The Use of The International Phonetic Alphabet in ... - (Chapter 8 French Diction Kathleen M. Maurer)

Chapter
8
French Diction
Kathleen M. Maurer
The French language is one of the most melodious languages for singing, and also one of the
most challenging for the beginning student to learn. The difficulty with this language lies not
only in the pronunciation of the vowels and consonants, but in the spelling of the French words.
There are many silent letters in French, and often several letters will combine to create one
sound. For example, in the word beau the three vowels together create one vowel sound—[o].
Another challenge for the beginning singer is the pronunciation of the mixed vowels (also
called rounded front vowels), the nasal vowels, and the glide. The mixed vowels are
pronounced with the tongue in one vowel position and the lips in another, and there are three of
them in the French language. There are four nasal vowels, which are spelled by a vowel
followed by an "m" or an "n" at the end of a word, or before another different consonant in the
middle of a word. The challenge for the singer is to pronounce the nasal vowel without closing
to the actual "m" or "n" sound; this is often quite difficult, particularly if the vowel is followed
by the letter "b" as in the word ombre. Once the correct singing of the nasal vowels is
mastered, however, there is a natural frontal resonance that results, which aids in projecting the
vocal sound. There are three glides in French—[w], [j], and [ɥ]. The first two are familiar to
native English-speaking singers, but the third is frequently mispronounced. It is formed by the
mixed vowel [y] followed quickly by another vowel. For example, in the word nuit, the sound
[y] is followed by [i]. When singing this glide, the performer must carefully avoid singing the
vowel [u] followed by [i].
An additional difficulty in preparing French repertoire is the use of liaison, in which a
usually silent final consonant is pronounced when followed by a word that begins with a
vowel or a mute "h." There are many complex rules for the occasions when the liaison is used,
and in some cases the use of the liaison is optional. In addition to studying the reference books
and International Phonetic Alphabet resources, it is imperative that the singer or choral
director listen to recordings by native French singers to determine the proper use of liaison,
Copyright © 2012. Scarecrow Press. All rights reserved.
and even then the professional singers may disagree, due to the fact that some liaison choices
are a matter of taste or traditional usage. In short, even the experts may disagree. It can be
helpful to listen to several recordings by native French singers in order to make an informed
choice.
Another point of interest is the pronunciation of the neutral, or unstressed, vowel [ə]. This
vowel, which also occurs in other languages, such as English and German, is pronounced with
the lips rounded in French, so that the resulting vowel sound is between [ø] and [œ].
Further topics addressed in this chapter include pronunciation rules and IPA symbols for
French vowels, mixed vowels, nasal vowels, glides, and consonants. Explanatory charts show
the IPA symbols for each sound in the French language, with information about the orthographic
spellings for each sound, specific information about the placement of these sounds within
The Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet in the Choral Rehearsal, edited by Duane Richard Karna, Scarecrow Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1108257.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2020-02-11 05:36:33.
French words, and a list of French word examples. In addition, elision and liaison will be
discussed, as well as word stress. For the choral conductor preparing to teach a French work,
it is beneficial to obtain an IPA transcription of the work and to translate the text in both a
literal and a poetic manner, as well as listening to several recordings by native singers. At the
end of this chapter the text for the choral work, Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 by Gabriel
Fauré with an IPA transcription demonstrates the usage of French pronunciation rules. This
transcription can be used by the choral conductor to teach this work to a choir; it also shows
the generally-accepted manner of transcribing a foreign-language text in preparation for
performance. A poetic translation is also provided.
In spite of the seemingly formidable challenges in singing or teaching French literature, the
French language, with its inherent melodic quality, remains one of the most beautiful languages
to sing and to hear.
Vowels
There are eight single vowel sounds in the French language, and each vowel sound has a
number of different spellings. The following chart shows the spellings for each vowel sound,
as shown next to the International Phonetic Alphabetic symbol for that vowel sound. A list of
French word examples follows the spellings. Please note that there are both open and closed
sounds for [e] and [ε] as well as [o] and [ɔ]. There is only one sound for [i] and [u], but there
are two sounds for "ah"—the brighter [a] and the darker [ɑ].
Single Vowels
[i] Spellings are: i, î, ï, ie at the end of a word or syllable, y, ÿ

Examples: fini, île, haïr, chérie, j’oublierai, Debussy, Louÿs
[e] Spellings are:

ai at the end of a word, especially in verb forms
Examples: mai, j’ai, j’irai, j’allai
e before a final silent consonant except “s” and usually “t”

