Skip to content

A reference guide to learning French by understanding it

Comprehensible Input French French listening guide
Menu

Sounds and listening

French liaison and elision by ear

By Jibber Jabber · Updated

Answer in brief

Liaison links a normally silent final consonant to a following vowel sound. Elision removes a vowel in writing and speech before another vowel, as in l’ami.

We make Jibber Jabber. Use captions and word lookup to check a phrase in a French clip.

Scope: This guide is a practical starting point, not a complete course.

A French example

les amis (the friends) has a z sound between the words. l’ami (the friend) uses an apostrophe instead of le ami.

How to practise

Find these patterns in a short sentence. First identify the word group by meaning; then replay the join and compare it with the written form.

What to keep in mind

Not every possible liaison is made. Its use depends on the words and the speaking situation.

Sources for this entry

  1. Jibber Jabber French language guide Related guide from this site's publisher.

Continue this reading path

  1. Why is spoken French hard to understand? French words often join in speech, and spelling does not show every sound directly. Familiar written words can therefore be hard to recognise in a continuous sentence.
  2. French silent letters in listening Many final letters in French words are not pronounced, but they can still show grammar or become audible in another form. Learn them in phrases rather than applying one rule to every word.

Connected entries

  • Why is spoken French hard to understand? French words often join in speech, and spelling does not show every sound directly. Familiar written words can therefore be hard to recognise in a continuous sentence.
  • French silent letters in listening Many final letters in French words are not pronounced, but they can still show grammar or become audible in another form. Learn them in phrases rather than applying one rule to every word.
  • How to hear French nasal vowels French nasal vowels are vowel sounds made with air passing through the nose as well as the mouth. Compare whole words and listen for the vowel, not just the spelling.

Glossary terms Liaison · Elision

How the related sites connect

This guide is one of a coordinated collection of comprehensible input guides published by Jibber Jabber. They share one publisher and are not independent endorsements. See Related websites or visit the Jibber Jabber official site.

Cite this entry

Jibber Jabber. "French liaison and elision by ear." Comprehensible Input French, updated 2026-11-09. https://comprehensibleinputfrench.com/liaison-and-elision-by-ear/