Here Are the Basics
To begin, be sure you know the difference between the sounds an, en, on, and in.
As a beginner, you may accidentally confuse one with another.
an
an sounds like /un/ in skunk.
an does not sound like /an/ in pan.
en
en sounds like /en/ in sent.
en does not sound like /en/ in enter.
on
on sounds like /on/ in won't.
on does not sound like /on/ in onto.
in
in sounds like /in/ in seen.
in does not sound like /in/ in inside.
- The sounds ay and im are also quite different from their English counterparts.
- For example, the sound ay is not pronounced the same way in Creole as it is in English.
- Therefore, be sure to understand how these sounds differ between English and Creole.
ay
ay sounds like /eye/ in eyeglasses.
ay does not sound like /ay/ in stay.
im
im sounds like /eem/ in seem.
im does not sound like /im/ in the name Tim.
ann
ann sounds like /un/ in fun.
ann does not sound like /ann/ in the English name Ann.
enn
enn sounds like /en/ in enter.
onn
onn sounds like /on/ in won.
Watch the Video
You will get a much better feel for these sounds by watching the video version of this lesson.
It will also make it easier to distinguish between similar sounds and those that do not exist in English.