liaison

\ljɛ.zɔ̃\

/\ljɛ.zɔ̃\/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“liaison” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,691 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,691
frequency rank, French
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Union ou jonction de plusieurs corps ensemble.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

liaison vs Louison
57% similar
liaison vs liaisons
88% similar
liaison vs livraison
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for liaison
PropertyValue
Headwordliaison
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ljɛ.zɔ̃\
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,691
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “liaison” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). liaison lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for liaison is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ljɛ.zɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,691 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for liaison, with forms such as "ilaison", "laiison", and "liaiosn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "Louison", "liaisons", "livraison", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is liaison, spelled L-I-A-I-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Union ou jonction de plusieurs corps ensemble.
  2. 2
    Amitié ; bonne entente.
  3. 3
    Relation amoureuse, surtout hors du mariage.
  4. 4
    Communication ; relation.
  5. 5
    Rapport, suite, connexité, lien.
  6. 6
    Mot qui sert à lier les différents termes d’une proposition ou les propositions entre elles, conjonction.
  7. 7
    Procédé consistant à prononcer la consonne finale d’un mot lorsque celui-ci est suivi d’un mot commençant par une voyelle ou un h muet. En alphabet phonétique international, ce procédé est noté par le symbole « ‿ ». Pour plus d’explications, voir l’annexe.
  8. 8
    Ce qui lie les parties d’un discours les unes aux autres.
  9. 9
    Traits déliés qui unissent les lettres.
  10. 10
    Manière dont les divers matériaux sont disposés les uns par rapport aux autres, de façon à former une construction bien liée ou liaisonnée, et produire en conséquence toute la solidité possible.
  11. 11
    Mortier, plâtre qui sert à jointoyer les pierres.
  12. 12
    Jaunes d’œufs délayés et autres matières propres à épaissir les sauces.
  13. 13
    Se dit des ongles et des serres des oiseaux de proie, et de l’action avec laquelle ils lient et enlèvent le gibier.
  14. 14
    Assemblage de toutes les parties de charpente qui forment la construction d’un vaisseau et qui se travaillent ensemble.
  15. 15
    Suite de plusieurs notes passées sous la même syllabe.
  16. 16
    Suite de plusieurs notes passées sous la même syllabe.
  17. 17
    Jonction.

This word in other languages

bond(English)conexiòn(Español)Liaison(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilaison,laiison,liaiosn,liaisno,liaisonn,liaisson,liasion,liiason,lliaison

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of liaison - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ilaison2laiison2liaiosn2liaisno2liaisonn1liaisson1liasion2liiason2
Edit distance from "liaison"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "liaison"?
"liaison" is spelled L-I-A-I-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ljɛ.zɔ̃\.
What does "liaison" mean?
As a noun, "liaison" means: Union ou jonction de plusieurs corps ensemble.
What words are commonly confused with "liaison"?
"liaison" is commonly confused with "Louison", "liaisons", "livraison". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "liaison"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "liaison" is \ljɛ.zɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "liaison" come from?
"liaison" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “liaison”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is L-I-A-I-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ljɛ.zɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Louison” - see the side-by-side comparison. liaison vs Louison
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list