French Rhythm, Stress, and Linking (Liaison)

New Words and Phrases (in English)

In this module you will learn some very common short phrases that are perfect for practicing French rhythm and linking (liaison). Pay close attention to how the final consonants connect to the next word.

Language Pattern (in English)

1. French rhythm: syllable-timed

English is stress-timed: some syllables are strong and long, others are very short. French is more syllable-timed: syllables are more even and regular.

Compare in English (spoken naturally):

• "I have a FRIEND in PARis" → strong stress on FRIEND and PAR, weak on others.

In French, try to keep each syllable clear and similar in length:

• "Les amis arrivent." (lay-zah-MEE ah-REEV)
• le / za / mi / a / rri / vent → 6 clear syllables
• Do not squash or hide syllables. Say each one.

2. Word and sentence stress in French

In French, the main stress usually falls on the last syllable of a group of words, not on one isolated word.

Example:

• "Les amis arrivent." (The friends are arriving.)
• The strongest syllable is -RIV in "arrivent":
• les a-MIS ar-RI-vent → the last syllable -RIV is a bit longer and slightly louder.

Another example:

• "C'est très intéressant." (It is very interesting.)
• Group: "C'est très intéressant" → main stress on -SAN in "intéressant":
• say: say-tray-zan-tay-reh-SAN

Keep in mind:

• Do not strongly stress words like "très" or "c'est" as in English.
• Let the end of the phrase carry the main stress.

3. Liaison: linking words together

Liaison is when a normally silent final consonant is pronounced because the next word starts with a vowel sound.

You already know many silent final consonants from previous modules. Now you make them "come back" to link words smoothly.

Key pattern: [word ending in a usually silent consonant] + [word starting with vowel]

1. les amis (the friends)

• Written: les amis
• Normally "les" = "lay" (no /z/), but here:
• les + amis → les amis (lay za-mee)
• The "s" in "les" becomes a /z/ sound and links to "amis".

1. vous avez (you have)

• Written: vous avez
• Normally "vous" = "voo" (no /z/), but here:
• vous + avez → vous avez (voo za-vay)
• The "s" in "vous" becomes a /z/ sound.

1. mes enfants (my children)

• Written: mes enfants
• "mes" alone: "may" (no /z/)
• mes + enfants → mes enfants (may zon-fahn)
• The "s" in "mes" becomes /z/.

1. nous avons (we have)

• Written: nous avons
• nous + avons → nous avons (noo za-von)
• The "s" in "nous" becomes /z/.

1. très intéressant (very interesting)

• Written: très intéressant
• très + intéressant → très intéressant (tray zan-tay-reh-san)
• The "s" in "très" becomes /z/.

1. deux amis (two friends)

• Written: deux amis
• deux + amis → deux amis (duh za-mee)
• The "x" in "deux" is pronounced /z/ here.

4. Minimal pair: rhythm and meaning

Notice how liaison can also change the meaning:

• petit ami (puh-TEE tah-MEE) → boyfriend
• There is no liaison between "petit" and "ami".
• You hear a tiny break: petit | ami.

• grand ami (grawn tah-MEE) → great/close friend
• Also no liaison.
• "grand" ends with a nasal consonant sound /n/ (written "n"), but you do not add another consonant before "ami".

So:

• With liaison: les amis (lay za-mee), vous avez (voo za-vay)
• Without liaison: petit ami (puh-TEE tah-MEE), grand ami (grawn tah-MEE)

For natural French, try to:

1. Keep even rhythm: every syllable clear.
2. Put main stress at the end of the phrase.
3. Use liaison where it is expected: les amis, vous avez, mes enfants, nous avons, très intéressant, deux amis.

Practice Dialogue (in English)

In this short dialogue, listen for the even rhythm and the liaisons: les amis, deux amis, vous avez, nous avons, très intéressant, mes enfants. Imagine the characters are talking about their friends and family after a French class.

Check Your Understanding (in English)

Answer this question to check your understanding of liaison and rhythm.