Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [m]

Lips: Fully closed (both lips together)

Tongue: Relaxed (not important here)

Airflow: Goes through the nose

Voice: Vocal cords vibrate (voiced)

👉 Air is blocked in the mouth and released through the nose

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[m] can be written as:

• m → mère[mɛr], menace[mənas]

🎧 Comparison with English

• Exactly like:

• “m” in man, mother, come

✅ French and English [m] are basically the same

⚠️ Important note (French-specific)

• In French, m can nasalize a vowel when:

• it comes after a vowel

• and is not followed by another vowel

Example:

• am / em / im / om / um

→ often create nasal vowels

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [p]

Lips: Fully closed (both lips together)

Air: Build up pressure behind the lips

Release: Open lips → air bursts out

Voice: No vibration (voiceless)

👉 It’s a short, clean burst of air

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[p] can be written as:

• p → pilote[pilɔt], peuple[pœpl]

🎧 Comparison with English

• Like “p” in spin (NOT pin)

⚠️ Important:

• English “p” in pin = strong puff of air (aspirated) → [pʰ]

• French [p] = no strong aspiration

⚠️ Common mistake

• ❌ Don’t add a strong “h” sound (no ph effect)

• ❌ Don’t release too much air

• ✅ Keep it soft and controlled

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [b]

Lips: Fully closed (both lips together)

Air: Build pressure behind the lips

Release: Open lips → small burst of air

Voice: Vocal cords vibrate (voiced)

👉 Same mouth movement as [p], but with voice

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[b] can be written as:

• b → beau[bo], bagage[bagaʒ]

🎧 Comparison with English

• Like “b” in bat, boy, about

✅ Very similar in French and English

⚠️ Important difference from [p]

• [b] = voiced (you feel vibration in your throat)

• [p] = voiceless (no vibration)