• merc@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    15 days ago

    “les” /le/ (pl. the)

    That’s a bad example because “les” can be pronounced either as /lɛ/ or /le/.

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/les#Pronunciation_7

    A better distinction is between parlerai and parlerais. The first one ends in /e/ the second one in /ɛ/. It’s important to distinguish them because one is the future tense (I will do something) and one is the conditional future (I would do something).

    I learned French in Canada, but learned mostly from teachers speaking in a France-French accent, so I’ve heard both Quebec-style and French-style pronunciations.

    To my ear, both French and English pronounce the month of May the same way: “may”, “mai”. But apparently some French speakers say /mɛ/. But, what about, “élève”? Surely you don’t say the two “e” sounds in that one the same way, right?

    • Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      13 days ago

      To my ear, both French and English pronounce the month of May the same way: “may”, “mai”.

      Exactly, those are two very very different sounds to me. May is meh-ee. Mai is just meh.

    • WFH@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 days ago

      I think, being “raised” in Québec-French, you have picked up a lot of pronunciations and vocabulary that are unknown in European French, to the point that I’m pretty sure it is one of the few varieties that could be truly considered a dialect.

      I’ve heard some québécois speak “standard” French… they sound distinctly québécois ;)