Examples: mener, nez
é
Examples: désir, école, écoute, répondre
irregularly in the words “et” [e] and “pays” [pei]
[ε] Spellings are:
è, ê, ai, aî, aie
Examples: mère, prête, laisser, maître, raie
ais, ait, and aient (in verb endings)

Examples: parlais, parlait, parlaient
ei, ey
Examples: neige, pleyon
e before a pronounced final consonant

Examples: sec, mer
e before two or more consonants

Examples: presser, chercher
e before final silent “‘t” (except in the word “et”)

Examples: secret, cet
es in monosyllables
Examples: ces, des, les, mes, ses, tes
ë
Examples: Noël, Israël
[a] Spellings are:
a, à
Examples: ta, voilà, par, mama
oi = [wa]
Examples: roi, avoir, fois
oy = [waj]
Examples: royal, foyer, voyons
a when followed by a silent final “s” in verb forms

Examples: as, diras
e in medial “emm” and “enn”

Examples: femme, solennel
irregularly in the word “bras” [bra]
[ɑ] Spellings are:
â
Examples: âme, grâce, château
a before [s]
Examples: espace, grasse, hélas (there are many exceptions to this rule)
a before [z]
Examples: gazon, phase, extase
a before a final silent “s”

Examples: gras, bas, lilas
irregularly in the word “trois” [trwʒ]
[o] Spellings are:
o as the final sound in a word

Examples: escargot, gros, trop, mot
o before [z]
Examples: rose, morose
ô
Examples: chômage, clôture
au (except before “r” as in Fauré)

Examples: cause, aube, maudire
eau, eaux
Examples: eau, oiseau, vaisseaux
[ɔ] Spellings are:
o in any other position than those listed for [o] above

Examples: comme, dormer, bohème, notre
au before “r”
Examples: Fauré, samurais
au irregularly in the words “mauvais” and “Paul”
[u] Spellings are:
ou, oû, où, aou, aoû

Examples: toujours, goût, où, saoul, août
oue at the end of a word or syllable

Examples: roue, jouerai
Mixed Vowels
These vowels are also called rounded front vowels, due to the fact that they are pronounced
with rounded lips. Each of these vowels is formed by a combination of two sounds: one vowel
sound that is shaped by the tongue position, and this vowel sound is pronounced with the lips
rounded in the shape of another vowel. When forming the mixed vowels, care must be taken to
pronounce them as a single vowel sound, and not to move from one sound to another during
their pronunciation. Although shaping the mixed vowels can seem awkward to the beginner,
with practice these vowels can be pronounced in a natural manner. Listening to recordings of
native French singers can be helpful in this process.
[y] This is pronounced with the tongue in the position of [i] and the lips rounded to [u].
Spellings are:
u, û
Examples: tu, une, dû, brûle
eu, eû in parts of the verb "avoir"

Examples: eu, eut, eusse, eû
ue at the end of a word or syllable

Example: vue
[ø] This is pronounced with the tongue in the position of [e] and the lips rounded to [o].
Spellings are:
eu, oeu as the final sound in a word

Examples: milieu, voeu
eu before [z]
Examples: chanteuse, mystérieuse
eû in the word "jeûne" (meaning "a fast")

[œ] This is pronounced with the tongue in the position of [ɛ] and the lips rounded to [ɔ].
Spellings are:
eu, oeu in any position other than those described above

Examples: jeune (meaning "young"), leur, coeur
ue after "c" or "g"

Examples: cueillir, orgueil
oe in the word "oeil"
The Neutral Vowel, or Schwa [ə], and Its Usage
[ə] This is the unstressed vowel, which is pronounced with lips rounded in French,
so that it is between [ø] and [œ]. Spellings are:
Final "e" except when followed by a word beginning with a vowel or mute "h"
Examples: terre, jette
Before final "s" (except in monosyllables such as "les," "des," "ces")

Examples: roses, rivières
In third person plural verb endings before final "nt"

Examples: s'envolent, s'appellent, arrivent
Final "e" in a monosyllable

Examples: ce, de, je, le, me, ne, que, se, te
"e" before a consonant followed by a vowel (that is, "e" which is final in a syllable)
Examples: cepandant, berceras, quelquefois, genoux, semblera
"ai" in these parts of the verb "faire:"

