pain versus pont
/pɛ̃/ vs /pɔ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2- · Français de la gastronomie
Au restaurant: 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
- ClientQuel est le plat du jour, s'il vous plaît?1
/kɛl ɛ lə pla dy ʒuʁ sil vu plɛ/
What is the dish of the day, please? - ServeurAujourd'hui, nous proposons un confit de canard.2
/oʒuʁdɥi nu pʁɔpozɔ̃ œ̃ kɔ̃fi də kanaʁ/
Today, we are offering duck confit. - ClientÇa a l'air délicieux! Et comme garniture?3
/sa a lɛʁ delisjø | e kɔm ɡaʁnityʁ/
That looks delicious! And what about the side dish? - ServeurDes pommes de terre à l'ail et une petite salade.4
/de pɔm də tɛʁ a laj e yn pətit salad/
Garlic potatoes and a small salad.L'ail is /laj/. No /t/ is inserted after et before une; vin in the next line is nasal /vɛ̃/.
- ClientParfait. Je vais prendre un verre de vin rouge.5
/paʁfɛ | ʒə vɛ pʁɑ̃dʁ œ̃ vɛʁ də vɛ̃ ʁuʒ/
Perfect. I'll have a glass of red wine. - ServeurTrès bon choix, je vous apporte ça de suite.6
/tʁɛ bɔ̃ ʃwa | ʒə vuz‿apɔʁt sa də sɥit/
Very good choice, I'll bring that right away.
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.
Au restaurant, lisez le menu et demandez le plat du jour. Commandez une entrée, un plat ou un dessert selon votre envie. Demandez l'addition quand vous avez terminé.
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.
vin versus vent
/vɛ̃/ vs /vɑ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
plat versus plan
/pla/ vs /plɑ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
sauce versus sauge
/sos/ vs /soʒ/
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.