Pronunciation

[Margaret Gregg]

Hello everyone! Could someone tell me whether to pronounce the'f" in neuf enfants as a 'v'? As in neuf ans.
Merci.

[Neil Coffey]

Basically, the answer is no: the "f" on neuf is only pronounced as a "v" in neuf ans and neuf heures ("nine o'clock").

In other cases, it's pronounced as an "f".

[Margaret Gregg]

Thankyou for that, so it's definitely confined to only two? It's just that another one came up as well.
Neuf 'f' hommes or neuf 'v' hommes?
Thanks for your patience.

[Frank]

Both would be ok.

I've just asked my girlfriend and she would pronounce it "neuf f hommes" while I'd pronounce it "neuf v hommes".

[Neil Coffey]

Frank,

That's interesting, I can't say I'd noticed people pronouncing it as "v" in cases other than "neuf heures" and "neuf ans" (and then, not necessarily in all cases with these phrases). I also haven't found another source attesting to this pronunciation.

So out of interest, how do you think you and your gf would pronounce other cases such as these?:

j'ai attendu (dix-)neuf heures
(dix-)neuf ans plus tard
à une distance de neuf années-lumière
il nous faut neuf oeufs
il y avait neuf Hollandais
(AND: would you make the liaison in j'ai parlé avec les Hollandais)
neuf hommes sont venus
j'ai parlé avec les neuf hommes
il y avait trois femmes y neuf hommes
neuf autres personnes sont arrivées
neuf homicides se sont vu enregistrer cette année

Thanks for your input as ever! N

[Frank]

j'ai attendu (dix-)neuf heures
V

(dix-)neuf ans plus tard
V

à une distance de neuf années-lumière
F

il nous faut neuf oeufs
F

il y avait neuf Hollandais
(AND: would you make the liaison in j'ai parlé avec les Hollandais)
F
And yes, I'd make the liaison.

neuf hommes sont venus
V

j'ai parlé avec les neuf hommes
V

il y avait trois femmes y neuf hommes
V

neuf autres personnes sont arrivées
F after some hesitation.

neuf homicides se sont vu enregistrer cette année
F

[Frank]

In fact, this kind of liaison doesn't sound like a plain "V" nor a plain "F". It's more of something intermediate like a"VF" sound. And sometimes, the emphasis is on the "V" part and sometimes it's rather on the "F" part.

[Margaret Gregg]

Yes, it seems a bit of a grey area, it's still not absolutely clear, is it?
Thanks for your trouble though, as it helps when trying to get an answer.