How to pronounce "cavaquinho" in English
kavaˈkiːnjuː
kava·KEE·nyoo
Primary stress: KEE
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
No video clips indexed yet for “cavaquinho”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “cavaquinho”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
kava
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
KEE
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
nyoo
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("KEE"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "cavaquinho" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “cavaquinho”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
One person came back with a guitar, another with a Brazilian-style ukulele called a cavaquinho, and a third with a tambourine and a tantam drum with a long, thick neck.
Hear it in context: “cavaquinho”
The English word “cavaquinho” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as kavaˈkiːnjuː (phonetic respelling: kava-KEE-nyoo). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (kava · KEE · nyoo), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (KEE). Grammatically, “cavaquinho” functions as a noun. Hear native speakers say cavaquinho in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “cavaquinho”
- A small guitar-string instrument of Portuguese origin, with four wire or gut strings, played with a plectrum.
Example Sentences (1)
- “One person came back with a guitar, another with a Brazilian-style ukulele called a cavaquinho, and a third with a tambourine and a tantam drum with a long, thick neck.”
Pronounce: “cavaquinho”
- Pronunciation:
- kava-KEE-nyoo
- Syllables:
- kava · KEE · nyoo
- Written Hyphenation:
- ca · vaq · uin · ho
- Primary stress:
- KEE
- IPA:
- kavaˈkiːnjuː
- Hear it in context
- cavaquinho
Words that Rhyme with “cavaquinho”
-injuWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"cavaquinho" (⁄kavaˈkiːnjuː⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "cavaquinho" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about cavaquinho
How do you pronounce “cavaquinho”?
“cavaquinho” is pronounced ⁄kavaˈkiːnjuː⁄ (kava-KEE-nyoo). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “cavaquinho”?
“cavaquinho” has 3 syllables: kava · KEE · nyoo.
Where is the stress in “cavaquinho”?
The primary stress in “cavaquinho” is on “KEE”.
What does “cavaquinho” mean?
A small guitar-string instrument of Portuguese origin, with four wire or gut strings, played with a plectrum.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “cavaquinho”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).