Linking Sounds
French Grammar 1
Chapter 2 · Linking Sounds: Elision, Liaison & Enchaînement
🔗 Linking Sounds — Les liaisons
French is spoken in breath groups, not in separate words. The words in a group run together, so a vowel at the start of a word borrows the sound before it. Three things do this: elision (a vowel drops out and an apostrophe takes its place: l'ami), enchaînement (a final consonant that is always pronounced slides onto the next vowel: il a sounds like i-la), and liaison (a normally silent final consonant comes back to life: les amis). Elision is always written; the other two are heard, not written, which is why they matter for your ear and for later grammar. The respellings below use the key from French Grammar 1 1.
Elision: the apostrophe
| Word | Becomes | Example | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| le, la (the) | l' | l'ami, l'école | lah-mee, lay-kol |
| je | j' | j'ai, j'habite | zhay, zhah-beet |
| me, te, se | m', t', s' | je t'aime, il s'appelle | zhuh tem, eel sah-pell |
| ne | n' | il n'est pas ici | eel neh pah zee-see |
| de | d' | d'abord | dah-bor |
| que | qu' | qu'il vient | keel vya(n) |
| ce | c' before est, était… | c'est | seh |
| si | s' only before il, ils | s'il vous plaît | seel voo play |
Enchaînement: the pronounced consonant slides over
When a word ends in a consonant that is pronounced, and the next word begins with a vowel, there is no break: the consonant is simply said with the next vowel. This is not liaison (no silent letter comes back to life); it is how French is syllabled.
| Written | Heard as |
|---|---|
| il a | ee-lah |
| elle est | eh-leh |
| une amie | ü-nah-mee |
| avec elle | ah-veh-kell |
| quelle heure est-il ? | keh-luhr eh-teel |
Liaison: the silent consonant comes back
In a liaison the silent final consonant of the first word is pronounced because the next word starts with a vowel or h muet. Some consonants change their sound:
| Written final letter | Liaison sound | Example | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| s, x, z | z | les amis, deux enfants, vous avez | lay-zah-mee, duh-zah(n)-fah(n), voo-zah-vay |
| t, d | t | petit ami, grand homme | puh-tee-tah-mee, grah(n)-tom |
| n | n (and the nasal vowel becomes plain) | un ami, en Italie | a(n)-nah-mee, ah(n)-nee-tah-lee |
| f | v (only in a few words) | neuf heures, neuf ans | nuh-vuhr, nuh-vah(n) |
Where liaison is obligatory
| Context | Example | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| determiner + noun or adjective | les amis, un ami, mon ami, ces enfants, trois heures | lay-zah-mee, a(n)-nah-mee, moh(n)-nah-mee, say-zah(n)-fah(n), trwah-zuhr |
| adjective + noun | petit ami, grand arbre, bon appétit | puh-tee-tah-mee, grah(n)-tar-bruh, boh(n)-nah-pay-tee |
| pronoun + verb (and verb + pronoun in inversion) | nous avons, ils ont, vous êtes, a-t-il, vont-ils | noo-zah-voh(n), eel-zoh(n), voo-zet, ah-teel, voh(n)-teel |
| short prepositions and adverbs + next word | en été, dans un, très utile, bien aimé | ah(n)-nay-tay, dah(n)-za(n), tray-zü-teel, bya(n)-nay-may |
| fixed expressions | c'est-à-dire, tout à fait, États-Unis | seh-tah-deer, too-tah-feh, ay-tah-zü-nee |
Where liaison is forbidden
| Context | Example | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| after et (never) | un garçon et une fille | a(n) gar-soh(n) ay ü-nuh fee-y (no t) |
| before h aspiré (see below) | les haricots, les héros | lay ah-ree-koh, lay ay-roh |
| between a plural subject noun and its verb | les enfants // ont faim | lay-zah(n)-fah(n) oh(n) fa(n) |
| before oui, onze and the number huit | les onze, les huit | lay oh(n)z, lay weet |
Where liaison is optional
Careful or formal speech makes more liaisons than relaxed speech. A liaison after a plural noun before an adjective, after pas or after a verb is a matter of style: ils sont arrivés (eel soh(n)-tah-ree-vay, liaison), pas encore (pah-zah(n)-kor, or pah ah(n)-kor). As a learner, make the obligatory ones and skip the optional ones.
