Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce quatro in Portuguese
quatro
Four
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
quatro is pronounced /ˈkwa.tɾu/ in Portuguese. In quatro: 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 quatro
Read quatro in these IPA segments: ˈkwa · tɾu. 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 quatro: 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.Back rounded vowels
In quatro: 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.An open vowel
In quatro: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
Hear it in context
Mesa para quatro perto da janela, por favor.
Table for four near the window, please.
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 quatro. 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 quatro
How do you pronounce quatro?
quatro is pronounced /ˈkwa.tɾu/ in Portuguese. In quatro: 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 quatro: 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.
