Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "em baixo" in Portuguese (Portugal)?

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

em baixo is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ɐ̃j̃ ˈbajʃu]. It means “down.” Say "ayng BYE-shoo" — nasal on "em", then stress the first syllable of "baixo", where "x" sounds like "sh".

Say "ayng BYE-shoo" — nasal on "em", then stress the first syllable of "baixo", where "x" sounds like "sh".

em baixo [ɐ̃j̃ ˈbajʃu]

Stress falls on "bai" in "baixo"; the "x" spelling here represents the "sh" sound, not "ks" or "z" as in English.

Listen: em baixo

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

Sound it out

em A nasal diphthong, "ayng", produced through the nose.

bai Stressed syllable, a diphthong like English "bye".

xo The "x" here is pronounced "sh", and the final "o" reduces to a short "oo", giving "-shoo".

Hear it in a sentence

As chaves estão em baixo.

The keys are down there.

Listen: As chaves estão em baixo.

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

"As chaves estão em baixo" (The keys are down there) mirrors the structure of "em cima" but for a lower location, and "estão" is the third-person plural of "estar" agreeing with the plural subject "as chaves" (the keys). This kind of subject-verb agreement is essential and easy for beginners to slip up on when the subject comes before a compound predicate.

Where English speakers slip

The letter "x" in Portuguese has several possible sounds depending on the word, and in "baixo" it is the "sh" sound — English speakers often default to "ks" (as in "box") or "z" (as in "exam"), both of which are wrong here. This "sh" value for "x" is consistent in both European and Brazilian Portuguese, so it's a safe pattern to learn once and reuse.