The consonant sequence
The consonant sequence, or enchainement in French, connects a consonant always pronounced with the vowel of the word that follows. Unlike the liaison, which results in the insertion of an additional consonant phoneme at the beginning of a syllable, the sequence has no repercussions at the segmental level but is limited to modifying the syllabic division: the consonant concerned is a consonant which would be pronounced in all cases, that is to say even if there was no sequence.
Example:
- Il arrive. (he arrives)
- The consonant “l” in the word “il” is always pronounced. The consonant “l” will be pronounced with the vowel of the following word: i-la-rive
- Il invite is pronounced i-lin-vite (he invites)
- Elle arrive is pronounced e-lla-arrive. The vowel “e” at the end of a word is never pronounced. (she arrives)
The vowel sequence
The vowel sequence connects a vowel always pronounced with the vowel of the word that follows.
Example:
“Papa a une idée”is pronounced [papaaynide].The vowels “aau” are linked. (Papa has an idea)