pronunciation of "e." - French Language2024-03-29T15:27:12Zhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/forum/topics/pronunciation-of-e?feed=yes&xn_auth=noHello,
well Neil is right…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-28:3179028:Comment:1181972015-03-28T21:58:36.025ZVedashttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/frederic
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<p>Hello,</p>
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<p>well Neil is right it's supposed to be "é" in descendre and the Robert dictionary says so.</p>
<p>I said I had a problem because I would be tempted to pronounce it "è"and the Hachette dictionary also says "è" ...</p>
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<p>Finally I checked and it turns out that both pronunciations are accepted , the most common is "é"</p>
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<p>Hello,</p>
<p></p>
<p>well Neil is right it's supposed to be "é" in descendre and the Robert dictionary says so.</p>
<p>I said I had a problem because I would be tempted to pronounce it "è"and the Hachette dictionary also says "è" ...</p>
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<p>Finally I checked and it turns out that both pronunciations are accepted , the most common is "é"</p> All my dictionaries give /e/…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-28:3179028:Comment:1181942015-03-28T21:07:03.488Zgeorge willmshttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/georgewillms
<p>All my dictionaries give /e/ (é) for "essence" and "essentiel". I've noticed that /e/ is also found before -ff- (effet).</p>
<p>All my dictionaries give /e/ (é) for "essence" and "essentiel". I've noticed that /e/ is also found before -ff- (effet).</p> Hi Neil,
What about "e" befor…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-28:3179028:Comment:1181172015-03-28T20:50:31.284Zgeorge willmshttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/georgewillms
<p>Hi Neil,</p>
<p>What about "e" before -ff- (effet)? </p>
<p>Could you give me an example of "e" pronounced "é" before -sc-? I can't find one.</p>
<p>Hi Neil,</p>
<p>What about "e" before -ff- (effet)? </p>
<p>Could you give me an example of "e" pronounced "é" before -sc-? I can't find one.</p> Hi George --
As a general ru…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-28:3179028:Comment:1178822015-03-28T11:00:40.411ZNeil Coffeyhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/NeilCoffey
<p>Hi George --</p>
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<p>As a general rule, "e" will be pronounced "é" before either -ss- or -sc- when it is in an "open" syllable -- in other words, when the "ss" or "sc" starts a new syllable.</p>
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<p>This article may also help you: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Pronounce-e-in-French&id=8655557" target="_blank">http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Pronounce-e-in-French&id=8655557</a></p>
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<p>Hi George --</p>
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<p>As a general rule, "e" will be pronounced "é" before either -ss- or -sc- when it is in an "open" syllable -- in other words, when the "ss" or "sc" starts a new syllable.</p>
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<p>This article may also help you: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Pronounce-e-in-French&id=8655557" target="_blank">http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Pronounce-e-in-French&id=8655557</a></p>
<p></p> George H
you're right every…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-28:3179028:Comment:1179922015-03-28T09:48:03.379ZVedashttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/frederic
<p> George H</p>
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<p>you're right everyone tends to pick up naturally but as george wilms asked for rules here they are!</p>
<p>Moreover with age (and I speak as a French native) we tend to forget the rules so it's good sometimes to get back to them to refresh one's memory...</p>
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<p>Now there is a simple rule we can talk of "open syllable" -ends with a vowel like in "aéroport"- and of "closed syllable" -ends with a consonant- like in ess-entiel!</p>
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<p>george…</p>
<p> George H</p>
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<p>you're right everyone tends to pick up naturally but as george wilms asked for rules here they are!</p>
<p>Moreover with age (and I speak as a French native) we tend to forget the rules so it's good sometimes to get back to them to refresh one's memory...</p>
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<p>Now there is a simple rule we can talk of "open syllable" -ends with a vowel like in "aéroport"- and of "closed syllable" -ends with a consonant- like in ess-entiel!</p>
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<p>george willms</p>
<p>ess- ence and ess-entiel have both a closed syllable so there is no "é"</p>
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<p>It must also be noted that more and more people don't make any difference between "é" and "è" (the case of the south of France is another story: they only pronounce "é")</p>
<p>Since 1990 it has been accepted that some words could have either "é" or "è" :</p>
<p>crémerie/ crèmerie</p>
<p>événement/ évènement</p>
<p>protégerai/ protègerai</p>
<p>aimé- je/ aimè-je</p>
<p></p> What about "essence", "essent…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-28:3179028:Comment:1179882015-03-28T04:05:40.536Zgeorge willmshttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/georgewillms
<p>What about "essence", "essentiel"? The e comes before a double consonant but is pronounced é, unlike the e in "trompette."</p>
<p>What about "essence", "essentiel"? The e comes before a double consonant but is pronounced é, unlike the e in "trompette."</p> I learned French formally up…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-27:3179028:Comment:1178802015-03-27T22:23:55.236ZGeorge Hunthttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/GEORDIEHOUND
