Lesson - French Sounds (Pronunciation) - #6

[CFHollister]

Please see the following for introduction and citation information:
http://moi-alizee.us/forums/showthread.php?t=1101

Open o and Closed o – The letter u

We have studies the sound of au. We pronounced it oh on syllables that end in au or in a silent consonant after au.
Pau.................... faut................... au-tel
maux.................. chaud................ au-tour
The syllables in which those au sounds occur are open syllables; they end in the oh sound. But if au appears in a closed syllable as in Paul, that sound is not oh.

Say oh. Now keep the lips forward and the jaw and tongue where they are, but try to say a short aw sound. This is an open o sound; it is heard in a closed syllable, one that ends in a consonant that is pronounced. Try to make a difference between the two columns.
Pau.................... Paul
mot.................... mol
pot.................... porte
Caux.................. corps
beau.................. bol
peau.................. poste

Does the tongue seem to be a little lower for the open o sound? It is, and the sound seems to come from a little farther back.
Here are some more words with the open o sound.
normal................ alors.................. dommage
Nicole................. encore............... octobre

As we have mentioned before, there are exceptions. The o in these next words, although the syllable is closed by the sound of z, is not an open o. The o in
rose................... pose.................. chose
is pronounced oh. And it is a rather drawn out oh sound. Try it again.
la rose................ impose............... les choses

This question of open and closed o in a closed or open syllable rings us to another point of importance.
Let us repeat that a closed syllable ends in a pronounced consonant; an open syllable ends in a vowel or a silent consonant. In other words, the mouth is open at the end of an open syllable. And in an open syllable the sound of o is the strong oh sound in front, with lips protruding. This OH sound is called a closed o.
a closed o – in an open syllable, vos, and in pose, rose, etc.
an open o – in a closed syllable as in Nicole, porte

The eeeh and oooh sounds never vary, so it doesn’t matter whether the syllable is open or closed. But there are other sounds that do vary. We will note them as we progress,

the letter u
Perhaps the most difficult sound for Americans to make is the French u.
Say eeeh. Then slide into a u sound while making the lips round and protruding. Keep your lips in that position now and again say eeeh. That is the sound of French u. Try pronouncing
du..................... mur.................... tu...................... bu
su..................... sur..................... fut..................... une

Constrast:
si....................... su..................... sous
dit...................... du.................... doux
tic...................... tu.................... tout
pipe.................... pu.................... pou
fi........................ fut................... fou