start-up versus statut
/staʁtœp/ vs /staty/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
A2+ · Français de la tech
Vie en start-up: 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
- CEOOn doit boucler la levée de fonds ce mois-ci.1
/ɔ̃ dwa bukle la ləve də fɔ̃ sə mwa si/
We have to close the fundraising this month. - DévOn est sous pression, mais le produit est prêt.2
/ɔ̃n‿ɛ su pʁɛsjɔ̃ mɛ lə pʁɔdɥi ɛ pʁɛ/
We are under pressure, but the product is ready. - CEONotre pitch doit être percutant pour les investisseurs.3
/nɔtʁ pitʃ dwa ɛtʁ pɛʁkytɑ̃ puʁ lez‿ɛ̃vɛstisœʁ/
Our pitch must be impactful for investors.Pitch uses /tʃ/ here, an English loan-word sound. Vérifs in the last line is an informal abbreviation of vérifications.
- DévJ'ai optimisé l'interface utilisateur au maximum.4
/ʒe ɔptimize lɛ̃tɛʁfas ytilizatœʁ o maksimɔm/
I optimized the user interface as much as possible. - CEOGénial. On fait une démo demain matin à neuf heures?5
/ʒenjal ɔ̃ fɛ yn demo dəmɛ̃ matɛ̃ a nœv‿œʁ/
Awesome. Shall we do a demo tomorrow morning at nine? - DévPas de souci, je fais les dernières vérifs ce soir.6
/pa də susi ʒə fɛ le dɛʁnjɛʁ veʁif sə swaʁ/
No problem, I'll do the final checks tonight.
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. OQLF: huit. OQLF: sept and neuf. OQLF: six and dix. Reviewed .
Culture and context in French
Read the situation beyond the individual lines.
La French Tech attire des personnes du monde entier. Les équipes travaillent vite et acceptent de prendre des risques. Beaucoup de jeunes entreprises veulent grandir rapidement.
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.
fonds versus faon
/fɔ̃/ vs /fɑ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
lance versus l'anse
/lɑ̃s/ vs /lɑ̃s/
These reference readings sound the same. Use spelling and sentence context to tell the forms apart.
boîte versus botte
/bwat/ vs /bɔt/
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.