Spanish · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "porque" in Spanish?

Q: How do you pronounce porque in Spanish?

porque is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈpoɾ.ke/. It means “because.” POR-keh, one word with the stress on the first syllable — no accent, unlike "por qué".

POR-keh, one word with the stress on the first syllable — no accent, unlike "por qué".

porque /ˈpoɾ.ke/

POR-que: two syllables, and the first carries the beat, the placement the default rule gives for a vowel-final word — and no accent, because nothing needs marking. Contrast the two-word "por qué", which is stressed on the second element and carries an accent to flag the question. Same letters, opposite rhythm.

Listen: porque

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Sound it out

por An unaspirated p, a pure "oh", and a single tap of the r. This is the stressed beat, and the vowel must not be swallowed by the r.

que A hard k with the u silent, plus a short "eh" as in "bed". Fully pronounced, which makes the word two syllables.

Hear it in a sentence

Estudio porque quiero aprender.

I study because I want to learn.

Listen: Estudio porque quiero aprender.

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"Estudio porque quiero aprender" uses the one-word form to give a reason, and it chains straight into an infinitive after "quiero". "Aprender" is three beats stressed at the end because of its r ending, and "quiero aprender" links the o into the a with no break.

Where English speakers slip

Pronouncing the u gives "POR-kweh". It is silent after q. The stress then drifts to the second syllable by analogy with the question form, which is the reverse of what you want. And in writing, the four-way split between "porque", "por qué", "por que" and "porqué" catches everyone — but the first two cover almost all real usage, and they are distinguished by whether you are answering or asking.