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

French Vocab Games for iPhone among iTunes Top 20 GCSE Revision Apps

Firstly, I have a confession. I actually didn't realise that iTunes had a "GCSE Revision Apps" section of the app store. (Did you?)

However, I was pleased to discover that French Vocab Games is listed in the top 20 apps in that section (at no. 17 in the UK at the time of writing).

For more information about French Vocab Games and other apps I have developed for iPhone and iPad, please see the mobile section of the French Linguistics site.

Site restart tomorrow 6AM GMT

The French Linguistics site will be briefly unavailable at around 6AM GMT tomorrow morning (Saturday 6 April) for a server restart.

LetterMeister for iPhone now includes German

Version 2.2 of LetterMeister, the multilingual word puzzle game for iPhone was released to the App Store earlier. This new version adds German to the list of languages, so that the game is now playable with English, Spanish, French or German vocabulary.

The game is free to download today. Don't miss out!

A key feature of LetterMeister is that the game is customisable to your desired language level. You can set the game difficulty from two points of view: firstly the level time, and secondly the vocabulary level. This means that vocabulary learners can use the EASY option and will generally be presented with levels that contain common, 'easy' words (generally the first few thousand words, depending on the language).

The German vocabulary was added to the game after testing with the beta version of the same LetterMeister word puzzle game for Windows, Linux and Mac OS. This desktop version currently includes Finnish, and new languages are expected to be added regularly to both iPhone and desktop versions. Feedback from language learners regarding the chosen levels of vocabulary is always appreciated.

The game integrates with the iOS Game Center, so that if you so wish, you can compare your progress with other players. The Game Center also sets you various "Achivements", such as completing a certain number of words with certain letters, thus adding a new dimension to the game.

If you do try out LetterMeister and enjoy it, please consider leaving a rating and review on the App Store. This will help other users to find the game and bring further suggestions and improvements for later versions.