Link Sounds

Please be mindful of the fact that all the French sounds are produced with greater facial, throat and other phonatory muscle tension than any English sound.

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La Liaison: is a word boundary event.

We keep saying that the word final consonants with the exception of [l] and [r] are silent, of course, with those quite numerous additional exceptions. ( View the consonants in this application.)

Well, for the advanced language user that must not be the rule any longer as for stylistic reasons, the French cherish pompuously flowing smooth phonetic strings inside the rhythmic unit that we called the 'chunk".

For that same reason and sometimes for grammatical reasons, basically all French consonants in word final position may be sounded in speech, linking them to the next word beginning with a vowel. WATCH also the assimilation principles.

The Link Sound is always pronounced with the next word.

·	the [d] is sounded as a [t] however not on grand but on homme like this [gran tom]
·	the [f] becomes [v] and goes with [ans] like this [ neu van]
·	first you sound the nazalized vowel the the proper [n] sound with [Australie] like this [ ung nAustralie ]
·	the normally silent [p] is sounded under the influence of [à]. Otherwise too many subsequent vowels would unpleasant choppyness in the speech rhythm.
·
·	- the [s] is sounded [z]
·
·	- the [x] is sounded [z]
·

Helping sound:

·	- the [t] has no grammatical, syntactic or semantic role here. It simply fills a phonetic gap inside the speech's rhythmic group. It is both written and pronounced.

 

Copyright 2002 AntWise

Frank ANTAL 

Page updated 04/07/02 Brisbane Queensland Australia