As a French speaker, using enchaînement in French is key to achieving a natural and fluent French.
Enchaînement is the glue that binds the sounds of French together, creating a smooth and seamless flow of words.
It’s like a musical note that resonates through the entire composition, connecting each melody and creating a harmonious whole.
So get ready to elevate your French pronunciation to the next level and make your words sing with enchaînement!
What is Enchaînement?
In French, when a word ends with a consonant sound that is followed by a vowel or a silent “h,” the consonant sound is transferred to the beginning of the next word when speaking. This phonetic phenomenon is known as “enchaînement,” and it’s the reason it’s challenging to distinguish between the boundaries of adjacent words in French pronunciation.
The consonant sound is transferred from one word to the next in case consonant sound is followed by a vowel or h muet.
To learn more about French vowels, read our article on French vowels.
“avec” /avɛk/
with
“avec elle” /avɛkɛl/
with her
“sept” /sɛt/
seven
“sept enfants” /sɛtɑ̃fɑ̃/
seven children
The first word does not have to end in an actual consonant, just a consonant sound.
Many French words that end in e muet effectively end in a consonant sound and therefore require enchaînement.
Enchaînement vs Liaisons
Enchaînement differs from liaisons because it involves the pronunciation of a consonant sound regardless of whether the following word begins with a vowel or silent “h”.
Let’s look examples of enchaînement in French:
Les petits oiseaux /le pəti wazo/
Small birds.
The final “s” in “petits” is pronounced and carried over to the beginning of “oiseaux”
Grand éléphant /ɡʁɑ̃ eʁefɑ̃/
Big elephants.
The final “d” in “grand” is pronounced and carried over to the beginning of “éléphant”.
In contrast, liaisons only causes silent letters to be pronounced when followed by a vowel or silent “h”.
Les enfants /le zɑ̃fɑ̃/
Children.
The “s” in “les” is normally silent, but when followed by a vowel sound in “enfants”, it becomes pronounced
Nous avons /nuz‿avɔ̃/
We have.
The “s” in “nous” is normally silent, but when followed by a vowel sound in “avons”, it becomes pronounced.
Step Closer to Perfect French Pronunciation
Enchaînement in French is the reason French language sounds like a melodic rhythm. In essence, it’s an euphonic technique used in French pronunciation that sometimes makes it difficult to French learners to differentiate between words.
Pay attention to making a difference between enchainement and liason.
Start by listening carefully to native French speakers, paying attention to how they link words together.
Then, try practicing with common French phrases and sentences, focusing on carrying over the final consonant sounds into the following word.
Learn more about French liason.
