5 syllables: Ca, i, pi, ri, nha. Stress on ri.
/kaɪpɪˈɹiɲə/
Caipirinha is pronounced /kaɪpɪˈɹiɲə/. It has five syllables (Ca-i-pi-ri-nha), with the stress on "ri". Caipirinha is a Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça, lime, sugar, and ice. It’s commonly served in informal settings and features a lively, refreshing character. The word itself is of Portuguese origin and is used primarily to refer to this drink in Brazilian Portuguese and increasingly in international bars.
nounCaipirinha is a Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça, lime, sugar, and ice. It’s commonly served in informal settings and features a lively, refreshing character. The word itself is of Portuguese origin and is used primarily to refer to this drink in Brazilian Portuguese and increasingly in international bars.
How to Pronounce Caipirinha
"I ordered a Caipirinha and watched the bartender muddle lime with sugar."
"The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail, known for its vibrant, tangy flavor."
"At the party, someone mixed an improvised Caipirinha using extra lime juice."
Pronounce as KAI-pee-REEN-yah with the primary stress on the third syllable: ca-i-pi-RI-nha. IPA: US kaɪpɪˈriɲə; UK kaɪpɪˈriːɲə; AU kaɪpɪˈriːɲə. Begin with /kaɪ/ (as in 'kite'), then /pɪ/; stress the /ri/ syllable, and finish with /ɲə/ like the Spanish ñ. The final -inha is an English approximation of /ɲə/, a nasalized closing.
Common mistakes: (1) Stressing the final syllables too evenly, (2) mispronouncing the nasality of -inha (treating as '-een-uh' or '-inha' with English vowels), (3) failing to pronounce the /ɲ/ sound in -inha. Correction: place primary stress on the third syllable /ri/ (kaɪ.pɪˈri.ɲə), use a palatal nasal /ɲ/ similar to the Spanish ñ, and keep the final /ə/ as a light schwa-like nasal to avoid a hard 'a' sound.
US: /kaɪpɪˈriɲə/, rhoticity generally non-influential here; UK: /kaɪpɪˈriːɲə/ with a longer /iː/ in the second vowel; AU: similar to UK but with flatter intonation and more nasal vowel in the -inha ending. The key variation is the length of the second vowel and the realization of /ɲ/ as a palatal nasal; US tends to shorter /i/ and sometimes an audible /ɪ/ in /riɲə/; UK/AU favor clearer /iː/ and more rounded lip position for the final nasal.
Digging into the phonetics: the combination /ʃ/ or /ʒ/ is not present in the word, but the /ɲ/ in -inha may be unfamiliar to non-Portuguese speakers; the stress falls on the /ri/ syllable, not at the end; the final nasal /ɲə/ is a soft, nasal vowel that many learners mispronounce as clear vowels. Mastery requires cultivating a light, nasal ending with an affricate-like bite on /ri/ before the palatal nasal /ɲ/.
A unique feature is the palatal nasal /ɲ/ in the final syllable -inha. It’s like the Spanish ñ in año; do not substitute /n/ for /ɲ/. Additionally, stress on the middle of the word (kaɪpɪˈriɲə) is distinctive in Portuguese loanwords where the second-to-last syllable receives emphasis, creating a rhythm that may feel unfamiliar to English speakers.
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Caipirinha comes from Brazilian Portuguese and is a diminutive form of caipira, meaning a rustic or country person, with the -inha diminutive suffix. The drink originated in the 19th or early 20th century in rural Brazil; legends attribute its creation to sugarcane farmers and rural taverns who muddled sugar and lime with cachaça produced locally. Its exact origin is debated, but it gained popularity in urban centers and by the mid-20th century had become the classic Brazilian cocktail. The term caipira itself evokes rustic authenticity, and caipirinha as a proper noun became the established name for the lime-and-cachaça beverage, later exported globally as a symbol of Brazilian cocktail culture. First known written uses appear in Brazilian cookbooks and bar guides from the 1930s–1950s, with growth in the 1960s onward as cachaça gained international attention. The word’s phonology reflects Portuguese stress on the second-to-last syllable, typical of many Brazilian Portuguese words, reinforcing its recognizable cadence within cocktail menus worldwide.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Caipirinha" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Caipirinha"
-nha sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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