Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce borboleta in Portuguese
borboleta
Butterfly
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
borboleta is pronounced /boʁ.boˈle.tɐ/ in Portuguese. In borboleta: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in borboleta
Read borboleta in these IPA segments: boʁ · bo · ˈle · tɐ. 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.A steady /e/ vowel
In borboleta: 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.
2.A steady /o/ vowel
In borboleta: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription.
Watch out: Avoid automatically turning a single /o/ into the moving vowel of English “go”.
Hear it in context
Uma borboleta pousou na flor vermelha.
A butterfly landed on the red flower.
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 borboleta. 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 borboleta
How do you pronounce borboleta?
borboleta is pronounced /boʁ.boˈle.tɐ/ in Portuguese. In borboleta: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In borboleta: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
