Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

Rhymes with English 'eh-oo' said fast, like the exclamation 'ay-oh' — starts open like 'eh' and glides into a 'w'.

eu [ew]

Single syllable, inherently stressed; the digraph 'eu' is a falling diphthong that glides from an open 'eh' into a 'w' sound.

Listen: eu

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Sound it out

e An open 'eh' vowel, like the e in English 'bed', as the starting point of the glide.

u Glides quickly into a 'w' sound, similar to how English 'few' ends — together 'eu' sounds like 'eh-oo' compressed into one syllable.

Hear it in a sentence

Eu sou português.

I am Portuguese.

Listen: Eu sou português.

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'Eu sou português' shows the subject pronoun 'eu' paired with 'sou' (I am, from 'ser'). Because Portuguese verb endings already indicate the subject, 'eu' is often dropped in casual conversation once the subject is established — you'll hear 'sou português' alone just as often.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often flatten 'eu' into a single pure vowel close to 'oo' or 'yoo', missing the glide entirely. It needs both parts: an open 'eh' that clearly slides into a 'w' — saying just 'oo' for 'eu' can make it sound like a completely different, unintended word.