2

I am trying to figure out how to pronounce the name of the letter "e" in French for the last year.. like in this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xuZxGirWQI

How do they call the letter "e"?
How do I produce this sound?

Until now I referred to "E" and "eu" like the same sounds.
I would pronounce the e in "je" and "ne" and "me" like this:
I am saying the i sound in the English word "bird" then I puckered my lips as if I am saying the oo sound in the word "good" the letter "e" seems to be the most important letter in French and I don't know how to pronounce it.

Improve this question
1
  • I've watched a few online tutorials on how to pronounce the [ə] sound, and I'd recommend this one. Be careful, it is a much shorter sound as in "bird", but lip movement is the same to start with.
    – None
    Commented Sep 13, 2021 at 15:18

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

I would indeed describe the sound of E like "eu", but not like in the word bird. It would be more like a mix or the sound I the word bird and the first sound of the word "expect", so it's like "eu" but a bit higher than in the word bird. I recommend you listen to French YouTubers, it's the best way to know how to pronounce stuff

How to prononce "je":

https://youtu.be/IsBDzm-GUEE

How to prononce "e":

https://youtu.be/FOeuvYUpPgQ

French channels I recommand (they speak of subject unrelated to the French language, but they have a nice way of speaking and articulating their words and sentences):

  • Dr Nozman

  • Poisson Fécond

  • Astronogeek

Improve this answer
5
  • 1
    Maybe you have some sources for pronunciation examples (dictionnary, website, youtube videos)?
    – XouDo
    Commented Sep 13, 2021 at 15:50
  • thanks man, the e sounds that she makes in the video sounds like the letter "o" in the word "lock" with rounded lips.
    – רועי סלע
    Commented Sep 13, 2021 at 17:17
  • It does come close
    – Samuel Fyckes
    Commented Sep 13, 2021 at 18:03
  • If that was the answer you were looking for, you can accept it as an answer. Else, you can tell me what other specifications you need.
    – Samuel Fyckes
    Commented Sep 13, 2021 at 21:36
  • "the sound of E like 'eu'" ...as in what? Sorry, I'm confused.
    – livresque
    Commented Sep 13, 2021 at 21:53
0

For an English speaker I'd say the "e" in je, me, le.

Sounds a lot like the "e" in a trailing "er" in October ...

You just have to remove the "r", close the mouth a bit more, and shorten the syllabus.

And yeah, French language is a bit weird when it comes to spelling...

Jeux, Mercredi, cheuveux ... sounds all the same closed eu

But : Beurre, œuf, neuf are a bit open and sounds more like "bird".

That being said, there are a lot of french accent, and people from north or south will close or open the e or the o depending on folklore.

Good luck !

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.