Rx 4. [ɑ̃] / shh! | -ent
Your instructor has identified this sound as a challenge for you. Please complete the training below. These exercises will help you learn when to make -ent silent at the end of a French word and when to pronounce -ent as the nasal a [ɑ̃] sound at the end of a French word.
Read and listen
Before we explain, try to make your own observations about when -ent is silent at the end of a French word. Listen to the speaker read the sentence below and pay attention to how they pronounce the following words: présidents, parlent, souvent, résidents, visitent and rarement.
Les présidents parlent souvent des résidents des quartiers démunis mais ils visitent rarement ces endroits.
On which words did you hear the -ent pronounced as nasal a [ɑ̃]?
In all other cases, -ent is pronounced as nasal a – [ɑ̃], such as the words monument, lent, couramment, comment, cent and excellent. This is true even for all verb forms other than ils/elles, such as il ment, elle sent.
Listen and repeat
As you play each of the below audio files, listen carefully and repeat the sentences just as you hear them, taking care to not pronounce the -ent on the ils/elles verbs.
Let’s practice the nasal a sound. Imagine that you are at the doctor and they ask you to say ah! Now imagine their tongue depressor pushes a little too far back so that you lift the back of your tongue. This closes off the back of your mouth so that air then passes through your nose. Try it first, then listen to how it sounds.
As you play each of the below audio files, listen carefully and repeat the sentences just as you hear them, taking care to pronounce the -ent as the nasal a.
- un patient, patient, patiemment
- un président, violent, gentiment
- un couvent, différent, vraiment
Listen and respond
Now that you know the rule for when -ent is silent, read the sentence below and try to predict which words will have a silent -ent.
Comment ? Quand il y a du vent, les enfants mangent rapidement des croissants et les parents boivent souvent du vin blanc ?
Listen in context and notice
Listen and read along with the following two clips from famous French artists, Grand Corps Malade and Françoise Hardy. Pay attention to the pronunciation of -ent.
Now practice what you have learned with a French tongue twister, a vire-langue. Listen and repeat until you get it correct!
Culminating Recording
If you have carefully followed the above instructions, you should be able to now read and correctly pronounce the following sentences in an audio file for your professor.
Quand ils dansent, ils sourient en faisant des étirements des bras, des mouvements des jambes et des hochements de tête. Ils semblent contents.