Portuguese (Brazil) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

assim is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /aˈsĩ/. It means “like this / that way.” ah-SEENG. The double s is one plain hiss, and the ending is a nasal vowel with no closing m.

ah-SEENG. The double s is one plain hiss, and the ending is a nasal vowel with no closing m.

assim /aˈsĩ/

End-stressed, which the rule for words ending in -im delivers without an accent — the same rule that governs "sim," "mim" and "ruim." Portuguese consistently puts the weight on a final nasal, so any word ending in a nasal vowel or diphthong is end-stressed unless an accent says otherwise.

Listen: assim

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Sound it out

a An unstressed open "ah" opening the word, short and quick, with no consonant in front of it.

ss Doubled to keep the sound unvoiced between vowels — a single s there would buzz into a z. Portuguese has no long consonants, so nothing here is held; the doubling is purely a spelling instruction.

im A stressed i nasalized by the m, which is an orthographic marker rather than a consonant. Hum the "ee" through your nose and stop while it's still resonating.

Hear it in a sentence

Faça assim, é mais fácil.

Do it this way, it's easier.

Listen: Faça assim, é mais fácil.

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"Faça assim, é mais fácil" links "faça assim" so the final "ah" of the verb runs straight into the opening "ah" of the adverb — the two vowels merge into one longer sound. "Fácil" then closes the sentence on its vocalized l.

Where English speakers slip

A closed-lip m at the end gives "ah-SEEM," adding a consonant Portuguese doesn't have. Lengthening the double s is the second habit. And learners over-use the word: "assim" means in this way or like this, so using it as a filler where English would say "so" produces sentences that sound oddly literal.