Language/French/Pronunciation/b-and-p
Unlike English, when you pronounce the letters 'b' and 'p' in French, little to no air should be expended from your mouth.
In terms of phonetics, the difference in the French 'b' and 'p' and their English counterparts is one of aspiration (this is not related to the similarly named concept of 'h' aspiré below, but is a slight extra puff of air that accompanies the stop).
Fortunately, in English both aspirated and unaspirated variants (allophones) actually exist, but only in specific environments.
If you're a native speaker, say the word 'pit' and then the word 'spit' out loud. Did you notice the extra puff of air in the first word that doesn't come with the second?
The 'p' in 'pit' is aspirated [pʰ]; the 'p' in 'spit' is not (like the 'p' in any position in French).
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: France Regional Accents, Learn the French Alphabet, Accents (advanced level) & Aspirated VS non aspirated h.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Aspirated VS non aspirated h
- France Regional Accents
- Accents (advanced level)
- Alphabet and Pronunciation
- Accents
- Liaisons
- How to pronounce R
- Silent Final Consonants
- Alphabet and Pronunciation