# French pronounciation question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 12, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640 "2007-06-12T00:41:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![noblebaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@noblebaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noblebaron)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/1 "2007-06-12T00:41:28Z")

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Whe pronouncing the french word “sans” (‘without’), the final ‘s’ is silent.

Is there an exception where you pronounce the final ‘s’ if the following word begins with a vowel?

Eg; “sans amis” (without friends) sanz\_amis

Thanks,

NobleBaron

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/2 "2007-06-12T01:20:30Z")

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Yes.

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**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/3 "2007-06-12T01:29:39Z")

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It’s called a _liaison_.

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/4 "2007-06-12T10:01:40Z")

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And it’s _pronunciation_.

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**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/5 "2007-06-12T18:10:06Z")

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[QUOTE=noblebaron]  
Whe pronouncing the french word “sans” (‘without’), the final ‘s’ is silent.

Is there an exception where you pronounce the final ‘s’ if the following word begins with a vowel?

Eg; “sans amis” (without friends) sanz\_amis

Thanks,

NobleBaron  
[/QUOTE]

Actually more like _san\_zamis_.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noblebaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@noblebaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noblebaron)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/6 "2007-06-12T18:49:21Z")

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Thanks, malacandra… just like enunciation. I appreciate everyone’s elucidation in the matter.

Regards,

NobleBaron

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/7 "2007-06-12T21:43:59Z")

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It’s eloucidation.

::d&r

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**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronounciation-question/407640/8 "2007-06-12T22:20:21Z")

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[QUOTE=Bookkeeper]  
Actually more like _san\_zamis_.  
[/QUOTE]

Not quite. The “n” is technically not pronounced, being sort of “swallowed up” by the nasal “a”.