La liaison en français—A Secret to Sounding Like a Native!

Learn how to use French liaison to improve your pronunciation and sound more fluent. This blog explains the rules, gives common examples, and includes a video lesson to help you master this essential French skill.

Tue Jun 3, 2025

Mastering French Liaison: How to Link Words Like a Native Speaker

Have you ever heard a French sentence and wondered why words seem to blend together? That’s because of la liaison – a special pronunciation rule in French that links words together. Mastering it can instantly make you sound more fluent!

🎥 Watch My Video👉 In the video, I explain the rules with examples, pronunciation tips, and practice sentences.


🔹 What is la liaison?

La liaison is when a normally silent final consonant (like "s", "x", or "t") is pronounced because the next word begins with a vowel sound.

🗣 Example:
Vous avez → [vu avɛ]
Vous‿avez → [vu‿zavɛ]

It helps create a smoother, more connected sound in French speech.


🔹 Why is liaison important?

✅ It shows you're aware of French rhythm and flow.
✅ It helps others understand you better.
✅ It’s often expected in formal speech.

🔹 Types of liaison

Obligatory liaison (obligatoire)
Always required:
Nous‿avons
Ils‿ont

Optional liaison (facultative)
Used in formal speech or reading:
Mais‿il arrive
Beaucoup‿en veulent

Forbidden liaison (interdite)
Never allowed:
After singular nouns: Un garçon intelligent (no liaison)
After et: Toi et‿elle ❌ (No liaison after "et")

🔹 Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Saying liaisons when they’re not needed
🚫 Skipping obligatory liaisons in formal contexts
🚫 Overcorrecting every "s" – not all final consonants link!


📝 Practice Tips

📌 Repeat after native speakers – TV, YouTube, or your French teacher!
📌 Learn typical liaison pairs: les‿amis, un‿homme, est‿ici
📌 Use apps or dictionaries with IPA (phonetic transcription)


🎬 Don’t Miss the Video!

French Listening Practice 🎧 | Master Liaison in Real Sentences + Answers Included!

📺 Click here to watch now! 



💬 Your Turn!

Do you find liaisons tricky?
Comment below or ask me your questions — I’d love to include them in my next video!

Anuj Jindal
French Language Coach and Mentor