French Nasal Vowels: AN, EN, IN, ON, UN

In French, nasal vowels are sounds where air passes partly through your nose. There are several ways to spell these sounds. Here's how to pronounce them correctly.

The "ON" Sound

To make the "ON" sound, we use the letters ON or OM. Imagine your mouth making a small circle, as if you are surprised. Say the "o" sound, letting the air also come out through your nose. It's a rather closed sound.

Examples of the "ON" Sound

• un rond
• un pompier
• le cochon
• le mouton
• le lion
• le plombier

Exceptions for the "ON" Sound

• Before the letters B or P, the N changes to M (OM), but the sound stays the same.
• The word bonbon is an exception and keeps its N, because it's a repeat of the word "bon".
• When a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or an H comes right after ON or OM, we pronounce each letter separately. There is no nasal sound.
• le monastère
• la chronologie
• le bonheur
• le fromage
• le comique
• la tomate
• If the N or M is doubled (ONN, OMM), we also pronounce each letter separately.
• L'alarme sonne.
• La lionne.
• La pomme.

The "AN" Sound

The "AN" sound is made with the letters AN, EN, AM, and EM. Imagine your mouth is a vertical rectangle, and the air comes out a bit through your nose. You should open your mouth without smiling, as if you are angry.

Examples of the "AN" Sound

• La France
• La danse
• Grand
• Le champ
• L'ente
• La chambre
• L'ampoule
• Le champagne
• L'emballage
• Les embouteillages
• La tempête

Exceptions for the "AN" Sound

• Before the letters B or P, the N changes to M (AM or EM), but the sound stays the same.
• When a vowel or an H comes after AN, EN, AM, or EM, we pronounce each letter separately. There is no nasal sound.
• le canard
• la banane
• le canal
• le pirana
• la chenille
• le menu
• l'amour
• l'amitié
• la remise
• la semaine
• If the N or M is doubled (ANN, ENN, AMM, EMM), we pronounce each letter separately.
• La canne
• L'anniversaire
• L'Italienne
• La Brésilienne
• La flamme
• Broyamment
• La femme
• Différemment
• A popular exception is the expression "j'ai la flemme," which means "I don't feel like doing anything."
• The "AN" sound can also be made with the letters AON, as in the word "paon" (a beautiful animal), but this is very rare.

The "IN" Sound

The "IN" sound is spelled with IN, IM, YN, YM, and UN. To pronounce it, you need to smile widely. Your mouth forms a horizontal rectangle. Imagine you are very happy.

Examples of the "IN" Sound

• L'inspecteur
• Impossible
• Syndicat
• La symphonie
• Un train
• Les reins
• J'ai faim
• Reins

Exceptions for the "IN" Sound

• Before the letters B or P, the N changes to M (IM), but the sound stays the same.
• When a vowel or an H comes after IN, IM, YN, YM, and UN, we pronounce each letter separately. There is no nasal sound.
• le cinéma
• l'image
• la gynécologue
• anonyme
• l'uniforme
• The letter groups AIN, EIN, AIM, EIM, and EUN are also exceptions. The sound changes; it is no longer "IN."
• américaine
• la reine
• Je t'aime
• Alzheimer
• le déjeuner
• If the N or M is doubled (INN, IMM), we pronounce each letter separately.
• Innocent
• L'immeuble
• Le tunnel

Special Cases of the "IN" Sound with EN

Sometimes, the letters EN can also make the "IN" sound, not "AN." This usually happens when there is an I, an É (e with an acute accent), or a Y just before EN.

Examples of "EN" Pronounced "IN"

• le chien
• brésilien
• le citoyen

Be careful, these words change their pronunciation in the feminine form. The "IN" sound then becomes a nasal "AN" sound, followed by a pronounced "N."

Examples in the Feminine

• la chienne
• la brésilienne
• l'Union européenne
• une citoyenne

The pronunciation of nasal vowels can be tricky in French, and there are always small exceptions to learn as you go. Practice is essential.