Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

rio is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈriu]. It means “river.” Say "REE-oo", with a strong, slightly guttural r at the start (not an English r) and the two vowels said quickly together.

Say "REE-oo", with a strong, slightly guttural r at the start (not an English r) and the two vowels said quickly together.

rio [ˈriu]

Stress is on the first syllable RI; because r starts the word, it's pronounced with the stronger, more guttural European Portuguese initial-r sound, distinct from the light tap used between vowels.

Listen: rio

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Sound it out

ri- Word-initial r in European Portuguese is a stronger, often uvular or trilled sound, harsher than an English r and distinct from the light tapped r used mid-word (as in cavalo or peixe's relatives).

-o The final o here is lightly stressed-adjacent and stays fairly clear, closer to "oo", though shorter than a stressed vowel.

Hear it in a sentence

O rio passa perto da cidade.

The river passes near the city.

Listen: O rio passa perto da cidade.

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"O rio passa perto da cidade" uses passar (to pass/flow) for a river's movement, and perto de ("near") contracts with the article into perto da cidade ("near the city"). This sentence is a good example of everyday spatial description using a simple present-tense verb agreeing with the singular subject o rio.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often use the same soft, tapped r they'd use in a word like cavalo, but word-initial r in Portugal is a stronger, more guttural sound (similar to a French or German r in some speakers, or a hard trilled r in others); using the wrong r here is a frequent and quite noticeable pronunciation mistake for learners.