Portuguese · Difficult words

How to pronounce seis in Portuguese

seis

Six

SEHYS/ˈsejs/

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

seis is pronounced /ˈsejs/ in Portuguese. In seis: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

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Find the sounds in seis

The reference transcription for seis is /ˈsejs/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.

  1. 1.A steady /e/ vowel

    In seis: 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.

  2. 2.A clear /s/

    In seis: 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 despertador toca às seis todos os dias.

My alarm goes off at six every 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 seis. 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 seis

How do you pronounce seis?

seis is pronounced /ˈsejs/ in Portuguese. In seis: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

What should I listen for first?

In seis: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.

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