Portuguese · Food & drink

How to pronounce chá in Portuguese

chá

Tea

SHAH/ˈʃa/

Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.

chá is pronounced /ˈʃa/ in Portuguese. In chá: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

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Find the sounds in chá

The reference transcription for chá is /ˈʃa/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.

  1. 1.An open vowel

    In chá: 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

Para mim, um chá de camomila sem açúcar.

For me, a chamomile tea with no sugar.

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 chá. 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 chá

How do you pronounce chá?

chá is pronounced /ˈʃa/ in Portuguese. In chá: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

What should I listen for first?

In chá: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.

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