An introduction to the pronunciation of French

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 Excerpt: ...usage is irregular in regard to sounding the I; e. g. but, or bu£. Note.--The t of viny£, which is regularly silent, sounds in the numbers from 21 to 29 inclusive: vingt-cinq, vinjrt-sept. But not so in 81-89; q«atr(e)-vin-cinq. Exercise. Activity, attenta£, attrister, contenter, ent£ty, latitude, mixtion, tater, taffetas, testateur, total, toute, traiter, triste, tuteur. Tige, th6, tais, ta; tas, tolle, t6t, tout; tu, boiteu, lenteur, te; t&nt, teirtf, ton, Autun; qwestion, toi, tuile. 3. k is similar to k in "kick." Follow the general principles of the voiceless explosives, and practice "akga," making of kg a single sound, which is the French k. Raise the back of the tongue, and press it hard against the palate: remove it suddenly. Tongue-tip agaiust lower incisors. Prepare the lips for the sound to follow. Represented in French by:--(1) c before a, o, u, or a consonant (except A); also final c: caisse, corps, cure, action, lac. Note 1.--c = g in second and derivatives. Note 2.--cc has the value of k + s before e and i (acces, succinc£), and of k before a, o, u, or a consonant (accroire, aceorder, accuse;). (2) qu (u regularly silent here): qui, que, quanrf. (3) k in foreign words: wAiskey, shako. (4) ch = k (instead of /) in many learned words. This is always true in such words before a, o, u, or a consonant: in newer words ch = k even before c and i (see note under /, page 42). (5) g in liaison = k: long (k) espacc, rang (k) el've, sang (k) /fumain. In ordinary speech g does not need to be linked. (6) x = k in some Spanish words: Xeres, Ximanjs. Final C is frequently silent: estomae, tabac, clere, banc. Pronouuced in done (announcing a conclusion), aqueduc, arc, avec, bee, bloc, choc, ecb.ee, estoe, ...