Minimal pair · French (France)
French /b/ vs /p//b/ / /p/
Learn to hear the difference between b and p in French words.
Practice these sounds/b/
A voiced lip closure
A brief stop made with the lips. Its natural realization depends on the language and sound context.
As inbeau
/p/
An unvoiced lip closure
The lips close briefly and release. Listen to the opening consonant in the reference variety used here.
As inpeau
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Beau/peau, bain/pain and boule/poule place the target at the beginning. The examples vary the following vowel while keeping the b/p contrast.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
A common trap
French stops do not use exactly the same timing pattern as English stops. A strong English-style puff of air is not a universal cue for this French distinction.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordbeau
/bo/beautiful; handsomebain
/bɛ̃/bathboule
/bul/ball; spherebout
/bu/end; tipbu
/by/drunk, past participle of drinkbanc
/bɑ̃/benchbon
/bɔ̃/goodbasse
/bas/low, femininepeau
/po/skinpain
/pɛ̃/breadpoule
/pul/henpan
/pɑ̃/section; panelpont
/pɔ̃/bridgepoisson
/pwasɔ̃/fishpoison
/pwazɔ̃/poisonpré
/pʁe/meadow16 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.