course versus courge
/kuʁs/ vs /kuʁʒ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · Français du sport
Course à pied: 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
- AmiTu viens courir avec moi demain matin?1
/ty vjɛ̃ kuʁiʁ avɛk mwa dəmɛ̃ matɛ̃/
Are you coming running with me tomorrow morning? - MoiÀ quelle heure? Je ne suis pas très matinal.2
/a kɛl œʁ | ʒə nə sɥi pa tʁɛ matinal/
At what time? I'm not much of a morning person. - AmiVers huit heures, au parc du Luxembourg.3
/vɛʁ ɥit‿œʁ o paʁk dy lyksɑ̃buʁ/
Around eight o'clock, at the Luxembourg Gardens.Huit heures keeps /t/ before heures. No liaison consonant is added after vers.
- MoiD'accord, j'ai besoin de me remettre en forme.4
/dakɔʁ ʒe bəzwɛ̃ də mə ʁəmɛtʁ ɑ̃ fɔʁm/
Okay, I need to get back in shape. - AmiPrends de bonnes chaussures de sport surtout.5
/pʁɑ̃ də bɔn ʃosyʁ də spɔʁ syʁtu/
Make sure to bring good sports shoes. - MoiPas de problème, on se retrouve à l'entrée du parc.6
/pa də pʁɔblɛm ɔ̃ sə ʁətʁuv a lɑ̃tʁe dy paʁk/
No problem, we'll meet at the park entrance.
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. OQLF: huit. OQLF: sept and neuf. OQLF: six and dix. Reviewed .
Culture and context in French
Read the situation beyond the individual lines.
Pour courir avec quelqu'un, choisissez une heure et un lieu. Parlez de la distance et du rythme. Portez des chaussures confortables.
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.
piste versus poste
/pist/ vs /pɔst/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
temps versus tantôt
/tɑ̃/ vs /tɑ̃to/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
fond versus feint
/fɔ̃/ vs /fɛ̃/
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.