Meaning & use
liaison linguistics
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnicalspecialist
The branch of linguistics that studies how sounds are linked or inserted between words in connected speech.
Grammar: Uncountable: it names a field of study, so it takes a singular verb and no plural form.
Patterns
- liaison linguistics studies something
- in liaison linguistics
Liaison linguistics explains why English speakers say "an apple" with a smooth /n/ link rather than a pause.
In her course on liaison linguistics, students recorded themselves reading sentences aloud and marked every linking sound.
Liaison linguistics looks at how a final consonant can move onto the next word's vowel, as in "turn it off".
noununcountabletechnicalspecialist
The study of the sound changes that make separate words flow together smoothly in speech.
Grammar: Uncountable and used mainly in academic writing; a related countable noun is "liaison", meaning one such linking sound.
Patterns
- the study of liaison linguistics
- research in liaison linguistics
French teachers often mention liaison linguistics because French has many fixed linking sounds.
A paper on liaison linguistics compared how quickly children and adults insert linking sounds.
Understanding liaison linguistics helps learners sound more natural when they speak quickly.
Common combinations
- study liaison linguistics
- She went to Paris to study liaison linguistics at a research institute.
- a rule of liaison linguistics
- The famous /r/ link in British English is a classic rule of liaison linguistics.
- research in liaison linguistics
- His research in liaison linguistics focuses on connected speech in fast conversation.
- liaison linguistics and phonology
- Courses often combine liaison linguistics and phonology because both deal with speech sounds.
- an example of liaison
- "Go on" said quickly is a common example of liaison in English.
Synonyms and how they differ
- phonetics
- Phonetics is the wider study of all speech sounds; liaison linguistics is only the part that deals with sounds linking across word boundaries.
- connected speech
- Connected speech is the actual flow of sounds in natural talking; liaison linguistics is the academic study of one feature of it.
- sandhi
- Sandhi is a technical term for sound changes at boundaries, used especially for Sanskrit and other languages; liaison linguistics usually refers to the Western linguistic tradition and modern languages.
Word family
- liaison noun
- A linking sound between words, or more generally communication between groups.
- linguistics noun
- The scientific study of language and how it works.
- linguist noun
- A person who studies language or speaks several languages.
- linguistic adjective
- Relating to language or the study of language.
Commonly confused: liaison linguistics or liaison? liaison linguistics or linking?
liaison linguistics vs liaison
As a general noun, "liaison" means communication or cooperation between people or groups, or a romantic affair; only in phonetics does it mean a linking sound.
liaison linguistics vs linking
"Linking" is the everyday word for joining sounds or ideas; "liaison" is the technical term used by language specialists.
Practice
Which sentence uses "liaison linguistics" correctly?
Choose one answer.
Only option 0 matches the technical meaning of a field of study. Options 1 and 3 use "liaison" in its everyday sense of communication between groups, and option 2 uses it for a romantic relationship; in both cases adding "linguistics" makes the phrase wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “liaison linguistics”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.