Basics
French from the start
Learn to read French spelling, hear every letter, and read short guides to how French works.
67Letters to learn
4Charts
38Guides
Nasal vowels
French has three nasal vowels, four in careful speech, said with air through the nose. Each is written as a vowel and an n or m that isn't said: it only marks the vowel as nasal. A sound can have many spellings: an, am, en and em all sound the same.
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Nasal vowels
13 lettersA vowel before n or m in the same syllable is nasal, and the n or m isn't said. When the n or m is doubled or comes before a vowel, the vowel is plain and the n is said: bon but bonne, plein but pleine. Before b or p, n is written m.