Portuguese · Difficult words
How to pronounce urso in Portuguese
urso
Bear
Brazilian Portuguese; reference: Brazil · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
urso is pronounced /ˈuʁ.su/ in Portuguese. In urso: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in urso
Read urso in these IPA segments: ˈuʁ · su. 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.Back rounded vowels
In urso: 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/.
2.A clear /s/
In urso: 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
O urso dormia na sombra perto da pedra.
The bear was sleeping in the shade near the rock.
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 urso. 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 urso
How do you pronounce urso?
urso is pronounced /ˈuʁ.su/ in Portuguese. In urso: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In urso: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
