French of France
French of France is the predominant variety of the French language in France, Andorra and Monaco, in its formal and informal registers. It has, for a long time, been associated with Standard French. It is now seen as a variety of French alongside Acadian French, Belgian French, Quebec French, Swiss French, etc. In overseas France or Corsica, it is more often called Metropolitan French or Hexagonal French.
| French of France | |
|---|---|
| French French Metropolitan French Hexagonal French | |
| français de France français de métropole français métropolitain français hexagonal | |
| Native to | France |
| Latin (French alphabet) French Braille | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  France |
| Regulated by | Académie française (French Academy) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Linguasphere | 51-AAA-i |
| IETF | fr-FR |
Phonology
Paris
In Paris, nasal vowels are no longer pronounced as in traditional Parisian French: /ɑ̃/ → [ɒ̃], /ɛ̃/ → [æ̃], /ɔ̃/ → [õ] and /œ̃/ → [æ̃]. Many distinctions are lost: /a/ and /ɑ/, /ɛ/ and /ɛː/, /ø/ and /ə/, /ɛ̃/ and /œ̃/ and /nj/ and /ɲ/. Otherwise, some speakers still distinguish /a/ and /ɑ/ in stressed syllables, but they pronounce the letter "â" as [aː]: pâte [paːt].
Southern provinces
In the south of France, nasal vowels have not changed; they are still pronounced as in traditional Parisian French: enfant [ɑ̃ˈfɑ̃], pain [pɛ̃], bon [bɔ̃] and brun [bʁœ̃]. Many distinctions are lost. At the end, southern speakers no longer distinguish /e/ and /ɛ/: livré and livret are both pronounced [liˈvʁe]. In closed syllables, they no longer distinguish /ɔ/ and /o/, also /œ/ and /ø/: notre and nôtre are both pronounced [nɔtʁ̥] and jeune and jeûne are both pronounced [ʒœn]. The distinction of /a/ vs. /ɑ/ and /ɛ/ vs. /ɛː/ are lost. Older speakers pronounce all the "e": chaque [ˈʃakə] and vêtement [ˈvɛtəmã].
Northern provinces
In the north, /a/ and /ɑ/ are both pronounced as [ɔ] at the end: là is pronounced [lɔ] and mât [mɔ].
Lorraine
Phonemic long vowels are still maintained: pâte [pɑːt] and fête [fɛːt].[1] Before /ʁ/, /a/ changed to [ɑː]: guitare is pronounced [ɡiˈtɑːʁ], voir is pronounced [vwɑːʁ].