Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

flor is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [floɾ]. It means “flower.” Say "flor" much like the English word "floor" but shorter, with a light tapped or softly fricative r at the end instead of an English r.

Say "flor" much like the English word "floor" but shorter, with a light tapped or softly fricative r at the end instead of an English r.

flor [floɾ]

This one-syllable word has no stress choice to make; the key detail is the word-final r, which in European Portuguese is pronounced lightly, sometimes almost fricative, rather than as a strong English r.

Listen: flor

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Sound it out

flo- A closed o sound, like the vowel in English "go" but without gliding into "oo".

-r Word-final r in European Portuguese is typically a soft tap or light fricative, much weaker and less pronounced than an English final r, and quite different from the stronger uvular r used word-initially (as in rio).

Hear it in a sentence

Esta flor cheira muito bem.

This flower smells very good.

Listen: Esta flor cheira muito bem.

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"Esta flor cheira muito bem" uses cheirar (to smell) with muito bem ("very well/good") as an adverbial phrase describing how pleasant the smell is, a natural way to compliment a scent in Portuguese. Esta (this) agrees in gender with the feminine flor, a good reminder that flor is feminine despite ending in a consonant.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often give the final r in flor a strong, fully articulated English-style r; in European Portuguese, word-final r is much lighter, often just a soft tap or breathy release, and some speakers barely voice it at all — over-pronouncing it is a subtle but common tell of a foreign accent.