# French pronunciation question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012 "2011-01-26T03:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/1 "2011-01-26T03:21:44Z")
This specifically addresses the pronunciation of words ending with -in or -ain. Let’s use vin (wine) as an example. In French class, I was taught that it was pronounced “ven” (with the nasal sound instead of the actual n being pronounced.) However, it seems that native French speakers pronounce it more like “vahn” (very similar to how they pronounce vend [sell] or vent [wind]). What is the “correct” way to pronounce this syllable? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/2 "2011-01-26T03:24:13Z")
I would think there may be regional variations. I do know that in Paris I ordered “vah(n)” in a cafe and the waiter took me for a Frenchman. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/3 "2011-01-26T03:37:59Z")
Québec French speaker here, and vin (wine) does not sound like “vend” or “vent”. I’m not sure I’d say it sounds like “ven” either; the sound is closer to the English word “vain”, without the n. In general (or at least the examples I can think of offhand) words than end in -in and -ain sound quite similar…the difference is that the sound is a bit more drawn out in the -ain words. When saying words like poussin or câlin, the mouth gets pulled back a little at the corners, like when we say the word “inn” in English. For -ain words, like pain or bain, the sound is similar, but the mouth falls open more, like when we say the letter “a”. At least that’s how I hear it! ETA: the more I think of it, the more I think the accent might sound more like “vent” in France, but I can’t do a French accent to save my life, and the word is beginning to lose meaning with the amount of times I’ve just repeated it! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/4 "2011-01-26T06:15:38Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Québec French speaker here, and vin (wine) does not sound like “vend” or “vent”. I’m not sure I’d say it sounds like “ven” either; the sound is closer to the English word “vain”, without the n. > > In general (or at least the examples I can think of offhand) words than end in -in and -ain sound quite similar…the difference is that the sound is a bit more drawn out in the -ain words. When saying words like poussin or câlin, the mouth gets pulled back a little at the corners, like when we say the word “inn” in English. For -ain words, like pain or bain, the sound is similar, but the mouth falls open more, like when we say the letter “a”. > > At least that’s how I hear it! > > ETA: the more I think of it, the more I think the accent might sound more like “vent” in France, but I can’t do a French accent to save my life, and the word is beginning to lose meaning with the amount of times I’ve just repeated it! I think the sound of “in” in words such as “vin” is one of the key differentiators between Quebecois French and Parisian French. They are very different. ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/5 "2011-01-26T07:44:28Z")
> **[Traduction : vin - Dictionnaire français-anglais Larousse](https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/vin/81045)** > > vin - Traduction Français-Anglais : Retrouvez la traduction de vin, mais également sa prononciation, la traduction des principaux termes composés; à partir de vin : vin d'honneur , .... There’s a sound bit there that sounds alright to me. I pronounce it more nasalized than that, but I grew up in the north of France, where it’s common to do that. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/6 "2011-01-26T23:40:09Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I think the sound of “in” in words such as “vin” is one of the key differentiators between Quebecois French and Parisian French. They are very different. You’re right. I never thought about it before, but the more I sat here repeating “vin” and “vent” to myself, the more I began to think that _both_ sounded right. Then again, the OP didn’t specify if they wanted Québecois or Parisian French 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/569012/7 "2011-01-27T00:08:26Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > This specifically addresses the pronunciation of words ending with -in or -ain. Let’s use vin (wine) as an example. In French class, I was taught that it was pronounced “ven” (with the nasal sound instead of the actual n being pronounced.) However, it seems that native French speakers pronounce it more like “vahn” (very similar to how they pronounce vend [sell] or vent [wind]). What is the “correct” way to pronounce this syllable? “vin” and “vent” are pronounced differently. There are 4 nasal vowels in standard French of France: “in” “un” “en/an” “on”. One of these (“un”) is well on the way to disappearing in much of France, so that “un tolérant” and “intolérant” are homonyms. This is a bit simplified, but here goes: If you want to pronounce the word “vin”, take the English word “van”, remove the final n, and nasalise the vowel. If you pronounce “van” in a typically American way, you will be saying “vin” more like a Canadian. If you pronounce “van” in a typically British way, you will be saying “vin” more like a French person.