Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce terça-feira in Portuguese
terça-feira
Tuesday
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
terça-feira is pronounced /ˌteʁ.sɐˈfe(j).ɾɐ/ in Portuguese. In terça-feira: 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 terça-feira
Read terça-feira in these IPA segments: ˌteʁ · sɐ · ˈfe(j) · ɾɐ. 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 terça-feira: 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 terça-feira: 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.A clear /s/
In terça-feira: 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
Marquei o dentista na terça-feira.
I booked the dentist on Tuesday.
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 terça-feira. 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 terça-feira
How do you pronounce terça-feira?
terça-feira is pronounced /ˌteʁ.sɐˈfe(j).ɾɐ/ in Portuguese. In terça-feira: 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 terça-feira: 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.
