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The letter R is pronounced in several ways in Portuguese. So let’s cut to the chase and see how it is done.

1. If it comes at the beginning of a word it sounds like an aspired “h” sound. The same sound happens in words starting with “enr”:

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rato (mouse) – reação (reaction) – receber (to receive) – resto (rest) – rio (river) – rir (to laugh) – risada (laughter) – roubar (to steal) – roupa (clothes) – rua (street) – rude (rude) – enrascada (trouble) – enredo (plot) – enroscar (to twine)

2. If the “r” comes between a vowel and a consonant it has three different sounds according to the region where it is spoken. In Rio and most northern parts of Brazil it sounds like a very aspired h. In São Paulo city and some cities in the south it sounds like a flap d (like the TT in “letter”). In the interior of São Paulo state it sounds like an English r. This also applies when the r comes at the end of a word.

In Rio and most northern parts of Brazil

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amor (love) – calor (heat) – carne (meat) – firme (firm) – inferior (inferior) – ir (to go) – morte (death) – superior (superior) – verde (green)

In São Paulo city and some southern cities

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amor (love) – calor (heat) – carne (meat) – firme (firm) – inferior (inferior) – ir (to go) – morte (death) – superior (superior) – verde (green)

In the interior of São Paulo

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amor (love) – calor (heat) – carne (meat) – firme (firm) – inferior (inferior) – ir (to go) – morte (death) – superior (superior) – verde (green)

3. The double r (rr) is pronounced as an aspired h.

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arranhar (to scratch) – carro (car) – correr (to run) – forro (lining, padding) – horrível (horrible) – morrer (to die) – terra (earth)

4. If the r comes between two vowels it sounds like a flap d. The same happens when there is a consonant + r sound.

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barato (cheap) – careca (bald) – caro (expensive) – esperar (to wait) – maravilhoso (wonderful) – parar (to stop)

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Brasil – breve (brief) – brisa (breeze) – broto (sprout) – bruma (mist) – crânio (skull) – crer (to believe) – criança (child) – crocodilo (crocodile) – cruel (cruel) – dramático (dramatic) – drenar (to drain) – driblar (to dribble) – droga (drug) – frágil (fragile) – frequente (frequent) – fritar (to fry) – fruta (fruit) – grave (grave, serious) – grelhado (grilled) – gritar (to shout) – grosso (thick) – grupo (group) – trabalho (work) – trecho (excerpt, track) – tripulação (crew) – trocar (to change) – truque (trick)

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