un [œ̃] , lundi [lœ̃di] . Be sure to fully round the vowel since otherwise it will be interpreted as /ɛ̃/.
Note that many speakers (in Europe) replace /œ̃/ with /ɛ̃/. That is not the case in Canada and /œ̃/ is indeed a standard French vowel, which is why it is included in this guide.
A Correct Articulation of /œ̃/.
In order to arrive at a correct pronunciation of /œ̃/, we suggest you begin with /ɛ̃/ and then advance and round the lips:
/ɛ̃/ + rounding = /œ̃/
Spelling of /œ̃/
As we saw in the general section on nasal vowels, two main contexts exist:
a) a vowel letter + "n" at the very end of a word, e.g.: inopportun [inɔpɔʁtœ̃];
b) a vowel letter + "n" or "m" followed by a consonant letter, lundi [lœ̃di].
It is important to note that when the vowel is nasal, there is no nasal consonant pronounced. Its only role is to indicate that one must use a nasal vowel, e.g.: humble is pronounced [œ̃bl] and NOT [œ̃mbl].
The main spelling indication for /œ̃/ is "un" or "um", e.g.: un, parfum).
While "un/um" in the context of a nasal vowel usually represents /œ̃/, there are some exceptions, e.g.:
● the word rhum is actually pronounced [ʁɔm].