French nasal vowel
The nasal A is represented by the IPA symbol [ɑ̃] and is pronounced [ah(n)]:
- [ah] = typical a sound
- (n) represents the nasal sound
[ɑ̃] may be spelled am, an, em, or en.
Em and en are usually pronounced [ɑ̃]. However, after é, i, and y, they are pronounced [ɛ̃].
Par exemple…
| une banque | bank | |
| un tampon | plug, rubber stamp | |
| un embouteillage | traffic jam | |
| un gendre | son-in-law | |
| enchanté | delighted | |
| un enfant | child |
Related lessons
- Letters: A | N
- Nasal vowels
- Introduction to vowels
- French alphabet
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. If you love it, please consider making a 
Fear of speaking, glossophobia, is one of the most common phobias – even just in one’s native language. If you feel nervous when speaking French, it’s probably due to a lack of confidence in your skills. The obvious solution is to improve your French, but there are also other ways to increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French.
Learn how to translate French infinitives, imperatives, and participles into English.