George Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Has anyone found a Web site or software with pronunciation help for place names? Something where you point to the name and hear an audio file would be ideal or perhaps just the phonetic (?) spelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted February 26, 2005 Author Share Posted February 26, 2005 It's taken a while, but finally found something that works for me:-http://www.answers.comand as an example http://www.answers.com/rouen then click on the speaker symbolI'll post this in the Useful links section too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 This board gets stranger and stranger. I have just come from having exactly this conversation with my husband, "Why are so many French place names so difficult to pronounce?" (He was battling with Ault.) Even with a reasonably good grasp of the language, their pronunciation often defies logic. Apart from the infamous Rheims, two that always amuse me are Nyons and Concots. Anyone like to have a go?In the meantime, I'll look at that link. Thanks George. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 [quote]It's taken a while, but finally found something that works for me:- http://www.answers.com and as an example http://www.answers.com/rouen then click on the speaker symbol I'll post this in the ...[/quote]Well I don't know what to say really, tried Rouen and Rheims and both were pronounced completely wrong in French It looks to be just English pronunciation only George and if so, then it is just phonetics I guess but on further search some do not have the audio file to help anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeb Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 We were talking to a couple the other day who had been living here permenently for 7 years and still couldn't pronounce the name of our nearest large town!! Mind you they hide when anyone approaches their house just in case they are French!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 I think I know them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owens88 Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I can't make that site work for me. As a curiousity how do the locals pronounce 'Quillan' ?Is it 'Key ahn' or 'Quill un' using British vowels ?ThanksJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I readily stand corrected by I've always thought it was kee-yahn. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Phonetic software would be pointless here, we have our local lingo to cope with. Rennes is Rennah, they don't understand it said any other way. I love the way that they also use the same place name over and over again - or as in our case Aubiac is very near Albiac - and so it is so easy to get lost. We had friends round on Saturday for a meal, both sets had been here before and in the dark, both got lost, one couple very . Aubiac only appears on the very local detailed map, so if you look you assume you got the spelling wrong and trot along to Albiac.Ah well, such is France. At least those that we don't want to see cannot find us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 Guess I'll just have to keep looking then - out of interest and using these examples, just how would the French pronounce Rouen? and is there an equivalent of "BBC" French. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 [quote]Guess I'll just have to keep looking then - out of interest and using these examples, just how would the French pronounce Rouen? and is there an equivalent of "BBC" French.[/quote]George,It is one of those words that doesn't come across very good phonetically.You need to roll your R's and make it nasally and sound something like; RRRRRRooowwwearrrrnnnNot much use and I am laughing trying to say it and spell it, as it sort of sounds !Like Lyon, when spoken by a native instead of the simple Lee..onn it get guttoral and nasal Please do let us know what you find George, the site wasn't too bad ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 You need to roll your R's and make it nasally OK, hands up all those who can really roll their r's? It's one of my life goals but I continue to fail miserably. And am I alone in thinking my French accent improves considerably when I have a cold? Also, have any other ladies noticed that those horrible little wrinkle lines between upper lip and nose get much, much worse the more French you speak? I'm sure it's all to do with making those round ou sounds. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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