Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

para is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈpɐ.ɾɐ]. It means “for.” Both a's are soft 'uh' sounds — closer to 'puh-ruh' than the clear 'pah-rah' you'd expect from Spanish or Italian.

Both a's are soft 'uh' sounds — closer to 'puh-ruh' than the clear 'pah-rah' you'd expect from Spanish or Italian.

para [ˈpɐ.ɾɐ]

Stress falls on the first syllable, but unlike in Spanish or Italian, neither vowel opens up fully — both stay in the reduced [ɐ] range typical of EP; in fast casual speech it's often clipped to just 'pra'.

Listen: para

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Sound it out

p Same as English 'p', but unaspirated — no puff of air, unlike the English 'p' in 'pin'.

a...a Both a's are the muted, central [ɐ] vowel, not the fully open 'ah' of Spanish 'para' — Portuguese keeps them noticeably duller.

r A light, single tap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, similar to the 'tt' in American English 'butter', not an English 'r'.

Hear it in a sentence

Isto é para ti.

This is for you.

Listen: Isto é para ti.

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'Isto é para ti' uses 'para' to mean 'for', directed at the informal 'ti' (you). In casual Lisbon speech, you'll very often hear 'para ti' contracted informally to 'pra ti', so don't be thrown off if native speakers drop a syllable.

Where English speakers slip

Speakers with Spanish background especially tend to give both a's in 'para' a fully open, clear 'ah' sound. European Portuguese mutes both vowels toward a duller [ɐ], and frequently compresses the whole word to a single syllable 'pra' in fluent speech — expect to hear it shortened even if you say it in full.