Portuguese · Everyday expressions

How to pronounce feliz aniversário in Portuguese

feliz aniversário

Happy birthday!

feh-LEEZ AH-nee-vehr-SAH-ryoo/feˈliz a.ni.veʁˈsa.ɾju/

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

feliz aniversário is pronounced /feˈliz a.ni.veʁˈsa.ɾju/ in Portuguese. In feliz aniversário: Touch the tongue tip briefly to the ridge behind the upper teeth, then move straight to the next sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

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Find the sounds in feliz aniversário

Read feliz aniversário in these IPA segments: fe · ˈliz a · ni · veʁ · ˈsa · ɾju. 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.A light tapped r /ɾ/

    In feliz aniversário: Touch the tongue tip briefly to the ridge behind the upper teeth, then move straight to the next sound.

    Watch out: Do not hold a strong English r in this position.

  2. 2.A steady /e/ vowel

    In feliz aniversário: 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.Front-vowel position

    In feliz aniversário: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front.

    Watch out: Do not decide vowel quality from English spelling alone.

Hear it in context

Feliz aniversário, Ana! Aproveita o dia.

Happy birthday, Ana! Enjoy the 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 feliz aniversário. 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 feliz aniversário

How do you pronounce feliz aniversário?

feliz aniversário is pronounced /feˈliz a.ni.veʁˈsa.ɾju/ in Portuguese. In feliz aniversário: Touch the tongue tip briefly to the ridge behind the upper teeth, then move straight to the next sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

What should I listen for first?

In feliz aniversário: Touch the tongue tip briefly to the ridge behind the upper teeth, then move straight to the next sound. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.

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