Portuguese (Brazil) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "a loja" in Portuguese (Brazil)?

Q: How do you pronounce a loja in Portuguese (Brazil)?

a loja is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /a ˈlɔ.ʒɐ/. It means “shop / store.” ah LAW-zhah. A wide-open stressed o and a soft "zh" for the j.

ah LAW-zhah. A wide-open stressed o and a soft "zh" for the j.

a loja /a ˈlɔ.ʒɐ/

The default lands on "lo-," as it does for any -a ending. The open stressed o is unmarked in the spelling, which is the norm — and the contrast matters here, because a closed "oh" would push the word toward a sound Brazilians don't use for it.

Listen: a loja

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Sound it out

lo Tongue tip up for a full l, then an open o — jaw down, lips loosely rounded, closer to "law" than "low." This is the stressed syllable.

ja The j is "zh," the s in "measure," and the final a lightens toward "uh." Never the hard English j, and never the throaty Spanish one.

Hear it in a sentence

A loja fecha às sete.

The store closes at seven.

Listen: A loja fecha às sete.

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"A loja fecha às sete" uses "às," the merged preposition and article with a grave accent. "Fecha" opens with a "sh," and "sete" ends in the palatalized "tchee" — so the sentence gives you a palatal fricative, a palatal affricate and the soft "zh" of "loja" in one short line.

Where English speakers slip

The hard English j is the reliable error, giving "LOH-jah" with a closed vowel on top of it. Make the consonant "zh" and open the o. Learners also confuse "loja" with "mercado": a "loja" sells goods generally, while a "mercado" is specifically a market or supermarket.