The Pronunciation of “Mere“ in French342

The French word "mere" means "mother" and is pronounced with the following sounds:
[mɛʁ] in Standard French
[mɛːʁ] in Canadian French

The first sound, [m], is the same as the "m" in the English word "mother". The second sound, [ɛ], is a vowel sound that is similar to the "e" in the English word "bed". The third sound, [ʁ], is a voiced uvular fricative, which is produced by vibrating the back of the tongue against the uvula. In Canadian French, the [ɛ] is lengthened to [ɛː], and the [ʁ] is pronounced as a voiced velar fricative, which is produced by vibrating the back of the tongue against the velum.

Here are some examples of how to pronounce "mere" in French:
ma mère (my mother) - [ma mɛʁ]
la mère de l'enfant (the child's mother) - [la mɛʁ də lɑ̃fɑ̃]
c'est ma mère (this is my mother) - [sɛ ma mɛʁ]

It is important to note that the pronunciation of "mere" can vary depending on the region of France in which it is spoken. In some regions, the [ʁ] sound is pronounced as a voiced velar fricative, while in other regions it is pronounced as a voiced uvular fricative. Additionally, the length of the [ɛ] sound can vary from short to long.

2025-01-15

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