Les voyelles nasales · spelling checks
1 · Find the vowel spelling
These common groups give you a useful first pass. The tilde over an IPA vowel marks nasalisation.
| an, en → /ɑ̃/ : dans, enfant | in; child |
| in, ain, ein → /ɛ̃/ : cousin, pain, plein | cousin; bread; full |
| on → /ɔ̃/ : mon, pont | my; bridge |
Mon cousin est dans le jardin.My cousin is in the garden.
2 · Check the next written letter
Within a word, a single n or m followed by another vowel usually belongs to the next syllable. A doubled consonant also often goes with an oral vowel. Check fin, fine and bonne as separate forms.
| fin /fɛ̃/ → fine /fin/ | thin: masculine → feminine |
| bon /bɔ̃/ → bonne /bɔn/ | good: masculine → feminine |
La ligne est fine.The line is thin.
3 · Use m before b or p within a word
Common nasal spellings use m before b or p: lampe, nombre, simple. Keep the familiar exception bonbon with n.
La réponse semble simple.The answer seems simple.
4 · Keep the consonants that remain
In simple /sɛ̃pl/, the /p/ and /l/ are pronounced. In tante /tɑ̃t/, the final /t/ is pronounced too. Nasalisation changes the vowel; it does not erase all the following sounds.
Ma tante est patiente.My aunt is patient.
5 · Keep spelling inside its word
In un bon pain, bon keeps its n even though pain starts with p. In mon oncle, a linking /n/ joins the words; the spelling of mon stays the same.
Mon oncle arrive demain.My uncle is arriving tomorrow.