Pronunciation: im/in prefix

ByFast French

How do you pronounce the letters “im” or “in” when they occur at the start of a word in French? Are they nasal or not?

As you can see in the two tables below, the rules are simple. “im” or “in” plus a consonant are nasal. But “imm,” “inn,” “im + vowel,” or “in + vowel” are all oral, which means not nasal.

Use the phonetics and the audio links in the tables below to understand the differences.

Nasal

PrefixExample PhoneticsAudio
“im” + consonantimportantɛ̃pɔʀtɑ̃important
“in” + consonantincroyableɛ̃kʀwajablincroyable

Oral (not nasal)

PrefixExamplePhoneticsAudio
“im” + vowelimitateurimitatœʀimitateur
“in” + vowelinoubliableinublijablinoubliable
“imm”immobilierimɔbiljeimmobilier
“inn”innovateurinɔvatœʀinnovateur

Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • c pronunciation

    ByFast French

    The letter “c” can be pronounced in two different ways in French. It can be hard, like the first “c” in the word “coriace,” meaning “tough,” “leathery,” or “hard-headed,” pronounced [KOH REE AHSS]. Or it can be soft, like the last “c” in “coriace.” How do you know whether a “c” will be hard or…

  • deux vs de

    ByFast French

    The french words “deux” (meaning “two”) and “de” (meaning “of”) sound different to a French ear. They are easy to confuse for a learner because they are short and share the letter “d.” But the way you say them is not the same. The difference is in the vowel sound. “Deux” has a sound like…

  • hearing plural verbs

    ByFast French

    French verb endings often mark the difference between singular and plural in writing, but not always in speech. In many cases, the spelling changes while the pronunciation remains identical. In other cases, the plural form produces a clearly audible difference. Understanding when plural forms can be heard, and when they cannot, is essential for listening…

  • Liaison

    ByFast French

    One of the trickiest aspects of French pronunciation for learners is liaison – the smooth linking of a normally silent final consonant to the beginning of the following word when that word starts with a vowel or a silent “h”. Knowing when to do a liaison and when to avoid it is key to sounding…