faisons, faisant, faisais, faisait, faisions, faisiez, faisaient
Please note that there are many French words ending in "ent" (différent, souvent, etc.)
which are not third person plural verb forms. When in doubt, look in a dictionary—if there is
not a separate listing for that word, assume it is part of a verb. In any case in which the above
combinations follow a vowel, the "e" may be silent. If the composer provides a separate note
for the "e" it should be sung as [ə]. If a silent "e" is sung on the same note as the preceding
syllable, it should be pronounced very unobtrusively, if at all.1
The neutral vowel, or schwa, occurs in the French language in unstressed syllables, much
as it appears in English and German. It is most important to remember that this is an unstressed
vowel sound, and care must be taken in singing to avoid accenting a syllable containing a
schwa.
Nasal Vowels
When a vowel is followed by the letter "n" or "m" at the end of the word or before another
consonant other than "n" or "m" the vowel is altered and takes on a nasal quality. In this case,
the "n" or "m" is not pronounced; it only serves to "nasalize" the vowel. Please note that a
double "n" is pronounced [n], as in the word "bonne," and double "m" is pronounced [m], as in
the word "femme."
Examples:
1) final "n" or "m" mon, faim
2) before another different consonant lointain, simple
[ ] This vowel has a similar quality to the English vowel [æ] with nasalization.
Spellings:
aim, ain faim, pain, plaintif
eim, ein Reims, plein
en after i bien, chrétien, reviens
im, in importer, simple, moin, vin
ym, yn sympathie, symphonie, synchrone, syntax
[ ]
Spellings:
am, an amble, chanter, sans
em, en (except after i) emporter, ensemble, entrée
[õ]
Spellings:
om, on nom, sombre, bon, songe
[ ]
Spellings:
um, un humble, parfum, défunt, lundi
Glides
A glide is a combination of two consecutive vowel sounds within one syllable. In singing a
glide, the first vowel sound is sung quickly and unaccented and the second vowel sound is held
longer. French glides are vowels used as consonants. Whenever "i" "u" or "ou" appears in
French before another vowel, the first vowel is shortened, functioning as a consonant, and a
glide results.2
[j] This is the vowel [i] used as a consonant, shortened to become a glide.
Spellings:
"i" before another vowel

Examples: bien, lieu, ciel
"il"or "ille" at the end of a word, following a vowel

Examples: soleil, corail, travaille, abeille
"ille" at the end of a word, sometimes following a consonant

Examples: fille, brille
Exceptions: ville, mille, tranquille [vil], [mil], [tr kil]
"ill" preceded and followed by a vowel

Examples: éveillai, cueillir
"ill" before a vowel, sometimes following a consonant

Examples: papillon, famille
Exceptions: village, million [vilaʒ], [miljõ]
Exception: initial "ill" is not a glide

Examples: illusion, illumination
[Ч] This is the vowel [y] used as a consonant, shortened to become a glide.
Spelling:
"u" before another vowel

Examples: lui, suage, fuir
[w] This is the vowel [u] used as a consonant, shortened to become a glide.
Spellings:
"ou" before a vowel

Examples: ouest, oui
"o" before "i"

Examples: toi, loin, mois
Exceptions: In certain situations, the "i" "u" or "ou" before another vowel does not
become a glide.3
before "e" at the end of a word

Examples: vie, lue, moue [vi] [ly] [mu]
before "e" followed by final "s"

Examples: vies, lues, moues [vi] [ly] [mu]
before "e" followed by final "nt" in third person plural verb forms
Examples: rient, tuent, jouent [ri] [ty] [ʒu]
before "e" followed by a consonant which is followed by a vowel

Examples: reniement, dénouement [rənim ] [denum ]
Consonants
The following chart shows the consonant sounds in the French language, first by IPA symbol,
then by various spellings for each sound, and finally giving French word examples for each
spelling.
Consonants
[h] There are two types of "h" in the French language: aspirate and mute (or unaspirated).
The aspirate "h" prevents liaison and elision. The mute "h" is silent, while the aspirate "h" is
pronounced with a soft glottal stop. Because there is no method of knowing whether a word
begins with a mute or aspirated "h" one must consult a dictionary. Words beginning with an
aspirate "h" will be marked, for example with a dagger (†).
aspirate "h" la hauteur, le hale [la | ot œ r], [lə | ɑl]

