court versus coeur
/kuʁ/ vs /kœʁ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · Français du sport
Tennis: 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
- AmiOn se fait un match de tennis ce samedi?1
/ɔ̃ sə fɛ œ̃ matʃ də tenis sə samdi/
Shall we play a tennis match this Saturday? - MoiCarrément! Tu as déjà réservé un court?2
/kaʁemɑ̃ ty a deʒa ʁezɛʁve œ̃ kuʁ/
Absolutely! Have you already booked a court? - AmiOui, au club municipal à quatorze heures.3
/wi o klœb mynisipal a katɔʁz‿œʁ/
Yes, at the municipal club at two o'clock. - MoiSuper, j'espère que mon service sera efficace.4
/sypɛʁ ʒɛspɛʁ kə mɔ̃ sɛʁvis səʁa efikas/
Great, I hope my serve will be effective. - AmiOn joue en deux sets gagnants, ça te va?5
/ɔ̃ ʒu ɑ̃ dø sɛt ɡaɲɑ̃ sa tə va/
Shall we play first to two sets (best of three)?Deux sets gagnants means first to win two sets: best of three, not best of two. The number deux has no /z/ before sets.
- MoiParfait, que le meilleur gagne sur le terrain!6
/paʁfɛ kə lə mɛjœʁ ɡaɲ syʁ lə tɛʁɛ̃/
Perfect, may the best win on the court!
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 tennis est un sport très pratiqué en France, grâce au tournoi de Roland-Garros. Jouer sur terre battue demande une technique particulière. C'est un excellent moyen de faire de l'exercice.
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.
balle versus belle
/bal/ vs /bɛl/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
filet versus billet
/filɛ/ vs /bijɛ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
set versus septembre
/sɛt/ vs /sɛptɑ̃bʁ/
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.