Portuguese · Food & drink
How to pronounce colher in Portuguese
colher
Spoon
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
colher is pronounced /kuˈʎɛ(ʁ)/ in Portuguese. In colher: 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.
Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
Find the sounds in colher
Read colher in these IPA segments: ku · ˈʎɛ(ʁ). 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 colher: 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.Open vowels
In colher: The symbols /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ indicate more open vowel positions than /e/ and /o/. Keep the jaw relaxed and the vowel steady.
Watch out: Do not assume every written e or o has the same vowel quality.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In colher: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
Hear it in context
Essa colher está grande demais para o café.
This spoon is too big for the coffee.
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 colher. 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 colher
How do you pronounce colher?
colher is pronounced /kuˈʎɛ(ʁ)/ in Portuguese. In colher: 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 colher: 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.
