In this study we investigated whether or not phonological encoding span in aphasic patients is limited to a single word as compared to normal speakers whose encoding span is at least at the level of a noun phrase. To do this, we studied contextual, between-word phonological errors and in particular, anticipatory errors, because they are a good indicator of phonological encoding span. A picture naming task was used to test both groups. It included both tongue-twister like target sequences - as an attempt to enhance the number of phonological errors produced; and French liaison sequences – a novel indicator of advance planning - to compare the overall number of obligatory liaison consonants made by both groups. Results for the most part, confirm our hypothesis: whilst patients produce more phonological errors than non-brain-damaged participants, they produce far less anticipatory errors and more persevatory errors.