What does liaison mean?
Word: Liaison
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Liaison means the passing of information between two groups or people so that each knows what the other is doing. A liaison is also a person who does this job.
Synonyms: link
Word origin: Comes from French lier, to bind or tie.
How do you spell liaison?
Syllables: li - ai - son
Tricky part: After the l comes i-a-i, with an i on both sides of the a. The second i is the one most often lost, giving liason.
Watch out for: liason, laison
Memory tip: Think of the a held between two i's like a ball between two hands: l-i-a-i, never just l-i-a.
Liaison in a sentence
Example 1: Our class monitor acts as a liaison between the students and the sports teacher.
Example 2: There is close liaison between the school and the local library over the summer reading club.
Example 3: Ms Rao is the liaison officer who passes messages from the parents' group to the principal.
Fun Fact
In French, liaison is also the name for sounding a final consonant when the next word starts with a vowel, as in les amis, said lay-zami.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
liai_o_
a) c, n
b) s, m
c) s, n
d) z, n
Show answer
c) s, n. The buzzing sound at the end is spelt with an s, and the word finishes in on.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) millenium
b) liaison
c) questionaire
d) acommodate
Show answer
b) liaison. Count the doubles: two n's in questionnaire, two l's and two n's in millennium, two c's and two m's in accommodate.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
siaionl
a) legions
b) liaison
c) lotions
d) elation
Show answer
b) liaison. Two i's sit in these letters, and the other three options have just one.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
liaison
a) distance
b) contact
c) rivalry
d) silence
Show answer
b) contact. Groups in liaison stay in touch and share news; rivalry, distance and silence all keep them apart.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A good liaison officer most needs to be ____.
a) a clear communicator
b) a fast runner
c) a skilled painter
d) a strong swimmer
Show answer
a) a clear communicator
2. Poor liaison between the cooks and the waiters in a restaurant would most likely lead to ____.
a) faster service at lunch
b) cheaper prices on the menu
c) a cleaner kitchen floor
d) the wrong dishes reaching tables
Show answer
d) the wrong dishes reaching tables
