French pronunciation guide
French liaison: how to link words
Most final consonants in French are silent: les, vous and petit all end in a vowel sound. But when the next word begins with a vowel or a silent h, and the two words belong together, the silent consonant is pronounced at the start of the next word. Les amis is said “lé-za-mi”, vous avez “vou-za-vé”, petit ami “pe-ti-ta-mi”. This is liaison. Some liaisons are required, some are forbidden and many are optional; getting the required ones right is enough to sound natural.
-
s, x and z link as z
The most common liaison: after les, des, ces, mes, nous, vous, ils, elles, and numbers like deux and trois.
les amis, vous avez, deux enfants, chez elle
-
n
After un, on, mon, ton, son, en and bien: the vowel stays nasal and an n is added.
un ami, on a, mon école, en été
-
t and d link as t
After petit, grand, est and quand, and in questions like vont-ils.
petit ami, grand homme, c’est un, quand il
How to make the sounds
- Check that the next word starts with a vowel sound: a vowel letter, or a silent h as in les hommes. Before a consonant there is never liaison.
- Move the consonant to the next word. Say les amis as “lé-za-mi”, not “léz-a-mi”: the linking consonant starts the next syllable.
- Always make the required ones: after les, des, un, mon and other words before a noun; after nous, vous, ils and elles before the verb; after est in c’est; and in fixed phrases like tout à fait.
- Never link after et (and): “Paul et Anne” has no t. Never link before an aspirated h: les héros stays “lé-é-ro”, two vowels with no z between them.
s and x always link as a buzzing z, never a hissing s: les enfants is “lé-zan-fan”. d always links as t: quand il is “kan-til”.
With and without liaison
The same word before a consonant and before a vowel. The consonant is heard only in the second.
- les livres les amis no liaison · z
- vous parlez vous avez no liaison · z
- un livre un ami no liaison · n
- petit garçon petit ami no liaison · t
- deux livres deux enfants no liaison · z
- les héros les hommes aspirated h, no liaison · silent h, z
Practice with real sentences
Tap Practice to open the sentence in Tono, listen to it, and say it.
- Les enfants sont à l’école. The children are at school.Practice
- Vous avez un ami à Paris ? Do you have a friend in Paris?Practice
- C’est un petit appartement. It is a small apartment.Practice
- Nous habitons ici depuis deux ans. We have lived here for two years.Practice
- Ils ont trois enfants. They have three children.Practice
- Mon ami est très aimable. My friend is very kind.Practice
- Elles arrivent en avance. They are arriving early.Practice
- C’est tout à fait vrai. That is completely true.Practice
Common mistakes
-
Saying final consonants everywhere
Reading the spelling gives “lez livres” and “petit garçon” with a t. Final consonants stay silent unless a vowel follows.
-
Missing the required ones
“Lé amis” without the z sounds to a French ear like a break in the middle of a phrase. After les, des, un and the pronouns, always link.
-
An s instead of a z
Les amis with a hissing s sounds foreign straight away. s and x always link as z.