This sound is probably the hardest sound for English
speakers learning French to master. It is a front,
high, rounded vowel. This means that the tongue
is high in the mouth and towards the front, while the
lips are rounded. There are two ways of getting
to this sound:
1. Start with the sound
[i]
and then purse your lips. Make sure that your
tongue doesn't move back and that your lips are very
rounded.
Click here to hear the sound
going from [i] to [y].
2. Start with the sound
[u]
and then move your tongue forward. Make sure that
your lips stay rounded.
Click here to hear the sound
going from [u] to [y].
It helps if you exaggerate the roundedness
of your lips. Pucker up.
