Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce rainha in Portuguese
rainha
Queen
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
rainha is pronounced /ʁaˈĩ.ɲɐ/ in Portuguese. In rainha: For vowels marked with a tilde, let air resonate through the nose while the mouth keeps its vowel shape. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in rainha
Read rainha in these IPA segments: ʁa · ˈĩ · ɲɐ. 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.Nasal resonance
In rainha: For vowels marked with a tilde, let air resonate through the nose while the mouth keeps its vowel shape.
Watch out: Do not add a strong n or m just because an English respelling uses one to suggest nasality.
2.The nh sound /ɲ/
In rainha: Make a single palatal consonant, with the middle of the tongue raised. It resembles the linked “ny” in “canyon”.
Watch out: Do not pronounce n and h as two separate consonants.
3.An open vowel
In rainha: 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
A rainha escondeu a chave no jardim.
The queen hid the key in the garden.
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 rainha. 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 rainha
How do you pronounce rainha?
rainha is pronounced /ʁaˈĩ.ɲɐ/ in Portuguese. In rainha: For vowels marked with a tilde, let air resonate through the nose while the mouth keeps its vowel shape. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In rainha: For vowels marked with a tilde, let air resonate through the nose while the mouth keeps its vowel shape. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