mute "h" en hiver, les hommes [ nivεr], [lεzɔm]
*In the case of double "g" or double "c" the first consonant has the "hard" sound ([g] or [k]),
because it is followed by a consonant, and the second of the double consonants has a "soft"
sound ([ʒ] or [s]) because it is followed by a vowel. Two examples are: suggérer [sygʒere]
and succès [syksε].
Many final consonants are silent in the French language. The following consonants are
usually not pronounced when final: b, d, g, m, n, p, s, t, x, z. Please note that "ent" endings are
silent when they are a verb form. Also, "er" endings are pronounced [e] when they are verb
infinitives, and also many nouns ending in "er" or "ier" have a silent final "r."
Elision and Liaison
Elision
"When a mute e ends a word and the next word begins with a vowel or h, the e is never
sounded in speech or in singing. The consonant sound before the mute e connects directly to the
vowel sound beginning the next word. This is different from liaison."4
Examples: bonne année [bɔnane] cette heure [sεtœr]
Liaison
"Liaison is the sounding of an otherwise silent final consonant when the following word begins
with a vowel or unaspirated h."5 There are many rules concerning the use of liaison, and for
the beginning singer or choral director it is wise to consult a diction manual or to listen to
recordings of native French singers for guidelines as to when a liaison should or should not be
used. In general, words that have a grammatical or textual connection to each other are joined
in liaison. Thomas Grubb, in his book Singing in French: A Manual of French Diction and
French Vocal Repertoire, gives a detailed explanation of the use of liaison in the third chapter.
He lists forbidden, optional, and compulsory liaisons with examples and IPA transcriptions of
each. Due to the number and complexity of these rules, they will not be listed here, but rather
this chapter will concentrate on the changes in pronunciation when a liaison occurs.
The pronunciation of five consonants is altered in liaison: d, f, g, s, and x. The letter "d" is
pronounced as [t], "f" is pronounced as [v], "g" becomes [k], and "s" and "x" are both
pronounced as [z].6 For example:
le grand ours [lə gr turs]

neuf ans [nœ v ]
sang impure [s k pyr]
vous arrivez [vu zarive]
deux animaux [dø zanimo]
Word Stress
The French language does not have strongly stressed words or syllables as in German, Italian,
or English, for example. In words with two or more syllables, the final syllable has a light
stress, and all other syllables are equally unstressed. In phrases and sentences, the final
syllable of the final word receives the light stress, and the other words are un-stressed. Please
note that the final mute "e" does not receive any stress.7
Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 by Gabriel Fauré
The following transcription of Gabriel Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 demonstrates
the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet as a guide to the pronunciation of the text for this
choral work. A translation is also provided underneath the IPA transcription as a further aid for
interpretation.*
Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11
Verbe égal au Très-Haut, notre unique espérance,

[vεr bega lo trε o nɔ tryni kεsper sə]
Word, equal to the Most High, our only hope,
Jour éternel de la terre et des cieux;

[ʒu retεrnεl də la tε re dε sjø]
Eternal day of the earth and of the heavens,
De la paisible nuit nous rompons le silence,

[də la pεziblə nɥi nu rõpõ lə sil sə]
We break the silence of the peaceful night,
Divin Sauveur, jette sur nous les yeux!

[div sovœ r ʒεtə syr nu lε zjø]
Divine Saviour, cast your eyes upon us!
Répands sur nous le feu de ta grâce puissante,

[rep syr nu lə fø də ta grɑsə pɥis tə]
Pour out upon us the light of your powerful grace,
Que tout l'enfer fuie au son de ta voix;

[kə tu l fεr fɥi o sõ də ta vwa]
So that all hell flees at the sound of your voice;
Dissipe le sommeil d'une âme languissante,

[disipə lǝ sɔmεj dy nɑmə l gɥis tə]
Dispel the sleep of a languishing soul,
Qui la conduit à l'oubli de tes lois!

[ki la kõdɥi a lubli də tε lwa]
Which has swayed it to forget your laws!
Ô Christ, sois favorable à ce peuple fidèle

[o krist swa favɔrablə a sə pœ plə fidεlə]
Oh Christ, be favorable to this faithful people
Pour te bénir maintenant rassemblé.

[pur tə benir m tən rɑs ble]
Now gathered together in order to bless you.
Reçois les chants qu'il offre à ta gloire immortelle,

[rəswa lε ∫ ki lɔfrə a ta glwa rimɔrtεlə]
Receive the songs that it offers to your immortal glory,
Et de tes dons qu'il retourne comblé!

[e də tε dõ kil rəturnə kõble]
That it will return filled with your gifts!
*The transcription and translation are provided by Kathleen Maurer.

