Letters
Spoken French is harder to understand than other languages
Reader notes that French has many peculiarities
Pronunciation in French often goes against English-speaking instincts
Fizkes / Shutterstock
To the Editor,
I can only agree with a former correspondent about contractions such as “shupas”, the pervasive use of argot, the machine-gun speed of most native speakers, and the apparent redundancy of several letters at the ends of words — all of which can make French, uniquely among the six languages I speak, virtually impossible to understand when spoken.
English, of course, presents many difficulties for non-native speakers, but it is generally easier to follow in conversation.
George Bernard Shaw famously illustrated English’s own inconsistencies by pointing out that “GHOTI” could be pronounced “fish”: “GH” as in “laugh”, “O” as in “women”, and “TI” as in “nation”.
All languages have their peculiarities — disappearing “d”s in Spanish, split verbs in German - but French takes perseverance to a whole new level.
C.M. by email
Do you get by without speaking French in France? Let us know how you manage at letters@connexionfrance.com
