An Introduction to French Pronunciation, Revised 2nd Edition

1. General Considerations.

1.1 Introduction.

1.2 Sounds, Phonemes and Allophones.

1.3 Suprasegmental Features.

1.4 The Articulation of French.

1.5 The Organization of this book.

1.6 References and Further Reading.

1.7 Phonetic Symbols.

2. The Production of Speech.

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 The Vocal Cords and Voice.

2.3 Articulators.

2.4 Active Articulators.

2.5 Passive Articulators.

2.6 Terminology.

3. The Articulation of French.

3.1 Articulatory Tension.

3.2 Pure Vowels.

4. The Vowel Phonemes.

4.1 Principles of Classification.

4.2 Point of Articulation.

4.3 The Height of the Tongue or the Degree of Aperture.

4.4 Lip Configuration.

4.5 Orality or Nasality.

4.6 Classification and IPA Symbols.

4.7 Front Unrounded Vowels.

4.8 Front Rounded Vowels.

4.9 Mute e.

4.10 Back Rounded Vowels.

4.11 Nasal Vowels.

4.12 Summary Table.

5. The Semi-Consonants.

5.1 General.

6. The Consonant Phonemes.

6.1 Principles of Classification.

6.2 Point of Articulation.

6.3 Manner (or Mode) of Articulation.

6.4 Presence or Absence of Voice.

6.5 Classification and IPA Symbols.

6.6 Stops.

6.7 Fricatives.

6.8 Lateral.

6.9 Nasals.

6.10 r-Sounds.

6.11 Summary Table.

7. The Rhythmic Group.

7.1 Introduction.

7.2 The Different Types of Group.

7.3 The Rhythmic Group.

7.4 The Rhythmic Group and the Word.

8. The Syllable.

8.1 Introduction.

8.2 The Rules of Syllabification.

8.3 Syllabification within the Sense Group.

8.4 Closed and Open Syllables.

8.5 Syllable-Timing and Stress-Timing.

9. Stress.

9.1 Normal Stress.

9.2 Emphatic Stress.

9.3 Contrastive Stress.

9.4 Normal Stress in French.

9.5 Emphatic Stress in French.

9.6 Contrastive Stress in French.

9.7 Other Types of Stress.

10. The Vowels in Detail.

10.1 Introduction.

10.2 /i/ - High Front Unrounded.

10.3 /y/ - High Front Rounded.

10.4 /u/ - High Back Rounded.

10.5 The Three Pairs of Mid-Vowels.

10.6 /e/ - High –Mid Front Unrounded; /ε/ - Low-Mid Front Unrounded.

10.7 /ø/ - High-Mid Front Rounded; /œ/ - Low-Mid Front Rounded.

10.8 /o/ - High-Mid Back Rounded; /]/ - Low-Mid Back Rounded.

10.9 /a/ - Low Front Unrounded; /Y/ Low Back Rounded.

10.10 The Nasal Vowels.

10.11 Unvoicing of Vowels.

10.12 Canadianisms.

11. Mute e.

11.1 Introduction.

11.2 Four Simple ‘Rules’.

11.3 An Expansion of the Four ‘Rules’.

11.4 Rule 1.

11.5 Rule 2.

11.6 Rule 3.

11.7 Rule 4.

11.8 Three or More Mute es in Succession.

11.9 Miscellaneous Points.

12. Vowel Length.

12.1 Introduction.

12.2 Five Simple Rules.

12.3 Rule 1.

12.4 Rule 2.

12.5 Rule 3.

12.6 Rule 4.

12.7 Rule 5.

12.8 Is Vowel Length Ever Phonemic in French?.

12.9 Other Alternatives.

13. The Semi-Consonants in Detail.

13.1 Introduction.

13.2 /i/ or /j/ after a Vowel?.

13.3 /j/, /l/ or /ll/ after /i/?.

13.4 Intervocalic /j/.

13.5 /r/.

13.6 /r/ and /w/.

13.7 Vowel or Semi-Consonant?.

14. The Consonants in Detail: (I) Stops.

14.1 Introduction.

14.2 Mode of Articulation (General).

14.3 French and English Stops.

14.4 Point of Articulation.

14.5 A Canadianism.

14.6 The Glottal Stop.

15. The Consonants in Detail: (II) Fricatives.

15.1 French and English Fricatives.

15.2 Manner of Articulation.

15.3 Point of Articulation.

16. The Consonants in Detail: (III) /r/, /l/ and the Nasals.

16.1 The Varieties of French /r/.

16.2 The Lateral Consonant /l/.

16.3 The Nasal Consonants /m/, /n/, /…/ and /N/.

16.4 The Release of Final Consonants.

16.5 Voiceless /l/ and /r/.

16.6 Voiceless /m/.

17. Gemination.

17.1 Long Consonants and Geminate Consonants.

17.2 French Geminates.

18. Consonantal Assimilation.

18.1 Introduction.

18.2 Regressive Assimilation of Fortes and Lenes.

18.3 Progressive Assimilation.

18.4 Assimilation to Vowels.

19. Liaison.

19.1 Origins.

19.2 The Problem.

19.3 The Liaison Forms.

19.4 Words Having No Special Liaison Form.

19.5 Compulsory Liaison.

19.6 Generally Acceptable Liaison.

19.7 No Liaison.

20. Intonation.

20.1 Introduction.

20.2 Types of Utterance.

20.3 Declarative Sentences.

20.4 Yes-No Questions.

20.5 Wh-Questions.

20.6 Imperative Sentences.

20.7 Level Intonation.

References for Further Reading.

Index.