Use spelling as a clue, then listen
This page is a short vowel comparison. The video plays isolated /ɑ̃/ and /ɔ̃/ reference sounds and two listening checks. Its written words are examples, not whole-word recordings. For broader spelling patterns and exceptions, use AN, EN, IN and ON explained.
First hear all three isolated nasal references in the vowel trainer: /ɑ̃/, /ɔ̃/, and /ɛ̃/. Select each labelled sound and compare the vowel shape before repeating. This is a labelled reference comparison; there is no three-way nasal word quiz on this page or in the trainer.
Then try bon, banc and bain as a written speaking set. The video does not say these three complete words. Say which word you intend and keep the vowel quality different, rather than adding n after one unchanged vowel. The trainer plays references without recording or scoring your voice.
Mouth position and airflow
Keep each vowel shape different before adding nasal resonance: rounder for on, more open for an, and lighter/fronted for in.
Three examples to practise
| Round | French target | What to monitor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | bon | Written example: keep /ɔ̃/ rounded without adding a final n. |
| 2 | sans | Written example: use open, unrounded /ɑ̃/. |
| 3 | vin | Written example: use forward, unrounded /ɛ̃/. |
These three words have different consonants. Use them to practise a vowel in context, rather than as a minimal-pair listening test. No complete-word audio for this set is supplied by the video.
Continue with complete words and a useful reply
Open the complete rendez-vous, bon, and pain recordings and appointment practice. These are three different complete-word models from Parle’s existing course, using synthesized reference audio. They are labelled as appointment, good, and bread, so you can hear the exact word you are practising.
Then use the complete appointment request, staff question and day reply on that same page. Hear a model once, close it, and give yourself eight seconds to retrieve the reply before reopening the answer. The day change has a separate hidden written check.
This website practice is free. In the optional App, all 35 Sounds pages and the first four First Contact missions are free; Everyday Services and the complete 120-mission course require Premium. Use your own recorder or the App if you want to record and replay an attempt. This page and the trainer play references without assessing your voice.
Common mistakes and a correction
- Avoid adding final n to every word.
- Avoid rounding an too much.
- Avoid making in too open.
Five-minute practice ladder
- Hear — 45 seconds. Compare the video’s isolated AN and ON sounds, then open the trainer’s three labelled nasal references.
- Shape — 45 seconds. Round for /ɔ̃/; keep /ɑ̃/ open and /ɛ̃/ more forward, both unrounded.
- Say — 60 seconds. Try the written bon, sans, and vin examples slowly, without adding a final n.
- Use a word — 60 seconds. Follow the complete-word link and repeat rendez-vous, bon, and pain with their exact recordings.
- Retrieve a reply — 90 seconds. On that page, close the appointment models, request an appointment, and answer the day question before checking. Repeated practice by itself does not prove phonetic accuracy.