Patf Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 The french "u" (and "r"):Watch the french rugby team singing the Marseillaise, when they get to "...Mu....gir ces féroces soldats" - the shape of their mouth on mugir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frecossais Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 The "u" sound - I was struck watching my grandaughter playing the flute recently, by the way she pursed her lips to produce a sound. Exactly the shape to make the"u".I can make that sound, but don't always manage it in the hurly-burly of conversation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 's funny...I have no problem with "u". The problem I DO have (sorry, do) is trying to explain to other people how to do it. It's like all the short vowel sounds...it's all in the way you hold your mouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Betty, somebody told me once to place the lips as if one is going to make the "oo" sound in "fool", but then to actually say "ee". Works every time for me. ?Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 [quote user="Loiseau"]Betty, somebody told me once to place the lips as if one is going to make the "oo" sound in "fool", but then to actually say "ee". Works every time for me. ?Angela[/quote]I was told and shown to position the lips for saying 'eee' and keeping tongue and teeth in place, draw the lips in and say 'oooo'. That works for me, but it's best demonstrated live. [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 [quote user="Loiseau"]Betty, somebody told me once to place the lips as if one is going to make the "oo" sound in "fool", but then to actually say "ee". Works every time for me. ?Angela[/quote]If memory serves me correctly, that's how I was taught to do it, long ago, in school... maybe that's why I can do it, when I remember to do the lips instead of just talking ...! You really do have to pout and do a "pretend" kiss, though, which is unnatural to we English, even though we use our lips much more than the French do to speak our language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I'm not sure about this pouting business! [:D] Again, I think a lot depends on the regional accent you begin with! See, if I was using my real accent wot I grew up with, then I'd say "fewl" for "fool", which requires a somewhat different mouth shape...back to the "pure" vowels as previously discussed. Just like my "bath" has a French "à" in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 OK, Betty, what about "oo" as in "moo" then? Or did even the cows say "mew" round where you grew up?!Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Cow noises definitely have a "W" in them round my way..[:D] And anything with a "U" in it is incomprehensible to people from further south!I had to move to London to discover that the word bus appears to have an "a" in it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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