marche versus marge
/maʁʃ/ vs /maʁʒ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · Français du sport
Randonnée: 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
- GuideLe sentier est un peu glissant aujourd'hui.1
/lə sɑ̃tje ɛt‿œ̃ pø ɡlisɑ̃ oʒuʁdɥi/
The trail is a bit slippery today. - MoiEst-ce que la vue au sommet en vaut la peine?2
/ɛs kə la vy o sɔmɛ ɑ̃ vo la pɛn/
Is the view at the top worth it? - GuideAbsolument, on voit toute la vallée d'en haut.3
/apsɔlymɑ̃ ɔ̃ vwa tut la vale dɑ̃ o/
Absolutely, you can see the whole valley from above.D'en haut is read without a liaison /n/ before the aspirated-h word haut.
- MoiOn a encore combien de temps de marche?4
/ɔ̃n‿a ɑ̃kɔʁ kɔ̃bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃ də maʁʃ/
How much longer do we have to walk? - GuideEnviron une heure de montée régulière.5
/ɑ̃viʁɔ̃ yn œʁ də mɔ̃te ʁeɡyljɛʁ/
About an hour of steady climbing. - MoiAllez, on y va! Je suis motivé!6
/ale ɔ̃n‿i va | ʒə sɥi mɔtive/
Come on, let's go! I'm motivated!
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.
La randonnée est l'activité préférée des Français en vacances. Respectez la nature et ne laissez aucun déchet. Une bonne paire de chaussures est indispensable.
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.
sommet versus sommeil
/somɛ/ vs /somɛj/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
sentier versus chantier
/sɑ̃tje/ vs /ʃɑ̃tje/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
bois versus voix
/bwa/ vs /vwa/
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.