# Question regarding French pronunciation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2014, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752 "2014-08-17T12:06:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/1 "2014-08-17T12:06:46Z")
When (if ever) i it correct to pronounce the 1. “s” in “dans” and 2. the “t” is “est”? eg. dans une chambre. eg. Elle est une actrice. I look forward to your feedback. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/2 "2014-08-17T12:17:42Z")
First, I’m moving this to from ATMB to the “General Questions” forum, since it’s a question with a specific, factual answer. Second, the answer is that the final -s and -t are pronounced if the next word starts with a vowel, and not pronounced if the next word starts with a consanant. Thus: _dans une chambre_ the s is pronounced and liases with the u in une: dan soon chambre. _dans la chambre_ the s is NOT pronounced so: dan la chambre. Ditto the t. In your example, the t is pronounced (but not the s) and liased with the u, so “eh tune”. If the sentence were _Elle est formidable_ then the t would not be pronounced. That help? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/3 "2014-08-17T12:27:32Z")
Also, there has to be some semantic connection between the words. That is, sometimes you don’t pronounce the intervening consonant, because the two words don’t flow together logically within the sentence. (I may be expressing this poorly – sorry). ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/4 "2014-08-17T17:14:32Z")
Thank you both. Very helpful. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/5 "2014-08-17T19:31:29Z")
There are a few words where the ending ‘s’ is always pronounced, e.g. _tous_ (when used as a pronoun). And the ‘s’ is sometimes suppressed when it comes before a silent ‘h’, as in Paris’ famous market, _Les Halles_ (pronounced like English “lay all.”) IIRC, these 'h’s are called “aspirated” (though still fully silent) and are marked in some dictionaries with an asterisk. More than once I eavesdropped on foreigners speaking of _Les Halles_ (“lays all”) with a French person baffled. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/6 "2014-08-17T19:46:36Z")
_Elle est une actrice._ Perhaps not in Quebec but I think the t would be silent in this sentence. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/7 "2014-08-17T20:08:11Z")
And also some random other words, like _onze_. The _s_ is silent in things like _mes onze cousins_. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/8 "2014-08-17T20:27:53Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > _Elle est une actrice._ > > Perhaps not in Quebec but I think the t would be silent in this sentence. My wife’s a native speaker, and she does say the t. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/9 "2014-08-17T20:52:48Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > And also some random other words, like _onze_. The _s_ is silent in things like _mes onze cousins_. The s would be silent in _Mes Cousins Vincents._ ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/10 "2014-08-17T21:52:18Z")
How about Camille Saint-Saens, is the last syllable “Sohns” ? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/11 "2014-08-17T22:03:15Z")
No. It’s pronounced something like “song,” but with the final consonant fully nasalized, as if you were speaking with a bad cold. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/12 "2014-08-17T23:16:33Z")
Saint-Saens is pronounced with the final “s”. Names are often exceptions to the rules. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/13 "2014-08-19T09:07:48Z")
My French teacher in elementary school approximated the nasality like this: “sohlnz”. I think it works–it does feel sorta like an L. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/14 "2014-08-19T09:58:14Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > First, I’m moving this to from ATMB to the “General Questions” forum, since it’s a question with a specific, factual answer. > > Second, the answer is that the final -s and -t are pronounced if the next word starts with a vowel, and not pronounced if the next word starts with a consanant. > > Thus: > _dans une chambre_ the s is pronounced and liases with the u in une: > dan soon chambre. > _dans la chambre_ the s is NOT pronounced so: dan la chambre. > > Ditto the t. In your example, the t is pronounced (but not the s) and liased with the u, so “eh tune”. If the sentence were _Elle est formidable_ then the t would not be pronounced. > > That help? The _s_ in \*dans une chambre \*liases, but is pronounced as a _z_ _dan zune chambre_. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-french-pronunciation/695752/15 "2014-08-23T01:21:13Z")
Thank you all. Very helpful. davidmich