French /ɛ̃/ vs /ɔ̃/
pain vs pont: front nasal vs rounded nasal

Both IN and ON are nasal vowels, but they are as different as "eh" and "oh" — just nasalized. /ɛ̃/ is a front nasal with spread lips. /ɔ̃/ is a back nasal with rounded lips. The roundness is the signature you listen for.

The ABX drill plays two reference sounds then a mystery X. Five rounds will build the front vs rounded nasal distinction in your ear.

👃Both nasal vowels
😬/ɛ̃/ front, unrounded
💋/ɔ̃/ back, rounded
🚫Neither exists in English
Can you hear the difference?
How it works: You'll hear sound A, sound B, then a mystery sound X. Choose whether X sounds like A or B. Words are revealed after you answer.
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Listen carefully...

Mystery sound

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The problem

Two nasal vowels, one English blind spot

/ɛ̃/ and /ɔ̃/ are maximally different as nasal vowels — one is front-unrounded, the other is back-rounded. For trained ears, they sound nothing alike. But for ears that have never used nasality to distinguish meaning, both get filed under "nasal" and the internal differences are filtered out.

The contrast is easier to learn than /ɑ̃/ vs /ɛ̃/ or /ɑ̃/ vs /ɔ̃/ because /ɛ̃/ and /ɔ̃/ differ in more features: both tongue height, tongue backness, and lip rounding. There is more acoustic distance between them. With a little focused listening, most learners start hearing the distinction within a few dozen trials.

The key anchor: /ɛ̃/ sounds thin and bright (front resonance). /ɔ̃/ sounds round and hollow (back rounded resonance). If you can hear "thin vs hollow," you can hear this contrast.

/ɛ̃/ — front, unrounded nasal

Tongue mid-front, lips spread or neutral, bright resonance.

mainpainvinpleinteintfinlinsain
/ɔ̃/ — back, rounded nasal

Tongue mid-back, lips rounded and forward, hollow resonance.

bonlongnompontrondsontonfond
Production guide

How to produce /ɛ̃/ and /ɔ̃/

/ɛ̃/French IN — main, pain, vin
  1. 1. Say "eh" — like the vowel in "bed." Tongue mid-front.
  2. 2. Lips stay neutral or very slightly spread — no rounding.
  3. 3. Lower the velum: air through the nose while holding "eh."
  4. 4. No final "n." The thin, bright nasal sound is /ɛ̃/.
Anchor words: main, pain, vin, plein, teint, brin, fin, sain
/ɔ̃/French ON — bon, long, pont
  1. 1. Say "oh" — lips round and pushed forward. Tongue mid-back.
  2. 2. Keep the rounded lip position — this is essential.
  3. 3. Lower the velum: air through the nose while holding "oh."
  4. 4. No final "n." The hollow, round nasal sound is /ɔ̃/.
Anchor words: bon, long, nom, pont, rond, son, ton, fond
Thin vs hollow: the listening anchor

Say "eh" (thin, bright, front resonance) then "oh" (full, hollow, rounded resonance). Nasalize each. The thin-vs-hollow quality is already there in the oral vowels and it amplifies in the nasal versions. If /ɛ̃/ sounds hollow to you, you have the tongue too far back. If /ɔ̃/ sounds thin, your lips are not rounded enough.

Click to hear

Minimal pairs: tap each word to hear it

Real words that show the IN (/ɛ̃/) vs ON (/ɔ̃/) contrast. Click each to compare.

French IN /ɛ̃/
French ON /ɔ̃/
hand
↔
name
bread
↔
bridge
wine
↔
good
full
↔
long
complexion
↔
round
More /ɛ̃/ words
mainpainvinpleinteintbrinfinsainreinlinpinvaingainnaindaim
More /ɔ̃/ words
bonlongnompontrondsontonfondmondonnononbombeombreconte
Common questions

Frequently asked

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MinimalPairs trains your ear on all French nasal vowels and vowel contrasts with ABX drills and personalized targeting.

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