Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "dentro" in Portuguese (Portugal)?

Q: How do you pronounce dentro in Portuguese (Portugal)?

dentro is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈdẽtɾu]. It means “inside.” Say "DEN-troo" with a nasal first syllable — stress the first syllable and keep the final "o" short.

Say "DEN-troo" with a nasal first syllable — stress the first syllable and keep the final "o" short.

dentro [ˈdẽtɾu]

Stress falls on the first syllable, nasalized by the following "n"; the true dental "d" and "t" stay hard consonants, never softening.

Listen: dentro

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

Sound it out

den A nasal vowel, air passing through the nose, similar to "dayn" but nasalized rather than followed by a clear "n" consonant.

tr A consonant cluster like the start of English "tree", with a true dental "t" (tongue at the teeth) and a light tapped "r".

o Unstressed final vowel, reduces to a short "oo".

Hear it in a sentence

Está mais fresco dentro de casa.

It's cooler inside the house.

Listen: Está mais fresco dentro de casa.

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

"Está mais fresco dentro de casa" (It's cooler inside the house) uses "dentro de" as a compound preposition meaning "inside of", always requiring the "de" when followed by a noun. "Fresco" here describes temperature (cool/fresh), a common adjective for weather and climate descriptions.

Where English speakers slip

Because "dentro" ends in "-tro", a cluster that doesn't naturally occur at the end of English words, learners sometimes insert an extra vowel sound between "t" and "r". They should also make sure the "d" stays a true dental "d" throughout — this word has no "i" following the "d", so there's no risk of the Brazilian-style "dj" palatalization here, but it's a good reminder that "d" stays crisp and dental in EU Portuguese generally.