Update to Utter French! pronunciation guide

The "Sounds of French" tab in the Utter French!
pronunciation guide for iPhone. Today's fix means that all
three words in the list will be read out: even on
iOS 8!

An update to the Utter French! pronunciation guide was released to the app store today. This update fixes an issue caused by an apparent bug in iOS 8 that prevented the example words from the "Sounds" tab from playing back correctly. This tab contains a list of sample words as examples for each of the various sound classes or "phonemes" in French, and prior to the update, only the first word in each list would play back under iOS 8. (If you're thinking that this sounds like a slightly weird issue, programmers may like to check out the aforementioned article for the technical details of why this occurred!)

Apple is evidently busy with a large volume of updates to fix iOS 8 related issues given the number of updates that are being released to common apps every day and the extended time apparently required at the moment for app updates to be released.

As things settle down, look out for feature updates to Utter French! over the coming weeks. At present, the app focuses on audio and phonetic descriptions. An upcoming update will also include more information about how to read French words from the written form ("grapheme-phoneme correspondences" to use the spuriously posh-sounding linguistic term!).

Site down time 22-23 September 2014

The reasons why the dictionary and other parts of the site were down during some of the day 22 September 2014 and again in the early morning US of 23 September US time are currently being investigated.

Sincere apologies to all those affected.

Multilingual GCSE word search apps for iPad: save money with the new iOS 8 app bundle!

Well, it's finally here: iOS 8 was released to the public today. One of the new features it brings is app bundles, allowing users to purchase multiple related apps at a discounted price.

The French Word Search, Spanish Word Search and German Word Search apps are now available as an app bundle, effectively allowing you to download all three for half price.

The bundle will be ideal for GCSE language students (or basic to intermediate level students in the US and elsewhere) looking for an additional fun activity to reinforce their essential vocabulary in French, German or Spanish.

Click here to view more details about the language word searches bundle.

Version 3.0 of Utter French! Pronunciation app released today

The all-singing, all-dancing, spanking new version of Utter French! Pronunciation guide for iPhone is now available in the App Store!

The app has been re-written from the ground up and now includes

• a brand new modern user interface, optimised for the iPhone 5 screen size
• expanded pronunciation material, with more detailed guides on how to pronounce the sounds and words of French
• a new series of diagrams and illustrations to help you achieve more accurate pronunciation
• a new feature allowing you to record and compare your pronunciation with that of the native speaker

Whether you're a relative beginner or a degree level student, there'll be something in the app for you. Use the link above or search for "Utter French" in the App Store or iTunes to download the app and brush the cobwebs off your French pronunciation!

Minor corrections to page on 'translating French contracts'

A couple of minor typos have been corrected in the page on Translating and Understanding French contracts. But I am always looking out for suggestions. Did you have an issue understanding a French contract? Was there a particular item of vocabulary that you found difficult (or perhaps still are!) that you think should be included on the page? Why not leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Article on the French "h aspiré"

If you have a smattering of French, you are probably used to the notion that the h is "silent" or "not pronounced" in French. In a new article published today, I give a brief overview of why this isn't quite the case.

If you're up to date on your French cinema, then you have probably seen Kassovitz's La Haine (and if you haven't seen it, you should). But you may not have stopped to wonder why it is La Haine and not L'Haine. In may article, I explain why this is, and look more generally at an intriguing phenomenon of French pronunciation and phonology often referred to as "aspirate h" or "h aspiré".

Free French language software for iPhone and iPad

On the French Linguistics forum, I have posted a various promo codes for free copies of my French language software. These include French Vocab Games, a complete suite of activities for iPhone to re-enforce basic GCSE vocabulary, along with the Utter French! pronunciation tool.

I also regularly post codes for free software on my Twitter feed @BitterCoffey