Pronunciation of French Words Ending in ‘-ent‘315

French words ending in '-ent' are pronounced according to the following rules:

1. General rule

The 'e' is nasalized and the 'n' is silent.

Example: "argent" (money) is pronounced [aʁʒɑ̃].

2. Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the general rule, where the 'e' is not nasalized and the 'n' is pronounced.
Words ending in '-ement': The 'e' is pronounced as a schwa sound and the 'n' is pronounced.

Example: "moment" (moment) is pronounced [mɔmɑ̃].Words ending in '-ent' preceded by a vowel: The 'e' is pronounced as a schwa sound and the 'n' is pronounced.

Example: "agent" (agent) is pronounced [aʒɑ̃].Words ending in '-ent' preceded by a nasal consonant: The 'e' is pronounced as a schwa sound and the 'n' is pronounced.

Example: "absent" (absent) is pronounced [apsɑ̃].

3. Liaison

When a word ending in '-ent' is followed by a vowel, the 'n' is pronounced and linked to the following vowel.

Example: "argent et or" (silver and gold) is pronounced [aʁʒɑ̃t e ɔʁ].

4. Elision

When a word ending in '-ent' is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, the 'e' is elided.

Example: "l'argent est sur la table" (the money is on the table) is pronounced [laʁʒɑ̃ sɥʁ la tabl].

5. Pronunciation of specific words

Some words ending in '-ent' have irregular pronunciations. These include:
"présent" (present): pronounced [pʁezɑ̃].
"absent" (absent): pronounced [apsɑ̃].
"consent" (consent): pronounced [kɔ̃sɑ̃].
"absent" (absent): pronounced [apsɑ̃].
"absent" (absent): pronounced [apsɑ̃].
"violent" (violent): pronounced [vjɔ̃lɑ̃].
"évident" (evident): pronounced [evidɑ̃].
"prudent" (prudent): pronounced [pʁydɑ̃].
"savant" (scholar): pronounced [savɑ̃].
"sergent" (sergeant): pronounced [sɛʁʒɑ̃].
"urgent" (urgent): pronounced [yʁʒɑ̃].