French · A2 · Pronunciation & alphabet
French Nasal Vowels: Pain, Pont and Temps
French pain, pont and temps contain nasal vowels. Say the vowel with some air passing through your nose and avoid adding a separate n or m sound at the end of these words. Listen to one short word at a time before trying to spot nasal vowels inside sentences.
Library date · Published
Examples
| French | English |
|---|---|
| pain | bread, nasal vowel as in vin |
| pont | bridge, nasal vowel as in bon |
| temps | time or weather, nasal vowel as in dans |
Find a spelling clue
A vowel followed by n or m at the end of a syllable often signals a nasal sound. Notice in in vin, on in bon and an in dans. Learn the sound with the word because spelling alone does not settle every case.
Compare bon with bonne
The doubled n in bonne belongs to a pronounced consonant after an oral vowel. Listen to bon and bonne one after the other. Practise the full phrases un bon café and une bonne idée. The adjective ending changes with the noun, and you can hear that change.
Try it
Which has a nasal vowel, bon or bonne? Say each in a phrase.
Show answer
Bon. Un bon café. Une bonne idée.
French course coming soon.