Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

felicidade is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [fɨ.li.si.ˈda.dɨ]. It means “happiness.” Say "fluh-see-see-DAH-duh", stacking several light, quick syllables before the strong stressed "DAH".

Say "fluh-see-see-DAH-duh", stacking several light, quick syllables before the strong stressed "DAH".

felicidade [fɨ.li.si.ˈda.dɨ]

Stress is on the fourth syllable "da"; the first syllable "fe" reduces heavily toward a light "fluh", the middle syllables stay light and quick, and the final "de" trails off to a faint central sound.

Listen: felicidade

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Sound it out

fe Unstressed "e" reduces to a very light, almost consonant-only sound, closer to "fluh" than a full "feh".

li-ci Both "i"s are clear, light, unstressed "ee" sounds, and "c" before "i" is a plain "s", as in English "cinema".

dade A clear, stressed, open "DAH" (true dental "d"), followed by the same faint, barely-voiced final "de" seen in verdade and liberdade.

Hear it in a sentence

A felicidade é simples.

Happiness is simple.

Listen: A felicidade é simples.

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"A felicidade é simples" means "Happiness is simple." As with amor and liberdade, "é" is the right choice here because the sentence states a general, abstract truth about happiness rather than a temporary condition — a pattern worth noticing across all the abstract-noun examples in this word set.

Where English speakers slip

With five syllables, English speakers tend to flatten the word into an even, syllable-timed rhythm the way they would say "fe-li-ci-ty" in English. European Portuguese is a stress-timed language, so the unstressed syllables here — especially the first — get compressed and rushed, while only "da" gets real length and clarity; aim for a lopsided, front-loaded-then-punched rhythm rather than an even one.