LingoDrop
Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "ela" in Portuguese (Portugal)?
Say 'EH-luh', with the same open 'eh' as 'ele' but ending in the reduced 'uh' vowel instead.
Stress on the first syllable with the open [ɛ] vowel, same quality as 'ele'; the final 'a' reduces to the short central [ɐ].
Listen: ela
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
Ela estuda medicina.
She studies medicine.
Listen: Ela estuda medicina.
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'Ela estuda medicina' uses 'ela' (she) with 'estuda' (studies, from 'estudar'). Note that Portuguese doesn't use an article before the subject of study here ('medicina' alone), unlike some contexts in English where you might add one.
Where English speakers slip
As with 'ele', the main pitfall is closing the stressed vowel into something like 'AY-luh' instead of the correct open [ɛ]. A secondary trap is over-opening the final 'a' into a clear 'ah' rather than the duller, reduced [ɐ] EP actually uses in unstressed position.