vin versus vent
/vɛ̃/ vs /vɑ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
A2+ · French pronunciation lesson
Au Restaurant (Dialogue au restaurant): 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.
Intégrer toutes les compétences phonétiques dans un dialogue au restaurant.
Six phrases for this web practice
French phrases with IPA and English meaning
- 1Bonsoir, vous avez réservé?
/bɔ̃swaʁ vuz‿ave ʁezɛʁve/
Good evening, have you made a reservation? - 2Oui, au nom de Thomas.
/wi o nɔ̃ də tɔma/
Yes, under the name Thomas.Thomas uses one common French given-name reading, with silent final s.
- 3Parfait, suivez-moi, s'il vous plaît.
/paʁfɛ sɥive mwa sil vu plɛ/
Perfect, follow me, please. - 4Merci. Qu'est-ce que vous conseillez?
/mɛʁsi kɛs kə vu kɔ̃sɛje/
Thank you. What do you recommend? - 5Le plat du jour est excellent ce soir.
/lə pla dy ʒuʁ ɛt‿ɛksɛlɑ̃ sə swaʁ/
The dish of the day is excellent this evening.This reading includes the common t liaison after est before excellent. Excellent is the adjective /ɛksɛlɑ̃/.
- 6Alors, on va prendre ça et du vin.
/alɔʁ ɔ̃ va pʁɑ̃dʁ sa e dy vɛ̃/
Then, we'll take that and some wine.
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 .
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.
poisson versus poison
/pwasɔ̃/ vs /pwazɔ̃/
Change the contrasting sound while keeping the other sounds steady.
pain versus banc
/pɛ̃/ vs /bɑ̃/
Compare the complete words. This is not a one-sound minimal pair.
beau versus bon
/bo/ vs /bɔ̃/
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 .
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.
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