Answers
Dec 01, 2010 - 09:52 AM
Emilie (who in is charge of the French content with Sonia) has told me that for her both of the examples sound exactly the same. She has told me that the correct proununciation of the French 'le' is somewhere between the 'le' in let and the 'lo' in lot in English, but it's hard place exactly with a corresponding English sound.
After listening to le lait and le sucre I confess that for me a non French speaker they do sound slightly different, but I think this is due to the length of the sound. (imagine the difference between the 'i' sound in ship and sheep in English, although they very similiar in sound, that little bit more length in sheep, makes it a completely different sound).
After discussing this again with Emilie, she still says for her they sound the same, but it may have to do with the sound which follows. For example in le lait, the two 'l' sounds seems to flow together much smoother and quicker, but in le sucre you have to move the tongue up in the mouth to produce the 's' sound after the 'l' and I think it takes that fraction of a second longer to say that sound so it sounds distinct.
So after all this discussion, we confer that 'officially' it is the same sound, but in action it may sound a little different. I hope all this information helps. Emilie tells me that's the way the language is. (c'e la vie!)
Thanks heaps for all this food for thought! I hope you continue with the smooth sailing in your learning French.
After listening to le lait and le sucre I confess that for me a non French speaker they do sound slightly different, but I think this is due to the length of the sound. (imagine the difference between the 'i' sound in ship and sheep in English, although they very similiar in sound, that little bit more length in sheep, makes it a completely different sound).
After discussing this again with Emilie, she still says for her they sound the same, but it may have to do with the sound which follows. For example in le lait, the two 'l' sounds seems to flow together much smoother and quicker, but in le sucre you have to move the tongue up in the mouth to produce the 's' sound after the 'l' and I think it takes that fraction of a second longer to say that sound so it sounds distinct.
So after all this discussion, we confer that 'officially' it is the same sound, but in action it may sound a little different. I hope all this information helps. Emilie tells me that's the way the language is. (c'e la vie!)
Thanks heaps for all this food for thought! I hope you continue with the smooth sailing in your learning French.