English pronunciation · Words Starting with R
Rio Pronunciation
Rio is pronounced REE-oh, IPA /ˈrioʊ/.
REE-oh
US /ˈrioʊ/
Syllables: REE · oh (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
proper noun: Short for Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian city, and the Spanish and Portuguese word for river.
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Rio in a Sentence
- We spent four days in Rio before heading north.
- Rio hosted the games in 2016.
- The Rio Grande forms much of the border.
Common Mispronunciations of Rio
Not RY-oh
The i says ee, following Portuguese and Spanish rather than English spelling habits. Nothing here rhymes with my.
Not ree-OH
English settles the beat on the first syllable. The Portuguese original is closer to even, but a fronted stress is the standard English form.
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