h muet and h aspiré
The letter h is never pronounced, but it behaves in two ways. A word with h muet (mute h) acts as if it began with a vowel: elision and liaison apply. A word with h aspiré (aspirate h) acts as if it began with a consonant: no elision and no liaison.
| h muet | h aspiré | |
|---|---|---|
| behaves like | a vowel | a consonant |
| elision | l'homme, l'hôtel, l'heure, l'histoire | le héros, le haricot, la honte, le hibou |
| liaison | les hommes (lay-zom), les hôtels (lay-zoh-tell) | les héros (lay ay-roh), les haricots (lay ah-ree-koh) |
How it shows in writing
| Effect | Visible in writing? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| elision | yes: apostrophe | l'ami, j'ai, qu'il |
| liaison and enchaînement | no | les amis is written as two words |
| an extra t for the sound | yes: -t- in inversion | a-t-il, parle-t-elle, va-t-on |
| forms that exist because of the vowel after | yes: different word forms | mon amie (not ma amie), cet ami, un bel enfant (French Grammar 1 8 and 9) |
🗣️ In Use — En situation
Read the exchanges aloud, joining the words as the respellings show.
① Children
② A friend
③ At the market
📋 Quick Reference — Aide-mémoire
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| elision | le, la, je, me, te, se, ne, de, que, ce, si (+ il/ils) lose the vowel before a vowel or h muet |
| enchaînement | a pronounced final consonant slides onto the next vowel: il a = ee-lah |
| liaison sounds | s, x, z → z · t, d → t · n → n · f → v (neuf heures) |
| obligatory | determiner + noun, adjective + noun, pronoun + verb, short preposition + word, fixed expressions |
| forbidden | after et · before h aspiré · plural noun subject + verb · before oui, onze, huit |
| h muet / aspiré | vowel (l'homme, les hommes) / consonant (le héros, les héros) |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Exercices
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. Apply elision: je aime · le ami · que il · ne est.
Show answer
j'aime · l'ami · qu'il · n'est.
2. Elide or not? si il · si elle.
Show answer
s'il · si elle (si elides only before il / ils).
3. Read aloud: les amis · des enfants · vous avez.
Show answer
lay-zah-mee · day-zah(n)-fah(n) · voo-zah-vay. The s and z link as z.
4. Which consonant do you hear? petit ami · grand homme · neuf heures.
Show answer
t (puh-tee-tah-mee) · t (grah(n)-tom) · v (nuh-vuhr).
5. Liaison: yes or no? un garçon et une fille (between garçon and et, and between et and une).
Show answer
No liaison after et, and none between garçon and et (a singular noun). Say: a(n) gar-soh(n) ay ü-nuh fee-y.
6. h muet or h aspiré? l'homme · le héros · l'heure · le haricot.
Show answer
muet · aspiré · muet · aspiré. (Elision shows it: l'homme, l'heure but le héros, le haricot.)
7. Say the plural: les hommes and les héros.
Show answer
lay-zom (liaison, h muet) · lay ay-roh (no liaison, h aspiré).
8. What is the -t- in a-t-il?
Show answer
An extra t written between a verb ending in a vowel and il / elle / on so that the sound has a consonant to link: a-t-il (ah-teel), parle-t-elle.
9. Is this liaison obligatory, forbidden or optional? nous avons · les héros · ils sont arrivés.
Show answer
obligatory · forbidden (h aspiré) · optional (careful speech).
10. How do you hear that des enfants is plural and un enfant singular?
Show answer
By the liaison: day-zah(n)-fah(n) (z) against a(n)-nah(n)-fah(n) (n). The plural -s is not heard anywhere else.