This key facts covers Key sounds to memorise within Nasal vowels: an, en, on, in for GCSE French. Revise Nasal vowels: an, en, on, in in Phonics: French Sounds and Spellings for GCSE French with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 4 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📌 Key sounds to memorise
- an / en = [ɑ̃] — sounds like: "ong" from the back of the throat — example: un enfant, le temps, manger
- on = [ɔ̃] — sounds like: rounded nasal "oh-ng" — example: bon, non, on
- in / ain = [ɛ̃] — sounds like: nasal open "e" — example: cinq, le train, le pain
- bonne [bɔn] — NOT nasal — doubled nn breaks the rule
- une année [yn ane] — NOT nasal — n before vowel breaks the rule
- le vin [vɛ̃] — nasal — example: j'aime le vin chaud
- la faim [fɛ̃] — nasal (aim = [ɛ̃]) — example: j'ai faim
- prendre [pʁɑ̃dʁ] — en = [ɑ̃] nasal — example: je prends le bus
Practice questions for Nasal vowels: an, en, on, in
What is the key feature of a nasal vowel in French?
Which statement about the spellings 'an' and 'en' in French is correct?
Quick recall flashcards
What is a nasal vowel in French?
A vowel sound produced partly through the nose. French has four main nasal vowels, written as: an/am/en/em, on/om, in/im/ain/ein, un/um. The 'n' or 'm' is NOT pronounced as a separate consonant — it just nasalises the vowel.
le matin — how is this pronounced?
'ma-TAN' — the 'in' is the tight nasal (same as ain, ein, un). Final -n is part of the nasal, not a separate consonant.