Liaisons interdites
Some French liaisons are forbidden: they aren’t—can’t be—pronounced even in the most formal French. Sometimes this is to avoid confusion with similar expressions, sometimes it has to do with a sort of respect for names and foreign words, and other times there’s no apparent logic to it.
| | IPA | |
| en haut | [ã o] | [a(n) oh] |
| les héros | [le e ʁo] | [lay ay roh] |
| deux homards | [dø o maʁ] | [deu oh mahr] |
2. Before onze and oui
| les onze enfants | [le ɔ̃ zã fã] | [lay o(n) za(n) fa(n)]* |
| deux oui et un non | [dø wi e œ̃ nɔ̃] | [deu wee ay u(n) no(n)] |
| Robert a 15 ans. | [ʁo bɛ ʁa kɛ̃ zã] | [ro beh ra keh(n) za(n)] |
| Nicolas est prêt. | [ni ko la ɛ pʁɛ] | [nee ko la ay preh] |
4. After singular nouns
| mon chat aime jouer | [mɔ̃ ʃa ɛm ʒwe] | [mo(n) shah ehm zhoo ay] |
| un garçon intelligent | [œ̃ gaʁ sɔ̃ ɛ̃ tɛ li ʒã] | [gar so(n) eh(n) teh lee zha(n)] |
5. After et
| avant et après | [a vã e a pʁɛ] | [ah va(n) ay ah preh] |
| un homme et une femme | [œ̃ nɔ me yn fam] | [u(n) nuh may un fahm] |
| Comment est-elle ? | [kɔ mã e tɛl] | [ko(n) ma(n) eh tehl] |
| Combien en vois-tu ? | [kɔ̃ bjɛ̃ ã vwa ty] | [ko(n) byeh(n) a(n) vwah too] |
| Quand aimes-tu étudier ? | [kã ɛm ty e ty dje] | [ka(n) ehm too ay too dyay] |
| toujours aimable | [tu ʒu ʁɛ mabl] | [too zhu reh mahbl(eu)] |
| A-t-on osé ? | [a tɔ̃ o ze] | [ah to(n) oh zay] |
| Parlez-vous espagnol ? | [paʁ le vu ɛ spa ɲɔl] | [par lay voo eh spah nyuhl] |
| Ont-elles étudié ? | [ɔ̃ tɛ le ty dje] | [o(n) teh lay too dyay] |
| Vont-ils habiter bien ? | [vɔ̃ ti la bi te bjɛ̃] | [vo(n) tee lah bee tay byeh(n)] |
Notes
* The pronunciation of the z in onze at the beginning of enfants is enchaînement, not a liaison.
** Also see required liaisons and optional liaisons
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if there’s no liaison after toujours, why is it pronounced tou-jou-REH-mabl?
Liaison is only with normally silent letters, like the “s” at the end of toujours. The “r” in toujours is always pronounced. When that happens – when a sound that is always pronounced is attached to the next word – that is called enchaînement.