French liaison happens when a normally silent final consonant becomes audible before the next word’s vowel sound and is heard at the beginning of the next syllable. In les amis, for example, the final s of les is pronounced /z/: the group sounds roughly like lé-za-mi, not like two disconnected words.
The useful beginner rule is not “link every consonant before a vowel.” French liaison falls into three groups: required, optional, and forbidden. Learn the frequent required patterns first, recognize optional liaison without forcing it, and memorize the main places where liaison must not be added.
Beginner decision rule
Use this order when you meet a vowel-initial next word:
- Recognize a common required group. Make liaison in high-frequency combinations such as determiner or number + noun (
les‿amis,deux‿euros) and subject pronoun + verb (vous‿avez,ils‿ont). - Check for a forbidden boundary. Do not make liaison after
et, before an h aspiré word, or after a singular noun. - Treat the remaining cases as usage questions, not automatic links. Optional liaison depends on register, speaking rate, region, and the speaker. Beginners can recognize it without forcing it.
- Place the sound in the next syllable. In
les‿amis, hear the /z/ as the beginning of the spoken syllableza, not as an extra sound attached to the end ofles.
This is a practical beginner sequence, not an exhaustive grammar. When a group is unfamiliar, check a pronunciation reference or model audio instead of guessing from spelling alone.
The three types of French liaison
| Type | What it means | Beginner example |
|---|---|---|
| Required | Make the link. | les‿amis, vous‿avez |
| Optional | Both readings are possible. | ils sont‿arrivés, trop‿important |
| Forbidden | Do not add a link. | et | elle, les | héros |
The tie mark ‿ below shows where the liaison consonant is pronounced. A vertical bar | marks a boundary where you should not make liaison.
Common required liaisons
These patterns give beginners the greatest return because they appear in ordinary sentences.
Determiner or number + noun
les‿amis— the written s becomes /z/des‿enfants— the written s becomes /z/deux‿euros— the written x becomes /z/un‿ami— the written n is pronounced /n/
Treat each combination as one sound group. Do not pause after the determiner.
Pronoun + verb
vous‿avez— /z/nous‿avons— /z/ils‿ont— /z/on‿arrive— /n/
These are especially useful because they occur in basic questions and statements. Practise the complete pair rather than the pronoun alone.
Adjective before a noun
un petit‿enfant— the final t is heard at the start ofenfantun grand‿ami— the written d is realized as /t/ in liaisonles bons‿amis— the final s becomes /z/
This pattern applies when the adjective comes before the noun. Do not generalize it to every adjective boundary.
Fixed everyday expressions
Some frequent groups are best learned as complete phrases:
de temps‿en tempsde plus‿en plustout‿à faitÉtats-Unis
Which consonant sound appears?
The spelling and the liaison sound are not always identical.
| Final spelling | Common liaison sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| s, x, z | /z/ | les‿amis, deux‿enfants |
| t | /t/ | petit‿enfant |
| d | /t/ | grand‿ami |
| n | /n/ | un‿ami |
Beginners do not need to memorize every rare liaison. These four sound mappings cover many high-frequency groups.
Common short adverbs
The liaison in très‿intéressant is required: the final s of très becomes /z/. Do not put it in the optional category. Many short adverbs link to the following word, but there are exceptions such as trop, so a one-syllable spelling is not a complete rule.
Optional liaison
Optional liaison varies with formality, speaking rate, region, and the speaker. It is more likely in careful reading, formal presentations, or elevated speech than in relaxed conversation.
Examples you may hear include:
trop‿importantnous avons‿aimé— the link fromavonsto the participle is optional; the link innous‿avonsremains requiredils sont‿arrivés
If you are unsure, do not chase optional liaison at the expense of clarity. A beginner sounds more natural by producing common required liaisons reliably and avoiding forbidden ones.
After a plural noun subject
In Les enfants arrivent., the liaison from the plural noun enfants to the verb is optional and associated with formal speech. An everyday reading without that liaison is a useful beginner default; the linked reading is not categorically forbidden. This differs from both the required pronoun link in ils‿arrivent and a forbidden link after a singular noun.
Where liaison is forbidden
After et
Never make liaison after the conjunction et:
et | elleet | un café
The final t in et does not link to the next word.
Before an h aspiré word
An h aspiré blocks both liaison and elision even though the written word begins with h:
les | hérosdes | haricotsle | héros, notl’héros
The h itself is not pronounced. The term means that the word behaves as though a consonant blocks the connection. Dictionaries often mark these words because spelling alone does not tell you which kind of h they contain.
After a singular noun
Do not normally add liaison from a singular noun into the following word:
un étudiant | intelligentun repas | excellent
The written final consonant of the noun does not become a liaison just because the next word starts with a vowel.
Liaison, enchaînement, and elision are different
- Liaison makes a normally silent consonant audible:
les‿amis. - Enchaînement moves an already pronounced consonant into the next syllable: in
avec elle, the /k/ ofavecis already pronounced and connects smoothly. - Elision removes a vowel in writing and speech:
le amibecomesl’ami.
Keeping these processes separate prevents the vague rule that “French joins all its words.”
Common mistakes and a correction
Three errors matter most: adding liaison after every written consonant, omitting a frequent required liaison, and pronouncing the consonant at the end of the first word instead of the beginning of the next spoken syllable. Diagnose the category before repeating. If les amis sounds disconnected, practise the /z/ as the onset of amis; if et elle contains a /t/, remove the liaison completely rather than merely making it quieter.
Five-minute practice ladder
Use one required pair and one forbidden pair:
- Listen to
les‿amisand identify the /z/ at the start of the second syllable. - Say
les, thenamisseparately once. - Join them slowly as
lé-za-miwithout adding a pause. - Put the group into
Les amis arrivent. - Contrast it with
et | elle, keeping a clean boundary afteret.
Repeat with vous‿avez, then place it inside Vous avez une réservation ? The sentence matters: liaison must survive when your attention moves from the rule to meaning.
For a complete activity with a reference answer key, use the six-sentence liaison worksheet. You can print or adapt the text under CC BY-SA 4.0. The web liaison drill provides further complete sentence readings.
Practising liaison in Parle
The web liaison drill is a standalone exercise. In the Parle iPhone and iPad app, a separate ordered speaking course uses mission audio, recording and replay to support practical responses. Start with the four free First Contact missions to try that method; the complete 120-mission course requires Premium.
Phrase Match can indicate which model-phrase words speech recognition detected. It is not a liaison score or an accent score. Replay your recording to focus on a specific connection, and ask a teacher for a model or personal correction when needed.
Sources and further reading
- Obligatory liaison — Office québécois de la langue française
- Optional liaison — Office québécois de la langue française
- Forbidden liaison — Office québécois de la langue française
The liaison categories, including the short-adverb and plural-subject cases, were checked against these official language references on 8 October 2026. They describe French usage and do not endorse Parle. The worksheet supplies its own IPA attribution and CC BY-SA 4.0 reuse terms.