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Nasal Sounds: en, an, on, in, un

FoundationHigherAQA

Practise Nasal Sounds: en, an, on, in, un for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Nasal vowels such as en, an, on, ain and un are produced through the nose.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Nasal sounds are made by letting air pass through the nose, and they occur when a vowel is followed by n or m.

There are four distinct nasal sounds. En and an sound the same, as in enfant and dans. On is a separate sound, as in bon and maison. In, ain and ein form another, as in vin, pain and plein. Un is the fourth, as in brun and lundi, though many speakers merge it with the in sound.

The key point is that the n itself is not pronounced as a consonant. In bon the n is not sounded — the whole word ends with a nasal vowel. Pronouncing the n separately is the most recognisable English accent marker in French.

Revision notes

The four nasal sounds

En and an: enfant, dans, temps. On: bon, maison, nom.

In, ain, ein: vin, pain, plein. Un: brun, lundi. Many speakers now merge un with in, so distinguishing them is not essential.

The n is not pronounced

In bon, the n is not sounded as a consonant.

The air passes through the nose during the vowel itself, and the word ends there. Pronouncing a separate n is the clearest marker of an English accent in French.

When the nasal disappears

If the n or m is doubled, or followed by a vowel, the sound is not nasal.

Bonne is not nasal — the double n restores the consonant. Bon ami is not nasal either, because the n links to the following vowel. Compare bon and bonne carefully.

Key points

  • Nasal sounds pass air through the nose.
  • En and an sound the same.
  • On is a separate nasal sound.
  • In, ain and ein form another.
  • The n is not pronounced as a consonant.
  • A doubled n removes the nasal sound.

Worked examples

Example 1

State how many nasal sounds French has and name two. [2 marks]

Working

There are four nasal soundsstate the number
For example on as in bon, and in as in vinname two examples

Example 2

Explain why the n in bon is not pronounced. [2 marks]

Working

The air passes through the nose during the vowel itselfstate what happens
so the word ends with a nasal vowel and no separate n consonantexplain the sound

Example 3

Explain the difference in sound between bon and bonne. [2 marks]

Working

Bon has a nasal vowel with no n consonant soundedexplain bon
Bonne has a doubled n, which removes the nasal and sounds the n clearlyexplain bonne

Common mistakes

  • Pronouncing the n as a separate consonant.

    The nasal is in the vowel itself.

  • Treating bon and bonne as the same.

    The doubled n removes the nasal sound.

  • Distinguishing all four nasals rigidly.

    Un and in are merged by many speakers.

  • Nasalising before a vowel.

    Bon ami links the n to the vowel.

Exam tips

  • Let the air pass through the nose during the vowel.
  • Never sound a separate n consonant.
  • Check for a doubled n, which removes the nasal.
  • Group en and an as one sound.

Key terms

Nasal sound
A vowel sound made with air passing through the nose.
Nasal vowel
The vowel itself carrying the nasal quality.
Doubled n
A spelling that removes the nasal sound.
Liaison
Linking an n to a following vowel, removing the nasal.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.