masse versus mâche
/mas/ vs /maʃ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · Français de la santé
Kinésithérapie: 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
- KinéAllongez-vous, on va traiter votre dos.1
/alɔ̃ʒe vu | ɔ̃ va tʁɛte vɔtʁ do/
Lie down, we're going to treat your back. - PatientJ'ai une grosse tension au niveau des cervicales.2
/ʒe yn ɡʁos tɑ̃sjɔ̃ o nivo de sɛʁvikal/
I have a lot of tension in my neck. - KinéJe vais faire quelques massages profonds.3
/ʒə vɛ fɛʁ kɛlk masaʒ pʁɔfɔ̃/
I'm going to do some deep massages. - PatientAïe, c'est un peu douloureux à cet endroit!4
/aj sɛt‿œ̃ pø duluʁø a sɛt‿ɑ̃dʁwa/
Ouch, it's a bit painful in that spot!Cet endroit links /t/ to endroit. The medical exchange is a fictional dialogue, not an assessment of symptoms.
- KinéC'est normal, le muscle est très contracté.5
/sɛ nɔʁmal lə myskl ɛ tʁɛ kɔ̃tʁakte/
That's normal, the muscle is very tense. - PatientJe me sens déjà plus souple après la séance.6
/ʒə mə sɑ̃ deʒa ply supl apʁɛ la seɑ̃s/
I already feel more flexible after the session.
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.
Le kiné aide les personnes qui ont mal au dos ou qui se sont blessées. Un médecin peut demander plusieurs séances. Les exercices aident le corps à mieux bouger.
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.
dos versus dôme
/do/ vs /dom/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
nerf versus nef
/nɛʁ/ vs /nɛf/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
muscle versus musc
/myskl/ vs /mysk/
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.
Safety boundary
This is language practice, not professional advice.
The dialogue does not diagnose, treat, provide emergency instructions, replace a clinician, or replace local emergency services. Use qualified help for real medical, legal, financial, or safety decisions.
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