Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

fraco is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written ['fɾaku]. It means “weak.” Say "FRAH-koo" with a light tapped r, and let that final -o come out closer to a short "oo" than a full "oh."

Say "FRAH-koo" with a light tapped r, and let that final -o come out closer to a short "oo" than a full "oh."

fraco ['fɾaku]

Stress falls on the first syllable, FRA; the final -o is unstressed and reduces to a short [u] sound rather than the open "oh" of Brazilian Portuguese.

Listen: fraco

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Sound it out

fr Like English "fr" in "free," but the r is a single quick tap of the tongue, not the English glide.

a A clear, open "ah" as in "father" — this is the stressed vowel so it stays full and doesn't reduce.

co Sounds like "koo" — the o at the end of an unstressed syllable collapses toward "oo," unlike the full "oh" you'd hear in Brazilian Portuguese.

Hear it in a sentence

Sinto-me um pouco fraco hoje.

I feel a bit weak today.

Listen: Sinto-me um pouco fraco hoje.

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"Sinto-me um pouco fraco hoje" (I feel a bit weak today) uses the reflexive verb "sentir-se" (to feel), which is very common for describing physical or emotional states. Notice "um pouco" (a bit) softening the adjective, a natural hedge that Portuguese speakers use constantly before describing something mildly negative like tiredness or weakness.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often round the final -o into a full, distinct "oh" sound, the way it would be said in Brazilian Portuguese or in isolation. In Lisbon speech that final vowel is clipped almost to a mumbled "oo" or even barely audible — say "FRAH-koo" quickly and lightly rather than lingering on "FRAH-koh."