An Introduction to French Pronunciation

54 The Vowels in Detail
(iii) the low vowels /a, a/ (10.9);
(iv) the nasal vowels /h, j, f, e/ (10.10).
As mute e /c/ is in many respects in a category of its own
and poses so many problems, it is treated in a chapter of its
own (chapter 11).
10.2 /i/ – High Front Unrounded
The main point to observe is that this is a much more spread
vowel than that of English see, meat, etc., i.e. the corners of
the lips are pulled much further apart than in English.
/i/ is usually written i, e.g. lit /li/, vite /vit/, livre /li:vr/, but
occasionally î, e.g. gîte /ʒit/, ï, e.g. naïf /naif/, or y, e.g. y /i/,
psychique /psiʃik/, Yves /i:v/.
Note that in words such as iodine, lion, the i is not a vowel
but the semi-consonant /j/ (/jbdin/, /ljf/) – on the alternation
between /i/ and /j/, see 13.7.
10.3 /y/ – High Front Rounded
English has no corresponding vowel – and, indeed, no front
rounded vowels at all. This does not mean that such vowels are
‘difficult’ for English-speakers (millions of whom, doubtless,
have learned to pronounce them correctly), but only that they
are unfamiliar and need special attention.
For the correct pronunciation of /y/, the tongue position
is virtually the same as for /i/, but the lips are protruded and
very clearly rounded (as for /u/ – see 10.4). In other words,
try and say a French /i/ while maintaining the lip-position for
French /u/.
/y/ is always written u or û, e.g. tu /ty/, lune /lyn/, mur
/my:r/, dû /dy/.
A frequent fault on the part of English-speakers, who do
not have a high front rounded vowel in their own speech, is