Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

mar is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈmaɾ]. It means “sea.” Say "MAR" with a short, tapped "r" at the end, closer to a light flick of the tongue than an English or Brazilian "r".

Say "MAR" with a short, tapped "r" at the end, closer to a light flick of the tongue than an English or Brazilian "r".

mar [ˈmaɾ]

One syllable; the vowel is a clear, full "a" (not reduced, since it's stressed), and the final r is a single quick tap, not rolled or growled.

Listen: mar

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

Sound it out

m A plain English "m" as in "man".

a A full, open "ah" as in English "father", since it carries the stress.

r A light tongue-tap against the ridge behind the teeth, similar to the American English "tt" in "butter" said quickly — not the harsh guttural "r" used at the start of Portuguese words like "rua".

Hear it in a sentence

O mar está calmo hoje.

The sea is calm today.

Listen: O mar está calmo hoje.

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

"O mar está calmo hoje" means "The sea is calm today." This follows the same estar-for-temporary-conditions pattern as the other weather and nature examples in this set — calmo agrees in gender and number with the masculine singular "o mar".

Where English speakers slip

English speakers tend to pronounce the final r as a strong American "r" with the tongue curled back, or drop it silently as in British English. European Portuguese wants a light, quick tap instead — closer to a Spanish single "r" — and it should never be confused with the much stronger, throatier "r" used at the start of a word like "rio".