LingoDrop
French · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "le lapin" in French?
luh la-PAN — an open "ah" then a nasal vowel, with no "n" consonant.
le la-PIN, weight on the second syllable. Two "l" sounds in a row across the article boundary, both light and forward.
Listen: le lapin
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Hear it in a sentence
Le lapin a de longues oreilles.
The rabbit has long ears.
Listen: Le lapin a de longues oreilles.
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"Le lapin a de longues oreilles" uses "de" rather than "des" before a plural adjective preceding its noun — a real rule that French speakers apply without thinking. "Longues" is the feminine plural, with an audible hard "g". "Oreilles" has the "-eill-" spelling giving a "y" glide: o-RAY-y.
Where English speakers slip
The nasal gets a real "n", producing "la-PEEN". It is a vowel routed through the nose with nothing closing. Learners also stress the first syllable. And the "de longues oreilles" construction catches people, who reach for "des" — before a plural adjective that precedes the noun, French uses bare "de".