The Invisible Glue: Why French Words Stick Together (Liaison)
The Invisible Glue: Why French Words Stick Together (Liaison)
You are listening to a French song. You read the lyrics: "Les amis".
But you hear: "LeZami".
Where did that "Z" come from? It's not on the page! Welcome to Liaison—the art of waking up sleeping consonants to make sentences flow like liquid.
The "Zombie Consonant" Theory
In French, the final letters of many words are dead. They are silent.
The Word Alone
LES (Pronounced "Lay")
The 'S' is dead.
Followed by a Vowel
LES ZAMIS (Pronounced "Lay-Za-mi")
The 'S' wakes up as a 'Z'!
The 3 Most Common "Zombies" in Lyrics
Singers use liaisons to keep the rhythm smooth. If they stopped between every word, the melody would sound choppy.
S → Z Sound
"Les‿étoiles" (The stars), "Nous‿avons" ( We have)
By far the most common link you will hear.
N → N Sound
"Un‿ami" (A friend), "Mon‿amour" (My love)
Connects nasals to vowels smoothly.
T → T Sound
"C'est‿ici" (It is here), "Tout‿est" (Everything is)
Very common with "est" (is).
The "Street French" Exception
Here is where it gets tricky. In formal French (and old songs like Edith Piaf), liaisons are mandatory.
But in modern pop and rap (Stromae, Angèle)? They often drop them. "Les amis" might just sound like "Lay ami".
💡 Listening Tip
If you hear a random consonant that doesn't fit the word, check the end of the previous word. 90% of the time, it's a zombie consonant waking up.
How to Practice with 10alect
- Pick a slow song (ballads are best).
- Look for words ending in S, N, or T followed by a vowel.
- Ask yourself: "Did they link it?"
- If they did, congratulate yourself. You just heard the invisible glue.
Did this pattern click?
The best way to lock it in is to see it in a real song. Open a song analysis and look for this exact structure.
Search for a Song