libre versus litre
/libʁ/ vs /litʁ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · Français de la tech
Culture open source: 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 voudrais aider un projet open source.1
/ʒə vudʁɛ ede œ̃ pʁɔʒɛ opən suʁs/
I would like to help an open source project.Open source is a borrowed technical expression with variable pronunciation. The later turn proposes a first modification in plain French.
- AmiC'est une super idée pour progresser en code.2
/sɛt‿yn sypɛʁ ide puʁ pʁɔɡʁese ɑ̃ kɔd/
It's a great idea to improve your coding. - MoiJ'ai peur que mon niveau soit un peu faible.3
/ʒe pœʁ kə mɔ̃ nivo swa œ̃ pø fɛbl/
I'm afraid my level is a bit low. - AmiMais non! Commence par corriger la doc.4
/mɛ nɔ̃ kɔmɑ̃s paʁ kɔʁiʒe la dɔk/
Of course not! Start by correcting the documentation. - MoiOk, je vais proposer ma première modification.5
/ɔkɛ ʒə vɛ pʁɔpoze ma pʁəmjɛʁ mɔdifikasjɔ̃/
OK, I'm going to propose my first change. - AmiBravo! La communauté va t'aider à t'améliorer.6
/bʁavo la kɔmynote va tede a tameljɔʁe/
Well done! The community will help you improve.
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.
Un projet open source partage son code avec tout le monde. Des personnes de plusieurs pays peuvent travailler ensemble. Beaucoup d'outils du web utilisent ce modèle.
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.
source versus souris
/suʁs/ vs /suʁi/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
licence versus lissage
/lisɑ̃s/ vs /lisaʒ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
patch versus pâte
/patʃ/ vs /pat/
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.
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.