four versus foire
/fuʁ/ vs /fwaʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2- · Français de la gastronomie
À la boulangerie: French dialogue with IPA and English
Follow all six turns, inspect the pronunciation, and practise the contrasts that matter inside this situation.
Six turns for this web role-play
French conversation, IPA, and English meaning
- MoiBonjour! Une baguette pas trop cuite, SVP.1
/bɔ̃ʒuʁ | yn baɡɛt pa tʁo kɥit sil vu plɛ/
Hello! A baguette not too well done, please.SVP is spoken as s'il vous plaît in this dialogue. In pas trop cuite, pas has no final /s/.
- BoulangerEt avec ceci? On a des croissants frais.2
/e avɛk səsi | ɔ̃n‿a de kʁwasɑ̃ fʁɛ/
And with this? We have fresh croissants. - MoiAllez, j'en prends deux, ils ont l'air délicieux.3
/ale ʒɑ̃ pʁɑ̃ dø | ilz‿ɔ̃ lɛʁ delisjø/
Alright, I'll take two, they look delicious. - BoulangerVous voulez goûter notre pain de campagne?4
/vu vule ɡute nɔtʁ pɛ̃ də kɑ̃paɲ/
Would you like to taste our country bread? - MoiOh oui, il sent divinement bon!5
/o wi il sɑ̃ divinmɑ̃ bɔ̃/
Oh yes, it smells divine! - BoulangerVoilà, ce sera sept euros cinquante en tout.6
/vwala sə səʁa sɛt‿øʁo sɛ̃kɑ̃t ɑ̃ tu/
Here you go, that will be seven euros fifty in total.
How to read this IPA. These are broad French reference readings, edited as complete sentences. Accent, schwa and optional liaison vary; many speakers use /ɛ̃/ where this reference keeps /œ̃/. The mark ‿ highlights a word link; | marks a rhythmic break; ↑ and ↓ suggest pitch movement.
Word readings adapted from Lexique 3.83, Boris New and Christophe Pallier et al.; sentence readings and notes edited by Parle. Revised IPA and notes: CC BY-SA 4.0. See OQLF on obligatory, forbidden and optional liaison. OQLF: huit. OQLF: sept and neuf. OQLF: six and dix. Reviewed .
Culture and context in French
Read the situation beyond the individual lines.
La boulangerie est le cœur de la vie de quartier en France. On y achète son pain frais chaque matin. La baguette "tradition" est la plus appréciée pour sa croûte croustillante.
Four focused comparisons
Compare words before another full read.
Follow each card’s label and note. Some words differ by one sound, some share a pronunciation, and others differ more broadly. Use the sentence context when the words sound alike.
croûte versus croûton
/kʁut/ vs /kʁutɔ̃/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
pain versus paix
/pɛ̃/ vs /pɛ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
farine versus marine
/faʁin/ vs /maʁin/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
Word IPA adapted from Lexique 3.83, Boris New and Christophe Pallier et al., with contextual readings and notes edited by Parle. Comparison transcriptions and notes: CC BY-SA 4.0. Broad reference readings vary with accent and speaking style. See OQLF’s liaison guidance and prosody reference. Reviewed .
Role-play routine
Keep the intention; change one detail.
- Read the exchange once for meaning without stopping at every IPA symbol.
- Repeat one speaker's turns and keep the other turns as prompts.
- Change one time, place, object, or preference while preserving the structure.
- Switch roles and answer without reading the original line word for word.
- Use the sound chart for a reference clip when a sound is difficult.
Build a guided speaking habit in Parle.
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