Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

mundo is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈmũ.du]. It means “world.” Say "MOON-doo" but nasalize the first vowel, pushing air through the nose on the "oo" sound.

Say "MOON-doo" but nasalize the first vowel, pushing air through the nose on the "oo" sound.

mundo [ˈmũ.du]

Stress falls on the first syllable, which contains a nasal vowel (written "un" but pronounced as a single nasalized "oo", not a vowel-plus-n sequence).

Listen: mundo

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Sound it out

mun Stressed: the "un" here is a nasal vowel, a nasalized "oo" sound with no actual consonant "n" pronounced afterward — air simply flows through the nose during the vowel.

do Unstressed final syllable, a true dental d followed by a closed, short "oo".

Hear it in a sentence

O mundo é muito grande.

The world is very big.

Listen: O mundo é muito grande.

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"O mundo é muito grande" is another simple "ser" + adjective sentence describing an inherent, lasting quality. "Muito" here functions as an adverb intensifying "grande" (very big), distinct from its earlier adverbial use modifying a verb like "trabalha". "Grande" again doesn't change form between masculine and feminine, staying invariable.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often pronounce the "un" in "mundo" as a full vowel-plus-consonant sequence, closing the lips to make an actual "n", similar to English "moon-doh"; Portuguese instead nasalizes the vowel itself without a separate consonant articulation. This nasal-vowel pattern (vowel + n/m before another consonant becoming a pure nasal vowel) is consistent across European and Brazilian Portuguese, so it's a general skill worth mastering rather than a regional quirk here.