Long words said in one breath in French

1. 1
   anticonstitutionnellement/ɑ̃tikɔ̃stitysjɔnɛlmɑ̃/

   unconstitutionallyadverb

   In a way that is contrary to a country's constitution.
2. 2
   prononciation/pʁonɔ̃sjasjɔ̃/

   pronunciationnoun

   The way the sounds of a language are said.
3. 3
   hippopotame/ipɔpɔtam/

   hippopotamusnoun

   A large gray African animal that spends its days in the water.
4. 4
   rétroprojecteur/ʁetʁɔpʁɔʒɛktœʁ/

   overhead projectornoun

   A device that projects the image of a transparent sheet onto a wall.
5. 5
   enthousiasme/ɑ̃tuzjasm/iAlso said ɑ̃tuzjazm.

   enthusiasmnoun

   A strong, joyful desire to do something.
6. 6
   pharmaceutique/faʁmøtik/

   pharmaceuticaladjective

   Relating to medicines and their manufacture.
7. 7
   incompréhensible/ɛ̃kɔ̃pʁeɑ̃sibl/

   incomprehensibleadjective

   Something that can't be understood at all.
8. 8
   interminable/ɛ̃tɛʁminabl/

   endlessadjective

   So long that it feels like it will never end.
9. 9
   invraisemblable/ɛ̃vʁɛsɑ̃blabl/

   unbelievableadjective

   So surprising that it's hard to believe.
10. 10
    extraordinaire/ɛkstʁaɔʁdinɛʁ/iAlso said ɛkstʁɔʁdinɛʁ.

    extraordinaryadjective

    So far beyond ordinary that it stays in your memory.

The sentences

1. Je répète anticonstitutionnellement dix fois avant de réussir à le dire.

   I repeat anticonstitutionnellement ten times before I manage to say it.

2. Est-ce que ma prononciation est correcte, ou je recommence ?

   Is my pronunciation correct, or should I try again?

3. Le mot hippopotame est plus facile à dire que les autres.

   The word hippopotame is easier to say than the others.

4. Il faut un rétroprojecteur pour montrer ces feuilles à la classe.

   You need an overhead projector to show these sheets to the class.

5. Son enthousiasme pour ce nouveau projet fait vraiment plaisir à voir.

   His enthusiasm for this new project is really nice to see.

6. Mon frère travaille dans une grande entreprise pharmaceutique depuis trois ans.

   My brother has been working at a big pharmaceutical company for three years.

7. Cette notice de médicament est complètement incompréhensible, même en lisant lentement.

   This medicine leaflet is completely incomprehensible, even reading slowly.

8. La réunion de ce matin était interminable, on est sortis épuisés.

   This morning's meeting was endless, we came out exhausted.

9. Son histoire est tellement invraisemblable que personne ne la croit.

   His story is so unbelievable that nobody believes it.

10. Ce restaurant nous a servi un dessert vraiment extraordinaire hier soir.

    This restaurant served us a truly extraordinary dessert last night.

Pronunciation

• anticonstitutionnellement/ɑ̃tikɔ̃stitysjɔnɛlmɑ̃/

  Three nasal vowels: an-, -on-, and the ending -ment; the u in -tu- is said like the u in « tu ».

• prononciation/pʁonɔ̃sjasjɔ̃/

  The first -on- is said /o/ with the n heard, the second is nasal, and the ending -tion is nasal too.

• hippopotame/ipɔpɔtam/

  The h is silent and the two p's make just one sound.

• rétroprojecteur/ʁetʁɔpʁɔʒɛktœʁ/

  Four r's deep in the throat, and the é at the start is said /e/, closed.

• enthousiasme/ɑ̃tuzjasm/

  The th is said like a plain t, the -ou- is said /u/, and the final -sme is clearly heard.

• pharmaceutique/faʁmøtik/

  The ph is said as f, and -ceu- is said /ø/ as in the French « peu ».

• incompréhensible/ɛ̃kɔ̃pʁeɑ̃sibl/

  The h is silent: the closed é and the nasal sound -en- link directly together.

• interminable/ɛ̃tɛʁminabl/

  The in- at the start is nasal, but the -mi- in the middle is not.

• invraisemblable/ɛ̃vʁɛsɑ̃blabl/

  Two nasal sounds, in- and -sem-; between them, -ai- is open /ɛ/.

• extraordinaire/ɛkstʁaɔʁdinɛʁ/

  The a and the o are said one after the other, without blending into a single /o/.

Questions

How do you say "pronunciation" in French?

Prononciation.

What does "incompréhensible" mean?

It means something you can't understand at all.

How do you say "hippopotamus" in French?

Hippopotame.