film versus file
/film/ vs /fil/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2- · Français social
Au cinéma: 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
- MoiOn va voir quel film finalement ce soir?1
/ɔ̃ va vwaʁ kɛl film finalmɑ̃ sə swaʁ/
Which movie are we going to see tonight, finally? - AmiLe dernier film d'action, il paraît qu'il est génial!2
/lə dɛʁnje film daksjɔ̃ | il paʁɛ kil ɛ ʒenjal/
The latest action movie, I hear it's great! - MoiOh non, je préfère une comédie romantique française.3
/o nɔ̃ | ʒə pʁefɛʁ yn kɔmedi ʁɔmɑ̃tik fʁɑ̃sɛz/
Oh no, I prefer a French romantic comedy. - AmiBon, on fait un compromis? Un film d'auteur?4
/bɔ̃ ɔ̃ fɛ œ̃ kɔ̃pʁɔmi | œ̃ film dotœʁ/
Okay, shall we compromise? An auteur film?Un is nasal here. Compromis has no spoken final /s/; film d'auteur keeps the elision in d'auteur.
- MoiD'accord, si c'est en version originale sous-titrée.5
/dakɔʁ si sɛt‿ɑ̃ vɛʁsjɔ̃ ɔʁiʒinal sutitʁe/
Okay, as long as it's in the original version with subtitles. - AmiC'est parti, je réserve les places directement en ligne.6
/sɛ paʁti | ʒə ʁezɛʁv le plas diʁɛktəmɑ̃ ɑ̃ liɲ/
Let's go, I'm booking the tickets directly online.
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. Reviewed .
Culture and context in French
Read the situation beyond the individual lines.
La France est le pays du cinéma. Les Français adorent débattre du scénario et de la réalisation après la séance. Les cinémas de quartier sont très appréciés pour leur programmation.
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.
séance versus science
/seɑ̃s/ vs /sjɑ̃s/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
place versus palace
/plas/ vs /palas/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
salle versus saule
/sal/ vs /sol/
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.
The app follows a separate 120-mission course with model audio, recording and practical replies. The first 4 missions on greetings and introductions are free; Premium opens the complete course.