Pronunciation of "petite"

Stuart C.B2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Pronunciation of "petite"

When she says "Quand j’étais petite" the last word does not sound like it starts with "p" to me.  It sounds like "tetite".  I listened several times and I just don't hear the initial "p" sound.  Is it just me?  What should I be listening for to be sure I hear the "p" sound?
This question relates to:French dictation exercise "Hello!"

Dictation exercise A2

Asked 5 years ago
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CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Stuart,

I have listened to the dictation and I hear 'petite'....

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Don C.B1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I hear 'p'etite also. One should remember that pronunciation of 'p' and 't' can sound very similar. It is also good to remember the context of the sentence. "petite" makes sense here. And I'm not even sure that "tetite" is a word.

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Dianna B.B2Kwiziq community member

many French speakers say the first syllable very quickly and it's sometimes nearly inaudible, much like "I don't know" becomes "Idunno" in English.

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Stuart C. asked:View original

Pronunciation of "petite"

When she says "Quand j’étais petite" the last word does not sound like it starts with "p" to me.  It sounds like "tetite".  I listened several times and I just don't hear the initial "p" sound.  Is it just me?  What should I be listening for to be sure I hear the "p" sound?

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