Première classe A1 Breakthrough

Pronunciation: the sound "j"

Écoutez les paires de mots et choisissez la bonne réponse.
Listen to the word pairs and select the correct answer.
Cochez la ou les bonnes réponses Help on how to respond the exercice
I heard the same words.I heard different words.
IdentiqueDifférent
IdentiqueDifférent
IdentiqueDifférent
IdentiqueDifférent
nbOk item (s) out of nb selected correctly
Watch out !
Well done !
Conception: Geneviève Briet, Université catholique de Louvain
Published on 01/05/2013 - Modified on 10/12/2019

Pronunciation / The sound “j“

What do you think of French vowels? Are they: awful, normal, rather / really beautiful? You don't know?
Is the difference between:
les (z)ans and
les gens
impossible, difficult, easy to hear?
Is the difference between:
les (z)ans and
les gens
impossible, difficult, easy to pronounce?
In your opinion, which is the most beautiful consonant?
In your opinion, which is the most awful consonant?

Have you ever observed a French-speaker's lips as they speak? The [ʒ] is a consonant you pronounce by pursing your lips, as you were blowing the candles out on a birthday cake. Many French sounds are pronounced at the front of the mouth, lips rounded and pursed.
The sound [ʒ] is written:
-« j »
-« g » (+ e, i, y)
- « ge » (+a, u, o; the vowels of "auto")

You can practise pronouncing the [ʒ], by sounding out the consonants that are pronounced using the same area of the mouth:
tø
ʒø ʒø
dø ʒø
nø ʒø
ʒuR
Rəʒu
siʒoz
ʒozɛt
ʒezit

Start practicing!
You can imitate the examples:
- when repeating the example, try saying it fast and slow, yelling and whispering it.
- try repeating in time with the example, as precisely as possible.

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