Quiz
French nasal vowels in liaison: mon ami, bon ami and on arrive
Eight questions on nasal vowels and linking n. Compare mon ami, bon ami, un ami and jardin immense, with a phrase table to study before you start.
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In short
Liaison can add /n/ after a nasal-vowel word: on arrive /ɔ̃naʁiv/. The vowel and the link are separate features. Bon ami /bɔnami/ has an oral vowel; mon ami commonly keeps a nasal vowel, although an oral version is also used.
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Study first: follow both the vowel and the link
| Phrase | Pronunciation | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| mon ami | /mɔ̃nami/; also /mɔnami/ | Linking /n/; the possessive has two vowel patterns. |
| ton oncle | /tɔ̃nɔ̃kl/; also /tɔnɔ̃kl/ | The same two patterns occur with ton. |
| un ami | /œ̃nami/ or /ɛ̃nami/ | Linking /n/; the nasal vowel depends on the speaker’s vowel system. |
| bon ami | /bɔnami/ | Oral /ɔ/ before the linking /n/. |
| on arrive | /ɔ̃naʁiv/ | The pronoun keeps its nasal vowel and links with /n/. |
| un jardin immense | /œ̃ ʒaʁdɛ̃ imɑ̃s/ | No linking /n/ after the singular noun jardin. |
The tilde marks a nasal vowel. An /n/ after it is a separate consonant: on arrive can therefore contain both. In bon ami, there is no tilde over the vowel of bon. The spelling stays the same in both phrases. The table uses /œ̃/ for un where that sound is distinguished from /ɛ̃/.
Mon oncle arrive avec un ami.
My uncle is arriving with a friend.
Two useful noun phrases: mon oncle and un ami. Keep each determiner connected to its noun.
Now compare un jardin immense. Jardin is a singular noun followed by an adjective; ordinary speech keeps that boundary free of a linking /n/. A written vowel at the beginning of the next word is only one part of the pattern. The grammatical relationship matters too. Use the quiz to separate those two questions.