Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce abelha in Portuguese
abelha
Bee
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
abelha is pronounced /aˈbe.ʎɐ/ in Portuguese. In abelha: Raise the middle of the tongue and let air pass around the sides. Join the sound smoothly to the next vowel. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in abelha
Read abelha in these IPA segments: a · ˈbe · ʎɐ. Dots and stress marks identify the boundaries shown in the reference; these symbols are not English spelling. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The lh sound /ʎ/
In abelha: Raise the middle of the tongue and let air pass around the sides. Join the sound smoothly to the next vowel.
Watch out: An English l followed by a separate h will not produce this sound.
2.A steady /e/ vowel
In abelha: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording.
Watch out: English “ay” often ends with a glide; do not automatically carry that glide into this vowel.
3.An open vowel
In abelha: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
Hear it in context
Tem uma abelha no jardim, perto das flores.
There’s a bee in the garden, near the flowers.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
The recording uses a Brazilian Portuguese voice for abelha. Portuguese in Portugal and other regions can differ in vowel reduction and consonants. The reference may list several realizations; the transcription here is selected for a Brazilian or unmarked pronunciation.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about abelha
How do you pronounce abelha?
abelha is pronounced /aˈbe.ʎɐ/ in Portuguese. In abelha: Raise the middle of the tongue and let air pass around the sides. Join the sound smoothly to the next vowel. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In abelha: Raise the middle of the tongue and let air pass around the sides. Join the sound smoothly to the next vowel. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
