Portuguese · Difficult words

How to pronounce coelho in Portuguese

coelho

Rabbit

koo-EH-lyoo/kuˈe.ʎu/

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

coelho is pronounced /kuˈe.ʎu/ in Portuguese. In coelho: 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 coelho

Read coelho in these IPA segments: ku · ˈe · ʎu. 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. 1.The lh sound /ʎ/

    In coelho: 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. 2.A steady /e/ vowel

    In coelho: 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. 3.Back rounded vowels

    In coelho: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA.

    Watch out: Avoid inserting a y sound before the vowel unless the IPA includes /j/.

Hear it in context

O coelho branco come alface o dia todo.

The white rabbit eats lettuce all day.

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 coelho. 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 coelho

How do you pronounce coelho?

coelho is pronounced /kuˈe.ʎu/ in Portuguese. In coelho: 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 coelho: 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.

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