Minimal pair · French (France)
French /a/ vs /ɛ//a/ / /ɛ/
Learn to hear the difference between a and ɛ in French words.
Practice these sounds/a/
The a category
Listen for the target sound in each word.
As inballe
/ɛ/
An open-mid, unrounded vowel
The tongue is toward the front, with a more open vowel position than /e/.
As inbelle
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Learn to hear the difference between a and ɛ in French words.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordballe
/bal/ball; small spherical object used in gamessalle
/sal/room; hallmasse
/mas/mass; quantity of matterbasse
/bas/low, femininebase
/baz/baselame
/lam/bladebelle
/bɛl/beautiful; feminine singularsel
/sɛl/saltmesse
/mɛs/Mass; Catholic liturgical servicepère
/pɛʁ/fatherserre
/sɛʁ/greenhousepeine
/pɛn/sorrow; penaltypeigne
/pɛɲ/combreine
/ʁɛn/queen14 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.