Notes
1. Richard G. Cox, The Singer's Manual of German and French Diction (New York:
Schirmer Books, 1996), 44.
2. Ibid., 49.
3. Ibid.
4. David Adams, A Handbook of Diction for Singers: Italian, German, French (New
York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 156.
5. Ibid., 119.
6. Thomas Grubb, Singing in French: A Manual of French Diction and French Vocal
Repertoire (New York: Schirmer Books, 1979), 90–91.
7. Adams, 124–25.
Bibliography
Adams, David. A Handbook of Diction for Singers: Italian, German, French. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1999.
Adler, Kurt. Phonetics and Diction in Singing: Italian, French, Spanish, German.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1965.
Cox, Richard G. The Singer's Manual of German and French Diction. New York: Schirmer
Books, 1996.
Grubb, Thomas. Singing in French: A Manual of French Diction and French Vocal
Repertoire. New York: Schirmer Books, 1979.
Maurer, Kathleen. Course Pack for MUSPE 398/598 Diction for Singers, Ball State
University. Ann Arbor, MI: National Archive Publishing Company, 2010.
May, William V. and Craig Tolin. Pronunciation Guide for Choral Literature: French,
German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Spanish. Reston, VA: Music Educators National
Conference, 1987.
Moriarty, John. Diction: Italian, Latin, French, German … the Sounds and 81 Exercises for
Singing Them. Boston: E. C. Schirmer Music Company, 1975.

Wall, Joan. International Phonetic Alphabet for Singers: A Manual for English and Foreign
Language Diction. Dallas, TX: Pst… Inc., 1989.
Wall, Joan, Robert Caldwell, Tracy Gavilanes, and Sheila Allen. Diction for Singers: A
Concise Reference for English, Italian, Latin, German, French, and Spanish
Pronunciation. Redmond, WA: Pst… Inc., 1990.
About the Author
Dr. Kathleen M. Maurer is Associate Professor of Voice at Ball State University in Muncie,
Indiana, where she teaches applied voice lessons and diction classes. She sang professionally
in Germany for over fourteen years as a member of the opera companies at the Städtische
Bühne in Hagen and the Nationaltheater in Mannheim. During this time she sang in
approximately 2,800 performances of more than 100 operas, operettas, and musicals. After her
return from Germany she taught applied voice lessons and diction classes at Wright State
University in Dayton, Ohio, prior to her current position. Dr. Maurer has a special interest in
the commission and performance of new works, particularly chamber music. She is an active
performer of recitals, oratorios, and orchestral concerts as well as an invited master teacher
and lecturer. Dr. Maurer holds degrees in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music (D.M.A.), Bowling Green State University (M.M.), and Butler
University (B.M.).

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Chapter

[i] Spellings are: i, î, ï, ie at the end of a word or syllable, y, ÿ

[e] Spellings are:

e before a final silent consonant except “s” and usually “t”

irregularly in the words “et” [e] and “pays” [pei]

[ε] Spellings are:

ais, ait, and aient (in verb endings)

e before a pronounced final consonant

e before two or more consonants

e before final silent “‘t” (except in the word “et”)

[a] Spellings are:

a when followed by a silent final “s” in verb forms

e in medial “emm” and “enn”

irregularly in the word “bras” [bra]

a before a final silent “s”

irregularly in the word “trois” [trwʒ]

[o] Spellings are:

o as the final sound in a word

au (except before “r” as in Fauré)

[ɔ] Spellings are:

o in any other position than those listed for [o] above

au irregularly in the words “mauvais” and “Paul”

ou, oû, où, aou, aoû

oue at the end of a word or syllable

eu, eû in parts of the verb "avoir"

ue at the end of a word or syllable

eu, oeu as the final sound in a word

eû in the word "jeûne" (meaning "a fast")

eu, oeu in any position other than those described above

ue after "c" or "g"

oe in the word "oeil"

The Neutral Vowel, or Schwa [ə], and Its Usage

Before final "s" (except in monosyllables such as "les," "des," "ces")

In third person plural verb endings before final "nt"

Final "e" in a monosyllable

"ai" in these parts of the verb "faire:"

faisons, faisant, faisais, faisait, faisions, faisiez, faisaient

om, on nom, sombre, bon, songe

"i" before another vowel

"il"or "ille" at the end of a word, following a vowel

"ille" at the end of a word, sometimes following a consonant

"ill" preceded and followed by a vowel

"ill" before a vowel, sometimes following a consonant

Exception: initial "ill" is not a glide

"u" before another vowel

"ou" before a vowel

"o" before "i"

before "e" at the end of a word

before "e" followed by final "s"

before "e" followed by a consonant which is followed by a vowel

aspirate "h" la hauteur, le hale [la | ot œ r], [lə | ɑl]

Elision and Liaison

Examples: bonne année [bɔnane] cette heure [sεtœr]

le grand ours [lə gr turs]

Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 by Gabriel Fauré

Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11

Verbe égal au Très-Haut, notre unique espérance,

Jour éternel de la terre et des cieux;

De la paisible nuit nous rompons le silence,

Divin Sauveur, jette sur nous les yeux!

Répands sur nous le feu de ta grâce puissante,

Que tout l'enfer fuie au son de ta voix;

Dissipe le sommeil d'une âme languissante,