mail versus mille
/mɛl/ vs /mil/
Here mail means email and is read /mɛl/. Compare it with mille /mil/.
A2 · French pronunciation lesson
Au bureau (Message court entre collègues): phrase and IPA practice
Read six useful French phrases, check their IPA and English meaning, then compare four words, phrases, or spoken forms.
Teacher note
What to notice before you repeat.
Appliquer la chute du e muet et les contractions orales dans un échange professionnel bref.
Six phrases for this web practice
French phrases with IPA and English meaning
- 1T'as vu l'mail du chef?
/ta vy lmɛl dy ʃɛf/
Did you see the boss's email?Mail here means email and is read /mɛl/. L’mail is an informal schwa deletion from le mail.
- 2Pas encore, j'regarde ça tout d'suite.
/pa ɑ̃kɔʁ ʒʁəɡaʁd sa tut dsɥit/
Not yet, I'll look at it right away.The deleted schwas in j’regarde and d’suite are retained as consonant clusters; pace may alter voicing.
- 3Faut qu'on réponde avant midi.
/fo kɔ̃ ʁepɔ̃d avɑ̃ midi/
We have to reply before noon. - 4OK, j'prépare deux phrases en français.
/ɔkɛ ʒpʁepaʁ dø fʁaz ɑ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛ/
OK, I'll prepare two sentences in French.OK is read /ɔkɛ/ here; its pronunciation varies. J’prépare is an informal contraction.
- 5Nickel, j't'envoie un doc sur l'intranet.
/nikɛl ʃtɑ̃vwa œ̃ dɔk syʁ lɛ̃tʁanɛt/
Great, I'll send you a doc on the intranet.J’t’envoie is shown with one common voicing assimilation. Full je t’envoie is also possible.
- 6Merci, on se cale à quatorze heures ?
/mɛʁsi ɔ̃ sə kal a katɔʁz œʁ/
Thanks, shall we set it for 2 p.m.?
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. Larousse: mail. Reviewed .
Four focused comparisons
Compare the words, sounds, or delivery.
Read the label on each card. A one-sound contrast changes one sound; other cards compare whole words, identical readings, connected speech, or intonation. Follow the note before repeating.
chef versus chère
/ʃɛf/ vs /ʃɛʁ/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
midi versus minuit
/midi/ vs /minɥi/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
doc versus dock
/dɔk/ vs /dɔk/
These reference readings sound the same. Use spelling and sentence context to tell the forms apart.
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. Larousse: mail. Reviewed .
A short repeat routine
Meaning first, then shape, then speed.
- Read the English meaning so the line has a clear intention.
- Use the IPA to locate the target sound or connection.
- Repeat slowly without adding an English-style extra vowel.
- Follow the comparison card’s note and return to the complete phrase.
- Use the sound chart to hear a reference for a sound you find difficult.
Evidence boundary
IPA is a reference, not a pronunciation score.
The transcription and contrasts support deliberate practice. They do not certify an accent, diagnose a speech issue, or prove CEFR proficiency. Phrase Match in the app reports detected words and can be wrong.
Start a guided speaking task in Parle.
The app has 35 free sound references with recording and replay, plus a separate speaking course. Try its first 4 missions on greetings and introductions free; Premium opens all 120 missions.