Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

pé is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈpɛ]. It means “foot.” Say "peh", like the English word "pet" without the final "t".

Say "peh", like the English word "pet" without the final "t".

pé [ˈpɛ]

One syllable with an open, accented "é", pronounced like the vowel in English "bed", not the closed "ay" sound of an unaccented Portuguese "e".

Listen: pé

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Sound it out

p A plain English "p" as in "pet", but unaspirated — say it with less of a puff of air than the English version.

é An open "e" as in English "bed", held clearly since it's both stressed and marked with an accent.

Hear it in a sentence

Magoei o pé a correr.

I hurt my foot while running.

Listen: Magoei o pé a correr.

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"Magoei o pé a correr" means "I hurt my foot while running." "A + infinitive" (a correr) is the characteristic European Portuguese way of expressing an ongoing action ("while running"), a construction Brazilian Portuguese typically replaces with the gerund "correndo" — a useful marker of European usage to recognize.

Where English speakers slip

The main trap is confusing this open, accented é with the closed "e" sound found in unaccented positions elsewhere in Portuguese, or gliding it toward an English "ay" as in "pay". Keep it short and open, like "peh", and remember Portuguese p, t, k are unaspirated — no puff of air like in English.