Portuguese Pronunciation – lh

portuguese-lh-words

The LH in the middle of a word is one of the trickiest pronunciations. Really though, it's not that hard. You just need to remember to half-pronounce the 'L'. So, it's not trabayar it's, traBAlyoo. Feel yourself saying the L, but don't dwell on it. As soon as you feel the L, continue right into the rest. You can treat the h pretty much as if it were a Y.

Here are some common Portuguese words that contain “lh” together:

Velho ➜ VE-lyoo : Old
Filho ➜ FEE-lyoo : Son
Espelho ➜ es-PE-lyoo : Mirror
Olhar ➜ o-LYAR : To look
Orelha ➜ o-RE-lya : Ear
Molho ➜ MO-lyoo : Sauce
Aparelho ➜ a-pa-RE-lyoo : Device / Appliance
Detalhe ➜ de-TA-lyee : Detail
Folha ➜ FO-lya : Leaf / Sheet (of paper)
Barulho ➜ ba-RU-lyoo : Noise

The “lh” sound in Portuguese is similar to the “lli” in the English word “million”, but a bit softer and more palatalized. The tongue is placed close to the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper teeth, creating a smooth, flowing sound.

Here’s how to pronounce it:
1. Position your tongue – Place the middle of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, near the hard palate.
2. Airflow – Let the air pass over your tongue, producing a soft “ly” sound.

» From our online Portuguese course.