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l | ![]() | The French 'l' is similar to the 'l' in English "with Lee". The tongue tip usually touches the back of the upper teeth. It is also a so-called "clear" l: in other words, you don't raise the back of your tongue as you pronounce the French 'l', as occurs in some cases in English. | |
ɥ | ![]() | This is a sound that has no near equivalent in English. To pronounce it, you "glide" rapidly from a French 'u' vowel to the following vowel. Be careful not to pronounce this sound as an English "w" sound. The two are different: in this French sound, you start on a French 'u' sound (and not a French 'ou' sound or English 'oo' sound). | |
i | ![]() | The French 'i' vowel is pronounced with the tongue almost as far forward and close to the roof of the mouth as it will go and with the lips spread. Aim to "tense" your lips for a moment as you pronounce it. | |
l | ![]() | The French 'l' is similar to the 'l' in English "with Lee". The tongue tip usually touches the back of the upper teeth. It is also a so-called "clear" l: in other words, you don't raise the back of your tongue as you pronounce the French 'l', as occurs in some cases in English. | |
ə | ![]() | The 'schwa' or 'neutral e' is pronounced with the tongue in a "central, relaxed" position and the mouth also in a 'half open, relaxed' position. Note that many French speakers actually tend to pronounce this vowel as a 'close eu' vowel (as occurs at the end of words ending in -euse), or at least with some rounding of the lips. | Even though the word ends in -e in the spelling, notice how in the pronunciation, this vowel isn't "fully" pronounced. Instead, the syllable before it receives the stress. |