French · Difficult words
How to pronounce un in French
un
One
French of France · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
un is pronounced /œ̃/ in French. In un: Let some air pass through the nose while keeping the vowel continuous. The tilde /̃/ marks nasalization. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in un
The reference transcription for un is /œ̃/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. French prominence belongs to the spoken phrase. Do not impose a heavy English-style stress on every isolated word.
1.Nasal vowels
In un: Let some air pass through the nose while keeping the vowel continuous. The tilde /̃/ marks nasalization.
Watch out: Do not automatically add a separate n or m after the nasal vowel.
2.Rounded front vowels
In un: Keep your tongue toward the front while rounding your lips. /y/ is close to an “ee” tongue position with rounded lips; /ø/ and /œ/ are more open.
Watch out: English “oo” puts the tongue too far back for these vowels.
Hear it in context
Un café allongé, s'il te plaît.
One Americano, please.
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
un 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 un
How do you pronounce un?
un is pronounced /œ̃/ in French. In un: Let some air pass through the nose while keeping the vowel continuous. The tilde /̃/ marks nasalization. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In un: Let some air pass through the nose while keeping the vowel continuous. The tilde /̃/ marks nasalization. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
