Connecting sounds
In French, when a word ending in a normally silent consonant is followed by a vowel or h muet, that consonant might be transferred onto the next word. This euphonic technique is called a liaison and it’s one of the aspects of French pronunciation that can make it difficult to determine where one word ends and the next begins.
Par exemple…
ont | [o(n)] | ont-ils | [o(n) teel] | ||
un | [uh(n)] | un homme | [uh(n) nuhm] |
Letter | Sound |
D | [t] |
F | [v] |
G | [g] |
N | [n] |
P | [p] |
R | [r] |
S | [z] |
T | [t] |
X | [z] |
Z | [z] |
Certain consonants offer a further complication: they change sound. The normally silent s at the end of vous is not pronounced [s] in a liaison, but rather like [z]. Other consonants have similar changes – see chart.
Par exemple…
vous | [voo] | vous avez | [voo zah vay] | ||
deux | [deu] | deux enfants | [deu za(n) fa(n)] |
As if that’s not enough, some liaisons are required, others are optional, and still others are forbidden. Just because a normally silent consonant is followed by a vowel or mute h does not automatically mean that a liaison must or even can occur. The rules for when and why to pronounce liaisons are fairly complicated and have to do with linguistics and register – I’ll explain this in more detail in a future lesson.
Liaison lessons
Liaisons are not the same thing as enchaînement – see the comparison at the end of that lesson.
Related lessons
- Lawless French pronunciation key
- Consonants
- Conversational French
- Enchaînement
- Euphony
- H muet
- Vowels
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