vol versus veule
/vɔl/ vs /vøl/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2 · Français des urgences
Vol de sac: 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
- VictimeAu secours! On vient de me voler mon sac!1
/o səkuʁ | ɔ̃ vjɛ̃ də mə vɔle mɔ̃ sak/
Help! Someone just stole my bag! - PassantCalmez-vous, est-ce que vous êtes blessée?2
/kalme vu | ɛs kə vuz‿ɛt blɛse/
Calm down, are you injured? - VictimeNon, mais mon passeport était dedans.3
/nɔ̃ mɛ mɔ̃ paspɔʁ etɛ dədɑ̃/
No, but my passport was inside. - PassantIl faut appeler la police immédiatement.4
/il fo apəle la pɔlis imedjatmɑ̃/
We must call the police immediately. - VictimeQuel est le numéro d'urgence ici?5
/kɛl ɛ lə nymeʁo dyʁʒɑ̃s isi/
What is the emergency number here? - PassantComposez le dix-sept, ils vont vous aider.6
/kɔ̃poze lə disɛt | il vɔ̃ vuz‿ede/
Dial 17, they will help you.Dix-sept is /disɛt/. This fictional scene is set in France; it does not establish an emergency number for other countries.
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.
En cas d'urgence en France, composez le 17 pour la police, le 18 pour les pompiers ou le 15 pour le SAMU. Il est important de rester calme et d'indiquer votre adresse.
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.
sac versus sec
/sak/ vs /sɛk/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
peur versus pleur
/pœʁ/ vs /plœʁ/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
police versus politesse
/polis/ vs /politɛs/
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. OQLF IPA 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.
Safety boundary
This is language practice, not professional advice.
The dialogue does not diagnose, treat, provide emergency instructions, replace a clinician, or replace local emergency services. Use qualified help for real medical, legal, financial, or safety decisions.
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