When final nasals become open vowels

A rule once thoroughly observed, this pronunciation subtlety is becoming rarer. Understanding and mastering it allows us to make choices which would make our French diction richer while potentially helping our vocal production.

One of the rules for a vowel to turn into a nasal is for it to be followed by an “n” or an “m” in the final syllable of a word: “parfum” [parfœ̃], bon [bõ], certain [sɛrtɛ̃] are all examples of this rule.

However, when followed by a vowel, “n” opens the preceding “o” to [ɔ] and “ai” to [ɛ].

If a word ending in “on” or “ain” is followed by a word starting with a vowel, one may elect to observe the above rule.

That is why, when listening to the Séguedille in Carmen, you may have heard Carmen say “Je pense à certain officier” pronounced [ʒœ pɑ̃ sa sɛrtɛ nɔfisje] as opposed to [ʒœ pɑ̃ sa sɛrtɛ̃ ɔfisje].

Following that rule also, one may choose to pronounce “mon ami” [mɔ nami] instead of [mõ nami], or “mon bon ami” [mõ bɔ nami] and not [mõ bõ nami].

This distinction seems to be widely unregulated and subjective to taste, regardless of the era. In Nadir’s recitative before his aria, we can hear Alain Vanzo pronounce “Ah cette voix quel trouble agitait tout mon être” [tu mɔ nɛtrœ], where Léopold Simoneau pronounces a clear o nasal [tu mõ nɛtrœ].

Nonetheless, it is a useful nuance to be aware of and understand, and can add finesse and variety in your interpretation of your French repertoire.