Understanding nasal vowels and liaison as concepts (see French Pronunciation) is different from actually producing them naturally — that takes specific, repeated practice.
When first attempting a nasal vowel like the one in "bon," deliberately over-exaggerate the nasal quality — it will sound unnatural at first, but this helps you locate where the sound is produced. Dialing it back later is easier than approximating it timidly from the start.
Practice a small set of common liaison phrases (les amis, un ami) repeatedly aloud, deliberately linking the words — liaison is a production habit that needs active speaking practice, not just passive listening recognition.
After practicing a liaison phrase yourself, listen to native speakers saying the same phrase and compare — this direct comparison reveals gaps your own ear might miss.
Since elision (dropping a vowel before another vowel, like "le" + "ami" = "l'ami") is closely related to liaison, practice both together — they're both part of how French smooths transitions between words.
See also the reference page: French Pronunciation.
Deliberately over-exaggerate the nasal quality at first, even though it sounds unnatural — this helps you locate where the sound is produced, and it's easier to dial back later than to approximate it timidly.
Drilling a small set of common liaison phrases aloud repeatedly, deliberately linking the words — liaison is a production habit that needs active speaking practice, not just passive recognition.
Yes — listening to native speakers say the exact phrase you just practiced and comparing directly reveals gaps your own ear might miss.
They're closely related but distinct — elision drops a vowel before a following vowel ("le" + "ami" = "l'ami"), while liaison links a normally silent consonant to the next word; both are worth practicing together.