nuage versus nuance
/nɥaʒ/ vs /nɥɑ̃s/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2+ · Français de la tech
Cloud computing: 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
- CTOOn va placer toutes nos données dans le cloud.1
/ɔ̃ va plase tut no dɔne dɑ̃ lə klaʊd/
We are going to put all our data in the cloud.Cloud is shown with an English /aʊ/ vowel. AWS is read as French letter names in this example; speakers may use English letter names instead.
- DévCe sera plus sûr pour nos clients, non ?2
/sə səʁa ply syʁ puʁ no klijɑ̃ nɔ̃/
It will be safer for our clients, won't it? - CTOOui, et notre service pourra grandir plus facilement.3
/wi e nɔtʁ sɛʁvis puʁa ɡʁɑ̃diʁ ply fasilmɑ̃/
Yes, and our service will be able to grow more easily. - DévQuel service as-tu choisi ?4
/kɛl sɛʁvis a ty ʃwazi/
Which service did you choose? - CTOOn hésite entre AWS et une entreprise locale.5
/ɔ̃n‿ezit ɑ̃tʁ a dublə ve ɛs e yn ɑ̃tʁəpʁiz lɔkal/
We are hesitating between AWS and a local company. - DévIl faut vérifier que le fournisseur respecte les règles européennes.6
/il fo veʁifje kə lə fuʁnisœʁ ʁɛspɛkt le ʁɛɡl øʁɔpeɛn/
We need to check that the provider complies with European rules.
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. Larousse: English reading of cloud. Reviewed .
Culture and context in French
Read the situation beyond the individual lines.
Le cloud permet de garder des données sur des serveurs en ligne. En Europe, leur emplacement est important. Des règles protègent les informations des utilisateurs.
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.
serveur versus sauveur
/sɛʁvœʁ/ vs /sovœʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
flux versus flûte
/fly/ vs /flyt/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
stock versus stuc
/stɔk/ vs /styk/
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.
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