cuire versus courir
/kɥiʁ/ vs /kuʁiʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2 · Français de la gastronomie
Cours de cuisine: 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
- ChefAujourd'hui, on apprend à faire un soufflé.1
/oʒuʁdɥi ɔ̃n‿apʁɑ̃ a fɛʁ œ̃ sufle/
Today, we're learning to make a soufflé. - MoiC'est une recette très technique, n'est-ce pas?2
/sɛt‿yn ʁəsɛt tʁɛ tɛknik nɛs pa/
It's a very technical recipe, isn't it? - ChefLe secret, c'est de bien monter les blancs en neige.3
/lə səkʁɛ sɛ də bjɛ̃ mɔ̃te le blɑ̃z‿ɑ̃ nɛʒ/
The secret is to beat the egg whites properly. - MoiRegardez, ma préparation est bien homogène?4
/ʁəɡaʁde ma pʁepaʁasjɔ̃ ɛ bjɛ̃n‿omoʒɛn/
Look, is my mixture well blended?Bien homogène links /n/; homogène has a silent h. Quatre-vingts in the following number is read without a final /t/ before degrés.
- ChefOui, c'est parfait! Enfournez à cent quatre-vingts degrés.5
/wi sɛ paʁfɛ | ɑ̃fuʁne a sɑ̃ katʁə vɛ̃ dəɡʁe/
Yes, it's perfect! Bake at 180 degrees. - MoiJ'espère qu'il ne va pas retomber à la sortie!6
/ʒɛspɛʁ kil nə va pa ʁətɔ̃be a la sɔʁti/
I hope it doesn't collapse when it comes out!
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 cuisine française demande de la précision. Il faut bien préparer les sauces et surveiller la cuisson. Un cours de cuisine permet d'apprendre ces gestes.
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.
huile versus île
/ɥil/ vs /il/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
sel versus seul
/sɛl/ vs /sœl/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
poêle versus pelle
/pwal/ vs /pɛl/
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.
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