Pronunciation / When should you string words together and when should you pause?

A1 Breakthrough
A2 Waystage
B1 Threshold
B2 Vantage
How to pronounce "artificial intelligence"! Learn how to pronounce or not to pronounce "enchaîments". The "enchaînement" in French is a pronunciation rule, but is this principle always followed in practice? What are the reasons for this?

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

Understanding linking in French

In French, the vowel sequence links two words when the first ends in a pronounced consonant and the second begins with a vowel or a silent "h", as in the expressions "intelligence artificielle" and "intelligence humaine".

This rule encourages fluent speech. However, in real communication, speakers sometimes interrupt these sequences to pause, emphasise a word or express an emotion. These pauses provide clues about our intentions and enrich the expressive dimension of language.

Understanding this difference between phonetic rules and natural usage helps us to better understand what distinguishes human speech from that of machines.

Video explanations

TV5 JWPlayer Field
Chargement du lecteur...
TV5MONDE

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

Magali Boureux, phonetics expert

Where does artificial intelligence stand on pronunciation ?
Extracts from programmes
Artificialintelligence , artificial intelligence.
Magali Boureux, phonetics expert
You' ve got it ! With a word that starts with a vowel like "artificial", or with a silent "h" like "human", it's the sequence that coordinates with "intelligence". Listen and repeat: /ɛ̃ te li ʒɑ̃ saʁ ti fi sjɛl/, " artificial intelligence ", /ɛ̃ te li ʒɑ̃ sy mɛn/, " human intelligence ". That ' s the rule of sequencing, the rule that artificial intelligence learns to respect. But what about in real life? Do we really always use this rule? Take a listen.
Extract from the programme
Artificialintelligence .
Magali Boureux, phonetics expert
Naturally, we don 't always follow the sequence. We even often need to stop... to think, or pause to... mark an important ... element. The pauses we make can give clues about the context, our emotions or even our hidden intentions . And that ' s what makes our human intelligence so rich . So you too can find examples that show the difference between artificial intelligence and human intelligence . And then share them to enrich our collective intelligence !