cours versus coeur
/kuʁ/ vs /kœʁ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · Français universitaire
Le devoir: 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
- ÉlèveJ'ai une question sur le devoir de philo.1
/ʒe yn kɛstjɔ̃ syʁ lə dəvwaʁ də filo/
I have a question about the philosophy homework. - ProfOui, qu'est-ce que vous ne comprenez pas bien?2
/wi kɛs kə vu nə kɔ̃pʁəne pa bjɛ̃/
Yes, what don't you understand well? - ÉlèveLa structure de la dissertation est assez dure.3
/la stʁyktyʁ də la disɛʁtasjɔ̃ ɛt‿ase dyʁ/
The structure of the essay is quite hard. - ProfIl faut respecter le plan: thèse, antithèse, synthèse.4
/il fo ʁɛspɛkte lə plɑ̃ | tɛz ɑ̃titɛz sɛ̃tɛz/
You must follow the plan: thesis, antithesis, synthesis.Thèse, antithèse and synthèse use /t/, not English /θ/. The plan is part of this role-play assignment.
- ÉlèveMerci Monsieur, je vais rédiger ça ce week-end.5
/mɛʁsi məsjø ʒə vɛ ʁediʒe sa sə wikɛnd/
Thank you, sir, I will write it this weekend. - ProfBon courage, rendez-moi votre copie lundi matin.6
/bɔ̃ kuʁaʒ ʁɑ̃de mwa vɔtʁ kɔpi lœ̃di matɛ̃/
Good luck, hand in your paper Monday morning.
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.
À l'université française, il faut expliquer et défendre ses idées. Pour un examen de français, utilisez des mots comme « d'abord », « ensuite » et « enfin ».
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.
note versus notre
/nɔt/ vs /nɔtʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
sujet versus souhait
/syʒɛ/ vs /swɛ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
devoir versus devenir
/dəvwaʁ/ vs /dəvəniʁ/
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.