droit versus doigt
/dʁwa/ vs /dwa/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2+ · Français des affaires
Licenciement et plan social: 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
- MoiOn m'a annoncé un plan social ce matin.1
/ɔ̃ ma anɔ̃se œ̃ plɑ̃ sɔsjal sə matɛ̃/
I was told about a redundancy plan this morning.Plan social refers to a redundancy context here. This is a fictional conversation, not employment-law guidance.
- AmiMince, tu vas toucher des indemnités?2
/mɛ̃s ty va tuʃe dez‿ɛ̃dɛmnite/
Oh dear, will you get severance pay? - MoiOui, et je vais m'inscrire à France Travail.3
/wi e ʒə vɛ mɛ̃skʁiʁ a fʁɑ̃s tʁavaj/
Yes, and I'm going to register with France Travail. - AmiTu as un préavis de combien de temps?4
/ty a œ̃ pʁeavi də kɔ̃bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃/
How long is your notice period? - MoiTrois mois, ça me laisse le temps de chercher.5
/tʁwa mwa sa mə lɛs lə tɑ̃ də ʃɛʁʃe/
Three months, that gives me time to look. - AmiCourage, c'est l'occasion d'un nouveau départ.6
/kuʁaʒ sɛ lɔkazjɔ̃ dœ̃ nuvo depaʁ/
Courage, it's an opportunity for a fresh start.
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.
En France, la loi protège les salariés. Avant un licenciement, l'employeur doit suivre plusieurs étapes. Une aide existe pour les personnes sans emploi.
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.
licencié versus licencier
/lisɑ̃sje/ vs /lisɑ̃sje/
These reference readings sound the same. Use spelling and sentence context to tell the forms apart.
prime versus prisme
/pʁim/ vs /pʁizm/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
cause versus chose
/koz/ vs /ʃoz/
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.