bilan versus bilingue
/bilɑ̃/ vs /bilɛ̃ɡ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2 · Français des affaires
L'entretien annuel: 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
- ChefOn peut se voir pour ton entretien annuel?1
/ɔ̃ pø sə vwaʁ puʁ tɔ̃n‿ɑ̃tʁətjɛ̃ anɥɛl/
Can we meet for your annual review?Annuel has /ɥ/: /anɥɛl/. Entretien starts with a nasal vowel, linked to ton by /n/.
- MoiBien sûr, je suis prêt à faire le bilan.2
/bjɛ̃ syʁ ʒə sɥi pʁɛt‿a fɛʁ lə bilɑ̃/
Of course, I'm ready to take stock. - ChefTu as atteint tous tes objectifs cette année.3
/ty a atɛ̃ tu tez‿ɔbʒɛktif sɛt‿ane/
You have achieved all your objectives this year. - MoiMerci, j'ai beaucoup appris sur ce projet.4
/mɛʁsi ʒe boku apʁi syʁ sə pʁɔʒɛ/
Thank you, I learned a lot about this project. - ChefQuelles sont tes attentes pour l'année prochaine?5
/kɛl sɔ̃ tez‿atɑ̃t puʁ lane pʁɔʃɛn/
What are your expectations for next year? - MoiJ'aimerais prendre plus de responsabilités d'équipe.6
/ʒɛmʁɛ pʁɑ̃dʁ ply də ʁɛspɔ̃sabilite dekip/
I would like to take on more team responsibilities.
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.
L'entretien annuel permet de parler de votre travail. Soyez direct et expliquez vos progrès. Vous pouvez aussi demander une promotion.
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.
poste versus piste
/pɔst/ vs /pist/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
note versus notre
/nɔt/ vs /nɔtʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
plan versus plein
/plɑ̃/ vs /plɛ̃/
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.
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