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Here are a few more towns that I'm not sure of the pronunciation:
Menerbes Saignon Carpentras Cavaillon Maussane Eygalieres JoeG |
I agree that previous conversations on how to <i><b>write</b></i> in " English" the pronunciation in French is an exercise in "can't-be-done".
Still, I'm very surprised that "sahn" would be considered particularly close to the pronunciation of the French "Saint". It rhymes with the French word "vin", not with the French name "Jean". I would explain it as the first syllable in "sandwich", but without pronouncing the "n", or the "d". Kinda like a kid says it... saaa-wich (but clearly the "aaa" is not intended to be an "ah" sound). And Remy = "rim-may"? Huh!? Reh-MEE, or ruh-MEE, or even ray-MEE, but not anything-MAY unless there is something local in the pronunciation that I have totally missed. And, as StCirq has pointed out - - the final syllably in Rousillon is the same as the first syllable in "bonjour". Not an "ahn" sound at all. While I defer to StCirq - - and I think that the advice about listening to that impish line in the "Sound of Music" (I would have written it "yieu and yieu and yieu" - - since it is sung as a direct rhyme to "adieu"), I think that "Bon" is potentially confusing... in American English, for example, bon-bon rhymes with "John-John" and is really an "ah" sound. The first syllable in Bonnieux is closer to "bun", with a hint of "bone". It is NOT the same syllable as in "bonjour", but IS more or less the same as "bonne annee" or "bonne anniversaire". Last of all, writing "boe" (a syllable found in the English word "oboe") removes the possible confusion from writing "bow". Best wishes, Rex |
I see you were posting more as I was writing my post. above...
So, I will take a shot... Menerbes muh-NEHRRB Saignon seh-NYOH(n) Carpentras car-paw(n)-TRAH Cavaillon ca-vye-YOH(n) Maussane moe-SAHNN (last syllable rhymes with JOHN) Eygalieres not entirely sure if there is a local pronunciation that defies "standard" French pronunciation, since "ey" is a rare diphthong in French)... eye-gall-YEHRR |
The correct spelling is Ménerbes, and the pronunciation is something like:
may-NEHRRB The first syllable of Eygalières is pronounced 'ay' as in hay. The rest of these look right as long as it is clear that Cavaillon is kah-vye-YOH(n) |
Patrick, I think you have a terrible french accent ! :) |
oh, simply excruciating!! Please cease, please ... aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
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JoeG - this is an extremely difficult way to learn French pronunciations. In writing there will always be differences of opinion and misunderstandings on what people are trying to say. You're better off to try finding someone who can say them to you audibly.
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This is really futile. Joe, I'm tempted just to give you my phone number so you can HEAR them, but....
Menerbes - may nerhb (with a slight "eh" sound at the end - that "second syllable" that others were referring to that really isn't a complete syllable) Saignon - sen yoh(n) - I like the way Rex wrote that. Carpentras - car poh(n) trah (again, some would add the "s" sound) Cavaillon - cah vie yoh(n) (vie pronounced as in English, not the French word for life) Maussane - moe sahn Eygalieres - ay gahl yare SergioL's right...enough! |
It may not be an perfect but it helps a lot.
Thanks all. JoeG p.s. the dipthong stuff did throw me a little. |
French ponunciation site -- U.S. and U.K. English too, plus other languages
This is a voice synthesis site that can pronounce just about any word, phrase, or sentence for you in a variety of languages. It's not 100% authentic because it is synthesizing the pronunciation of spelling (and not taking into account regional or local irregularities) but it is impressive. Try it. http://www.naturalvoices.att.com/demos/index.html |
Why don't we all just learn to write and read IPA and have done with it? :)
I admit I <u>have</u> occasionally failed to make myself understood saying a couple of French place names that the locals don't pronounce phonetically, but resorting to spelling aloud in French always solved the problem. (Pedantic aside: the word is d-i-<b>p-h-t-h</b>-o-n-g, and is pronounced dif' thong. Rex gets full marks, as usual.) |
The synthesized voice pronounces Auxerre, Auxonne, and Auxois with a -ks- sound instead of the local -ss- but a lot of French people say the words that way too.
It pronounces Uzès as yew-ZAY, which a lot of French people wouldn't understand (it's yew-ZEHSS). But overall it's pretty impressive technology. |
Je suis le maître. HAHAHA
Saint Rémy (don't forget the accent) --> Sahn (hard on the n) raymee Roussillon --> roo-see-yon Gordes -->gord Bonnieux -->bohn -nee-uh Les Baux --> lay bo Uzes ( i think theres supposed to be an accent on the E to make it è) --> Ü-zehs Cassis --> kah-sees |
How about Place Des Voges?
plahs - day-vogsh no "s"? Mille mercis! |
Cassis, like Paris doesn't have a final "s".
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Why, thank you... Robespierre... I hadn't seen your kudos earlier.
And as for <<Why don't we all just learn to write and read IPA and have done with it?>> ... may I point out that someone discovered that "schwa" - - the vowel sound in "de", "le", "je", etc... can be "written" here &#601 = ə So, "we" who obsess over pronunciation could at least use that! (this isn't entirely the right thread to mention this, though! not a single single place name contains a schwa... since both "St. Rémy" and "Ménerbes" were spelled "wrong" (omitting the accent aigu in each case) |
Am enjoying this ---- I have another one --how do you pronounce "arrondissements" correctly? Thx!
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It's impossible to write this using the English alphabet, of course.
ah-ro(n)-dees-MAW(M) The all caps mean the stress in on the last syllable (as in all French words). And the (n) means the preceding vowel is a nasal vowel and the N is not really pronounced. |
I probably should have written it with two esses:
ah-ro(n)-deess-MAW(M) to make it clear that this is an S sound and not a Z sound. |
Thank you so much!
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