I agree that my explaination of the E and the É sound was too general and that E in French can be pronounced in many ways but I still don't think you can equal the sound in play and pain with the French é sound. It sounds wrong and personally I've never heard it in French.
How do you explain the -eu sound in French words such as jeune, peu, feu? To me the French -eu sound can only be explained (in English) when compared to the vowel sound in first, burst etc. A sound you say does not exist in French.
ETA: I don't believe in the facts from Wikipedia that the vowel sound in 'first' only exists in English and in Paicî. I would argue that that sound is pretty much the same sound that you find in the Scandinavian Ö / Ø as well.
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It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I'm right. - Molière This message was edited 7/9/2009, 9:18 AM