Pronunciation practice

I'll be posting a series of short word and phrase lists with audio recordings of the proper pronunciation. Practice them. Make sure you are forming the sounds correctly. Make the proper "R" sound. We will evaluate each other's pronunciation on the day that each list is due. Click on the links to hear the recordings.

Tuesday, 29 January (Mardi, le vingt-neuf Janvier)

You must make a clear distinction between the sounds ou and u. Both are made with the lips in a small circle. With the u sound, the lips are more tightly compressed. Listen now to the following words and repeat after each one.

le mur
the wall
l'amour
love
toujours
always
L'air est pur.
The air is pure.
Je suis pour.
I'm for.
la confiture
the jam
la structure
the structurel'agriculture agriculture
C'est vous?
Is it you?
la rue
the street
la roue
the wheel

More practice on the ou and u sounds, but several of these words are unusual in that one pronounces the final consonant.

un but
a goal
un bout
an end
une bulle
a bubble
une boule
a boule
une mule
a mule
une moule
a mussel
un moule
a mold
une soupe
a soup

Wednesday, 30 January (Mercredi, le trente Janvier)

Here are some more sentences to listen to and repeat. Keep practising until you can run them off fluently.

Comment tu t'appelles?
What's your name? (Informal)
Vous vous appelez comment?
What's your name? (Formal)
Tu pourrais faire attention, chauffard! T'as eu ton permis dans une pochette surprise?
You could pay attention, road hog. Did you get your driving licence in a lucky dip?

Thursday, 31 January (Jeudi, le trente et un Janvier)

Practice your pronunciation of the sound i - it's like the ea in the English please

Qui habite ici?Who lives here?
Mon fils habite ici.My son lives here.
La petite fille est très jolie.The little girl is very pretty.

Now the pronunciation of the sound è

le père           
the father
la mère
the mother
le frère
the brother
le problème
the problem
la planète
the planet
elle
she
la terre
the earth
belle
beautiful
Elle est belle, la terre!
It is beautiful, the earth!
tu es
you are
elle est
she is
Non, ce n'est pas correct.
No, that's not correct.
Il y a un problème.
There is a problem.
C'est elle, la mère de Pierre.
It's her, Peter's mother.