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ON LETTERS AND SYLLABLES.
should combine with a following vowel, to form a compound vowel.
Ex. pays, pai i, country. moyen, moi-ien, means. royal, roi-ial, royal. joyeux, joi-ieux, joyeux.
In the following proper names, y is pronounced like i: Bayard, Bayonne, Cayenne, Mayence and Mayenne.
CONSONANTS.
Final consonants are silent, except c, f, l and r, which are sometimes sounded; and n and m are nasal, as has been fully explained.
Ex. chez, at; brevet, brevet; toit, roof; fois, time; avocat, advocat ; mais, but; avec, with ; chef, chief; canal, canal ; servir, to serve.
Of two final consonants, the first is sounded, but the second is silent.
Ex. canard, duck ; sort, fate ; saint, saint. Of three final consonants, the first is sounded, and the last two are silent.
Ex. remords, remorse; prompt, prompt; temps, time.
B has the same sound as in English.
Ex. Babylone, Babylon; boule, ball; cabale, cabal.
Final b is pronounced in the proper names Moab, Joab, Job, Jacob, and in club; rumb, point of the compass, and radoub, refitting. Double b is pronounced like a single b. Ex. sabbat, sabbath; rabbin rabbi; abbé, abbot.
C has two sounds, according to the letter that immediately follows.
It is hard, like the English k, before the vowels a, o and u, and before consonants.
Ex. cabane, cabin; Cologne, Cologne; curé, pastor; climat, climate ; actif active ; cravate, cravat.
