Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

filha is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈfi.ʎɐ]. It means “daughter.” Say "FEE-lyuh", with the same palatal "lh" as "filho" but ending in a soft "uh" instead of "oo".

Say "FEE-lyuh", with the same palatal "lh" as "filho" but ending in a soft "uh" instead of "oo".

filha [ˈfi.ʎɐ]

Stress falls on the first syllable; the final unstressed "a" reduces to a light "uh", distinguishing it from "filho"'s "-oo" ending.

Listen: filha

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Sound it out

fi Stressed, a clean short "fee", identical to the start of "filho".

lh Same palatal lateral as in "filho" — like the "lli" of "million", not a plain l.

a Unstressed final a is a quick, light "uh", not a full open "ah".

Hear it in a sentence

A tua filha fala três línguas.

Your daughter speaks three languages.

Listen: A tua filha fala três línguas.

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"A tua filha fala três línguas" uses "tua" (feminine of "teu", your) agreeing with "filha". "Línguas" here means "languages", a common secondary meaning of "língua" (which primarily means "tongue") — context makes clear which sense is meant. "Fala" is the simple present of "falar" (to speak), used generally for describing abilities, not an ongoing action.

Where English speakers slip

As with "filho", the "lh" is the main pronunciation risk — don't collapse it into a plain "l". The secondary risk is over-pronouncing the final "a" as a full "ah" the way you might in Spanish; in Lisbon Portuguese it should stay light and quick, closer to "FEE-lyuh" than the more open "FEE-lya" some learners default to from other Romance languages.