Portuguese (Brazil) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "algo" in Portuguese (Brazil)?

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

algo is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈaw.gu/. It means “something.” OW-goo. The l becomes a w, so the first syllable rhymes with "cow."

OW-goo. The l becomes a w, so the first syllable rhymes with "cow."

algo /ˈaw.gu/

The glide syllable is the loud one. That placement is worth noting: it proves the l change isn't a reduction that only happens in weak positions. Brazilian l vocalizes wherever it closes a syllable, loud or quiet.

Listen: algo

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

Sound it out

al An open a followed by an l that closes the syllable and therefore vocalizes fully to a w. The tongue tip never touches anything, and the pair comes out as the diphthong in "how."

go Hard g before the o — before an e or i the same letter would be a soft "zh" — and the o behind it raises to "oo."

Hear it in a sentence

Quero comer algo leve.

I want to eat something light.

Listen: Quero comer algo leve.

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

"Quero comer algo leve" links "comer algo" so the infinitive's final r firms into a tap before the vowel. "Leve" then ends on a raised "ee," and since v isn't affected by a following i-sound there's no palatalization — a useful contrast with words ending in -te or -de.

Where English speakers slip

Saying a real l gives "AL-goh," which is what both English and Spanish suggest and what Brazil never does. It's "OW-goo." On usage, "algo" is somewhat formal in Brazil — in conversation you'll hear "alguma coisa" far more often, so learners who only know "algo" sound slightly bookish.