French Steps - Pronunciation - '-en', '-an' and '-on'

Pronouncing '-en', '-an' and '-on'

Nasal sounds are a very common feature of spoken French and are quite easy to master, with a bit of practice. With nasal sounds, the final -n isn't quite fully pronounced. Broadly speaking, they sound like the English 'ng' but with the ending cut a little short.

-en and -an sound like the word 'song' cut short:

je prends viande lentilles un flan

-on is a similar sound but more rounded:

saucisson l'addition

You can compare both sounds in this sentence:

Ce verre de blanc est très bon