2/25/24, 8:48 PM Guide to French Liaison + A 100 Examples With Audio

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FRENCH PRONUNCIATION

Ultimate Guide To French Liaison With 100

Audio Pronunciation Examples
By Camille Chevalier-Karfis Updated: Jan 11, 2024

What’s the French liaison? In this free French pronunciation lesson with audio, I’ll
explain clearly the rules of liaisons in French & provide many examples.

Many students of French are aware there’s a French pronunciation phenomenon

in the French language called “liaison”.

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2/25/24, 8:48 PM Guide to French Liaison + A 100 Examples With Audio

However, they are often unaware of the precise rules that govern the liaisons in
French and hesitate with the pronunciation of French liaisons.

Understanding where and why we apply liaisons will surely make things easier.

This free French lesson – like many on French Today’s blog – features audio
recordings. Click on the link next to the headphones to hear the French
pronunciation.

Let’s start by answering a simple question: what’s a liaison in French?

Table of Contents
What’s a Liaison?
Why Is There Liaison in French?
How Do You Pronounce French Liaisons?
When Is There a Liaison in French?
French Rules of Liaisons
🗝 The Key To Mastering Liaisons In French

What’s A Liaison?
Since the word liaison exist in both French and English pronunciation, let me start
by explaining the difference.

What’s a Liaison in English?

In English pronunciation, you use the word liaison when words are linked together
in pronunciation.

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2/25/24, 8:48 PM Guide to French Liaison + A 100 Examples With Audio

For example, in the sentence “🎧 My name is Ann“, a linguist would say there’s a
liaison between the Z sound of “is” and the letter A of “Ann” – [🎧 my nay mi zan].

What’s a Liaison in French?

In French, the liaison is not simply a gliding of strong consonant sound.

According to Merriam-Webster, a liaison is the pronunciation of an otherwise

absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the
second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause.

In simple words, what we call “🎧 une liaison” in French pronunciation is the fact
that the final written consonant of a word becomes the first sound of the following
word.

That sound may be the sound of the written consonant, or change slightly.

Let’s take an example.

🎧 Ils ont
The final S of “🎧 ils” is totally silent. “I-L-S” in French will never be pronounced
[ils] nor [ilz]
However, the final silent S of “ils” will affect the following word, the “ont” in
liaison.
“🎧 Ont” (pronounced [on]) will be started by the S of the “ils”, which becomes a
Z sound in liaison.
So in pronunciation, “ils ont” is pronounced [🎧 il zon]

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2/25/24, 8:48 PM Guide to French Liaison + A 100 Examples With Audio

A liaison is called “🎧 une liaison” in French, and to say we’re applying a liaison in
French, we say: “🎧 faire la liaison“.

🎧 Ils ont (T)été ou ils ont été – tu fais la liaison toi, ou pas ?
They have been – do you apply a liaison or not?

French liaisons follow a series of formal French pronunciation rules… which are
then more or less respected in modern spoken French pronunciation.

In this free French lesson, I’m going to explain all the rules really clearly. But first,
I’d like to familiarise your ears with the sounds of liaisons in French.

Examples of French Liaisons

Let me start this free lesson about French liaisons with some examples with audio
recordings.

1. 🎧 Un ami – a/one friend – liaison in N between “un” and “ami”

2. 🎧 C’est un ami – He’s a friend – 2 liaisons in a row here: liaison in T between

“est” and “un”, liaison in N between “un” and “ami”.

3. 🎧 Un petit enfant – a little child – liaison in T between “petit” and “enfant”.

4. 🎧 On a – we have – liaison in N between “on” and “a”.

5. 🎧 Chez elle – at her place – liaison in Z between “chez” and “elle”.

6. 🎧 Un grand enfant – a tall child – liaison in T between “grand” and “enfant”

7. 🎧 Nous avons – we have – liaison in Z between “nous” and “avons”.

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2/25/24, 8:48 PM Guide to French Liaison + A 100 Examples With Audio

8. 🎧 Ils ont – they have – liaison in Z between “ils” and “ont”.

9. 🎧 Deux heures – 2 hours – liaison in Z between “deux” and “heures”.

10. 🎧 Ce n’est pas ici – It’s not here – liaison in Z between “pas” and “ici”.

11. 🎧 Ils ont été – they have been – double liaison: first one in Z between “ils”
and “ont”, second one in T between “ont” and “été”.

12. 🎧 Mon premier amour – my first love.

I would like now to insist on the correct pronunciation of liaisons in French and
point out a common French liaison pronunciation mistake.

⚠️French Liaison Pronunciation Mistake

It’s not because the French words are linked by a liaison that they are pronounced
together.

I mean, if someone speaks fast, they might sound as if they were pronounced
together. You certainly don’t pause in the middle of a liaison.

But if someone was to enunciate very clearly each word, each word would keep its
own place in the sentence as to respect the French pronunciation rhythm and
flow.

The concept of liaison is often translated in English by “word linking”: the students
then assume the two words become one – when really, it’s the second word’s
pronunciation which changes.

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