poisson versus poison
/pwasɔ̃/ vs /pwazɔ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2- · Français de la gastronomie
Au marché: 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
- VendeurBonjour! Qu'est-ce qui vous ferait plaisir?1
/bɔ̃ʒuʁ | kɛs ki vu fəʁɛ plɛziʁ/
Hello! What would you like? - MoiJe voudrais un kilo de tomates bien mûres.2
/ʒə vudʁɛ œ̃ kilo də tɔmat bjɛ̃ myʁ/
I would like a kilo of ripe tomatoes. - VendeurElles sont magnifiques, elles viennent du jardin!3
/ɛl sɔ̃ maɲifik | ɛl vjɛn dy ʒaʁdɛ̃/
They are magnificent, they come from the garden!Plural viennent is /vjɛn/: the written ending -ent is silent. Jardin ends in nasal /ɛ̃/.
- MoiEt je vais prendre aussi un bon morceau de comté.4
/e ʒə vɛ pʁɑ̃dʁ osi œ̃ bɔ̃ mɔʁso də kɔ̃te/
And I'll also take a good piece of Comté cheese. - VendeurTrès bien, ce sera tout pour aujourd'hui?5
/tʁɛ bjɛ̃ | sə səʁa tu puʁ oʒuʁdɥi/
Very well, will that be all for today? - MoiOui, merci. Ça fait combien en tout, s'il vous plaît?6
/wi mɛʁsi | sa fɛ kɔ̃bjɛ̃ ɑ̃ tu sil vu plɛ/
Yes, thank you. How much is that in total, please?
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.
Faire son marché est une institution en France. C'est l'endroit idéal pour trouver des produits locaux et de saison. On y apprécie la fraîcheur des fruits et légumes.
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.
poire versus poivre
/pwaʁ/ vs /pwavʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
fruit versus frite
/fʁɥi/ vs /fʁit/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
frais versus froid
/fʁɛ/ vs /fʁwa/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
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.