French · Food & drink
How to pronounce maïs in French
maïs
Corn
French of France · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
maïs is pronounced /ma.is/ in French. In maïs: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in maïs
Read maïs in these IPA segments: ma · is. Dots and stress marks identify the boundaries shown in the reference; these symbols are not English spelling. French prominence belongs to the spoken phrase. Do not impose a heavy English-style stress on every isolated word.
1.Front-vowel position
In maïs: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front.
Watch out: Do not decide vowel quality from English spelling alone.
2.An open vowel
In maïs: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
3.A clear /s/
In maïs: Let air pass through a narrow groove near the front of the mouth. Keep the sound unvoiced.
Watch out: Do not add voicing and turn /s/ into /z/.
Hear it in context
On grille un épi de maïs pour le dîner.
We're grilling an ear of corn for dinner.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
maïs is presented using French of France. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about maïs
How do you pronounce maïs?
maïs is pronounced /ma.is/ in French. In maïs: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In maïs: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
