Pronunciation / How do you string words together for smooth, natural pronunciation?

A1 Breakthrough
A2 Waystage
B1 Threshold
B2 Vantage
How do you pronounce "a human adventure"? Analyse how sounds work together to create groups of meanings.

This is an automated translation and it may contain errors. If in doubt, consult the French content.

How do words work together in speech?

When spoken, words are not pronounced in isolation. They form groups of meanings. Unlike the written word, where words are separated by spaces, spoken language requires words to flow smoothly together.

In this video, you'll find some practical advice on how to master this skill:

  • Think of writing and speaking as two separate systems;
  • Link words together without pausing, as if they were a single word;
  • Pronounce each syllable evenly, while lengthening the last syllable to mark the end of a unit of meaning.

Video explanations

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This is an automated translation and may contain errors. If in doubt, consult the French content.

Extracts from programmes

Coworking, car-sharing, coliving , colocation to start your life.
Magali Boureux, phonetics expert
In writing, you see, words are separated, isolated by spaces and sometimes even hyphens . And when spoken? When spoken, words cooperate, they collaborate and live together in harmony to provide units of meaning and guarantee effective communication. It's beautiful, it ' s romantic, but it 's hard when you're learning French as a foreign language. So here are a few tips: 1. Treat the written and spoken word as two completely different systems . Don't let the distance between written words create silences in the spoken word. 2. Pronounce all words in one breath of air, as one word. 3. Most syllables end in a vowel, /la ko lo ka sjɔ̃/ . This is so natural that we try to create new syllables by hooking the vowel that starts a word to the pronounced consonant that ends the previous word .
Extract from programme
This human adventure .
Magali Boureux, phonetics expert
/y na vɑ̃ ty ʁy mɛn / Not to mention that elisions and liaisons impose even more rules on us . 4. Syllables like equality and regularity, so they must be pronounced the same length and with the same force. But be careful, lengthen the last syllable of each group to show the end of the unit of meaning , and don 't hesitate to use force and chant the syllables when you want to insist. And now it' s your turn! Listen to the programme and find the sets of syllables that coexist to form groups of meaning , then have fun repeating them and emphasising their unity.