French Pronunciation Stress English Syllable Length English words

French Pronunciation Stress

English Syllable Length • English words have their own stress, and changing the stress can change the meaning of the word – Object – Record – Content • English is stress-timed (stressed syllables come at regular intervals in a sentence. ) = you can reduce syllables to make things fit. Mostly we reduce vowel sounds to “uh” or “I”

Example of how we mess up English • Is he talking to me? • Izee tahkin ta me? • I don’t know what’s going on • I dunno what’s goin on • I’m going to change the slide • Imma (or im gunna) change the slide

English makes no sense • 3+ syllable words depends on the ending – demo. CRAcy – i. CONic – Puppet. EER – co. MEdian – ……. This is why it’s so hard to learn

Syllables • A syllable is ONE complete sound – Thing ONE vowel + consonant • Dog = 1 • Doggy = 2 • Beautiful = 3 • In ENGLISH sometimes resonants (l/r) can occasion be syllabic. – You can’t do that in french

Syllables English • • • Muscle (2) Couple (2) Capable (3) Article (3) Admirable (4) French • • • Muscle (1) Couple (1) Capable (2) Article (2) Admirable (3)

English…. • • • PHOtograph Pho. TOgrapher Pho. TOgraphy photo. GRAphic

French Syllable length • Pronounce EVERY syllable for an equal length of time, stressed or not. • Never reduce any vowels • Stress on the LAST syllable

English VS French • tele. VIsion • decla. RAtion • Imagi. NAtion • Télévision • Déclaration • imagination

Rhythm • In ENGLISH, words retain their syllabic stresses within sentences. They don’t in French really. The main stress is at the end of a sentence • • I’m VIsiting the ca. THEdral Je visite la cathéDRALE I’m VIsiting the ca. THEdral Notre DAME in PAris Je visite la cathédrale Notre Dame à Pa. RIS

Intonation • Short declarative sentences have a falling intonation – Il fait du soleil • Longer declarative sentences have a rise and then a fall – Je préfère visiter un musée aujourd’hui • Exclamative intonation has a sharp fall in pitch – Quel beau chateau! • Imperative information has a sharp fall in pitch – Levez lamain!