lait versus loi
/lɛ/ vs /lwa/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2 · Français de la gastronomie
Chez le fromager: 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
- MoiJe cherche un fromage de chèvre très sec.1
/ʒə ʃɛʁʃ œ̃ fʁɔmaʒ də ʃɛvʁ tʁɛ sɛk/
I'm looking for a very dry goat cheese. - VendeurGoûtez ce Picodon, il a beaucoup de caractère.2
/ɡute sə pikodɔ̃ | il a boku də kaʁaktɛʁ/
Taste this Picodon, it has a lot of character. - MoiMiam! Et un fromage à pâte molle?3
/mjam | e œ̃ fʁɔmaʒ a pat mɔl/
Yum! And a soft cheese? - VendeurJe vous conseille ce Brie de Meaux affiné.4
/ʒə vu kɔ̃sɛj sə bʁi də mo afine/
I recommend this aged Brie de Meaux.Brie de Meaux is read /bʁi də mo/. Cheese names use a French reference reading here.
- MoiParfait, je vais faire un grand plateau ce soir.5
/paʁfɛ | ʒə vɛ fɛʁ œ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ plato sə swaʁ/
Perfect, I'm going to make a large platter tonight. - VendeurN'oubliez pas le pain aux noix pour accompagner!6
/nublije pa lə pɛ̃ o nwa puʁ akɔ̃paɲe/
Don't forget the walnut bread to go with it!
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.
Chez le fromager, dites quel goût vous aimez. Demandez un morceau et précisez la quantité. Le fromager peut vous proposer un fromage doux ou plus fort.
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.
beurre versus peur
/bœʁ/ vs /pœʁ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
doux versus douze
/du/ vs /duz/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
chèvre versus lèvre
/ʃɛvʁ/ vs /lɛvʁ/
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. OQLF IPA 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.