Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

leão is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [liˈɐ̃w̃]. It means “lion.” Say "lee-OWNG" but let the final part go through your nose instead of finishing with a hard "ng" — like "lee-yow" nasalized.

Say "lee-OWNG" but let the final part go through your nose instead of finishing with a hard "ng" — like "lee-yow" nasalized.

leão [liˈɐ̃w̃]

Stress falls on the second syllable, which carries the nasal diphthong -ão; the first syllable le- is unstressed and stays brief.

Listen: leão

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Sound it out

le- A short, unstressed "lee" sound leading into the main syllable.

-ão The stressed nasal diphthong, gliding from open "ah" toward "ow" with continuous nasal airflow — the same sound found in verão and cão.

Hear it in a sentence

O leão é o rei da selva.

The lion is the king of the jungle.

Listen: O leão é o rei da selva.

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"O leão é o rei da selva" uses the verb ser (é, "is") for a permanent, definitional statement (identity), correctly contrasting with estar used for temporary states elsewhere in this set. Da selva contracts de + a into da, showing possession/origin ("of the jungle"), and rei (king) is a useful irregular-looking but regular masculine noun to notice alongside leão.

Where English speakers slip

Learners often merge the two syllables into something like a single "lee-own", flattening the distinct le- syllable into the diphthong; European Portuguese keeps le- brief but separate before the full nasal ão glide, and rushing past it can make the word hard to distinguish from unrelated words.