Portuguese · Names

How to pronounce Luís in Portuguese

Luís

Portuguese personal name: Luís

loo-EES/luˈis/

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

Luís is pronounced /luˈis/ in Portuguese. In Luís: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

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Find the sounds in Luís

Read Luís in these IPA segments: lu · ˈis. 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.Front-vowel position

    In Luís: 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.

  2. 2.Back rounded vowels

    In Luís: 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/.

  3. 3.A clear /s/

    In Luís: Let air pass through a narrow groove near the front of the mouth. Keep the sound unvoiced.

    Watch out: Do not add voicing and turn /s/ into /z/.

Hear it in context

Meu nome é Luís.

My name is Luís.

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 Luís. 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.

Questions about Luís

How do you pronounce Luís?

Luís is pronounced /luˈis/ in Portuguese. In Luís: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

What should I listen for first?

In Luís: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.

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