Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce preocupado in Portuguese
preocupado
Worried
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
preocupado is pronounced /pɾew.kuˈpa.du/ in Portuguese. In preocupado: 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 preocupado
Read preocupado in these IPA segments: pɾew · ku · ˈpa · du. 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.A light tapped r /ɾ/
In preocupado: 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.A steady /e/ vowel
In preocupado: 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.Back rounded vowels
In preocupado: 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
Estou preocupado com o resultado do exame.
I'm worried about the exam result.
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 preocupado. 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 preocupado
How do you pronounce preocupado?
preocupado is pronounced /pɾew.kuˈpa.du/ in Portuguese. In preocupado: 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 preocupado: 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.