<p>I learned French formally up until the age of 16 only.</p>
<p>We never learned that side of the language in that kind of detail . Perhaps it is taught at more a<br></br> advanced level but I suspect it is rather taught in French speaking countries rather than countries where they are learning the language "from scratch" as it were.</p>
<p>I could be wrong.</p>
<p>It is interesting but ,personally that is the sort of information I like to pick up naturally without actually studying.</p>
<p>Of…</p>
<p>I learned French formally up until the age of 16 only.</p>
<p>We never learned that side of the language in that kind of detail . Perhaps it is taught at more a<br/> advanced level but I suspect it is rather taught in French speaking countries rather than countries where they are learning the language "from scratch" as it were.</p>
<p>I could be wrong.</p>
<p>It is interesting but ,personally that is the sort of information I like to pick up naturally without actually studying.</p>
<p>Of course if you are teaching the subject that may be the kind of information that can be interesting for the class.</p> Hello,
I've got another probl…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-27:3179028:Comment:1181132015-03-27T20:12:47.919ZVedashttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/frederic
<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I've got another problem:</p>
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<p>to me "descendre" is pronounced with "è" now to make things more complicated the symbol /e/ is not the same sound in English and French phonetics, in English it refers to the sound in "bed" whereas in French it's like the sound in "aller"</p>
<p>/<span>ɛ/ is the symbol for words like: <span>m</span><span>è</span><span>re, tr</span><span>ei</span><span>ze, f</span><span>ai</span><span>tes, b</span><span>e</span><span>lge and descendre!…</span></span></p>
<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I've got another problem:</p>
<p></p>
<p>to me "descendre" is pronounced with "è" now to make things more complicated the symbol /e/ is not the same sound in English and French phonetics, in English it refers to the sound in "bed" whereas in French it's like the sound in "aller"</p>
<p>/<span>ɛ/ is the symbol for words like: <span>m</span><span>è</span><span>re, tr</span><span>ei</span><span>ze, f</span><span>ai</span><span>tes, b</span><span>e</span><span>lge and descendre! which is quite similar to the English sound /e/...</span></span></p>
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<p><b>En règle générale</b> l'accent aigu se place sur la voyelle <b>-é </b>:<br/><span class="exe">- La bonté, le caf<b>é</b>, la charit<b>é</b>, un <b>é</b>l<b>é</b>phant.</span></p>
<div style="margin-left: 2em;"><ul>
<li>On trouve <b>un -é avec accent aigu</b> lorsque cette voyelle est la première lettre d'un mot :<b><br/></b><span class="exe">- Un <b>é</b>diteur, un <b>é</b>lectronicien, une <b>é</b>preuve.</span><br/><br/><font color="#0000FF">Sauf</font> les mots en -ère et -ès qui prennent un accent grave :<br/><span class="exe">- Une <b>è</b>re (époque de temps), un <b>e</b>rs (légume lentille), un alo<b>è</b>s.</span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="margin-left: 2em;"><ul>
<li>On trouve un <b>-é avec accent aigu </b>lorsque cette voyelle est la dernière lettre d'un mot (y compris si le mot se termine par un pluriel avec -s ou un -e muet) :<br/><span class="exe">- Un abonn<b>é</b>, des abonn<b>é</b>s, une abonn<b>é</b>e - La libert<b>é</b>, le lyc<b>é</b>e.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><br/><br/></p>
<ul>
<li><b>Pas d'accent </b>sur la voyelle <b>-e </b>si elle est suivie d'une consonne finale <b>-d, -f, -r </b>ou si la lettre <b>-z </b>termine le mot : <br/><span class="exe">- Cl<b>e</b>f, pi<b>e</b>d, chant<b>e</b>r, n<b>e</b>z...</span><br/><br/><br/><div style="margin-left: 2em;"><ul>
<li><b>Il marque le son</b> avec les préfixes <b>dé- ,mé- ,pré- </b>:<br/><span class="exe">- D<b>é</b>signé, m<b>é</b>langé, pr<b>é</b>féré.<br/></span></li>
<li><font color="#0000FF">Mais</font> de <u>rares mots n'en portent pas</u> : <br/><span class="exe">- Pedigree, repartie</span> (pour le mot réplique mais accent pour le verbe répartir),<span class="exe"> revolver.</span><br/><font color="#0000FF">Attention</font> <span class="exe">: Besicles ou bésicles</span> (toujours au pluriel).<br/><br/></li>
<li><b>On trouve le -é avec accent aigu,</b> en fin de mot sur les participes passés des verbes -er à l'infinitif :<br/><span class="exe">- Chanté, donné, tué…</span> et sur le participe passé du verbe être : <span class="exe">été.</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><font color="#0000FF">Jamais</font> d’accent aigu sur un <b>-e </b>qui précède un <b>-x :</b><br/><span class="exe">- Un accent circonfl<b>ex</b>e, le s<b>e</b>xe.</span><a rel="nofollow" name="muets" id="muets"></a> <br/><br/></li>
<li><font color="#0000FF">Jamais</font> d’accent aigu sur un <b>-e </b>qui précède une consonne double :<br/><span class="exe">- Une étiqu<b>ett</b>e, une tromp<b>ett</b>e.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul> I can't say but i think it is…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2015-03-27:3179028:Comment:1179842015-03-27T12:17:15.994ZGeorge Hunthttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/GEORDIEHOUND
<p>I can't say but i think it is enough to learn the "correct" pronunciation on a case by case basis.</p>
<p>To my mind it is important , so far as is possible to be able to distinguish between similar sounds and meanings like "descendre" and "des cendres" for example.</p>
<p>Provided communication is clear rules are relatively unimportant (although they can be an aid in learning)</p>
<p>I can't say but i think it is enough to learn the "correct" pronunciation on a case by case basis.</p>
<p>To my mind it is important , so far as is possible to be able to distinguish between similar sounds and meanings like "descendre" and "des cendres" for example.</p>
<p>Provided communication is clear rules are relatively unimportant (although they can be an aid in learning)</p>