Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

desculpa is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [dɨʃˈkuɫpɐ]. It means “sorry.” dish-KOOL-puh — same shape as 'desculpe' but ending in an open 'uh' instead of a near-silent 'e'; stress stays on 'CUL'.

dish-KOOL-puh — same shape as 'desculpe' but ending in an open 'uh' instead of a near-silent 'e'; stress stays on 'CUL'.

desculpa [dɨʃˈkuɫpɐ]

Stress on 'cul'; it differs from 'desculpe' only in the final vowel — 'a' here is a fuller, open unstressed 'uh' sound rather than the almost-mute 'e'.

Listen: desculpa

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Sound it out

des Same as in 'desculpe': a reduced schwa vowel plus an 's' that sounds like 'sh', together resembling English 'dish'.

cul Stressed 'k' sound plus a dark, back-of-the-mouth 'l' (like English 'cold'), then a short 'oo'.

pa Unstressed final syllable: 'p' as in English, followed by a reduced but still audible open 'uh' vowel — clearer than the 'e' ending of 'desculpe' but still short and unstressed.

Hear it in a sentence

Desculpa, estou atrasado.

Sorry, I'm late.

Listen: Desculpa, estou atrasado.

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"Desculpa" is the informal counterpart to "desculpe," used with friends, family, or peers (the "tu" form), as in "Desculpa, estou atrasado." Using it with a stranger or in a formal setting would sound overly casual for the situation.

Where English speakers slip

Learners frequently confuse "desculpe" and "desculpa," not realizing the final vowel marks a formality distinction (formal/polite vs. informal "tu"); pronunciation-wise, the final 'a' should stay short and unstressed, not turn into a full stressed "ah".