3 syllables: Ma, pu, to. Stress on pu.
muh-POO-toh
/məˈputoʊ/
Maputo is pronounced muh-POO-toh (/məˈputoʊ/). It has three syllables (Ma-pu-to), with the stress on "pu". Maputo is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. As a proper noun, it refers to the city and its metropolitan area, and is pronounced with two syllables in many languages. The name comes from the Portuguese colonial era and is now widely used in English-language contexts to denote the Mozambican capital and its environs.
nounMaputo is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. As a proper noun, it refers to the city and its metropolitan area, and is pronounced with two syllables in many languages. The name comes from the Portuguese colonial era and is now widely used in English-language contexts to denote the Mozambican capital and its environs.
How to Pronounce Maputo
"We flew to Maputo for a business conference."
"Maputo hosts a bustling waterfront and vibrant markets."
"The map shows Maputo’s layout across the bay."
Maputo is pronounced with three phonetic units: /məˈpuː.tɔ/ in many English renderings. Primary stress falls on the second syllable: ma-POO-to. The last vowel is a short, open back vowel in many European renderings; in American English you’ll hear a mid back rounded vowel /ɔ/. Practice: start with /mə/ in a relaxed syllable, then /ˈpuː/ with rounded lips, finishing with /tɔ/ with an open back vowel. For audio reference, compare to YouGlish and Pronounce resources that illustrate Mozambican city names.”,
Common errors include: misplacing stress (placing on the first or third syllable instead of the second), mispronouncing the middle vowel as a short /ɪ/ or /æ/ instead of /uː/, and producing a final /to/ as /toʊ/ or /tuː/ rather than the shortened /tɔ/. Correction tips: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /uː/ vowel and soften the final /ɔ/ to a concise /ɔ/ or /ɔ/ depending on accent; keep the final consonant tense but brief. Use minimal pairs against similar city names to stabilize the /puː/ and /tɔ/ sounds.”,
In US English, Maputo is often /məˈpuː.toʊ/ with a final tense /oʊ/; UK English tends toward /ˈməːˈpuː.tə/ with a shorter final /ə/ or /ɔː/ depending on speaker. Australian English commonly renders it /ˈmæˈpuː.tə/ with reduced final vowel and non-rhoticity, where the /t/ remains tapped or flapped in casual speech. The primary stress remains on the second syllable across accents; vowel quality of /uː/ is robust in all three, while final vowel quality shifts from /ɔ/ to more open /ə/ or /ɔː/ depending on the speaker. Practicing with region-specific audio aids will help normalize these differences.”,
The challenge lies in the combination of a stressed second syllable with a long high back vowel /uː/ followed by a short, open back final /ɔ/ or /tə/. Non-native speakers often misplace the stress, blend /pu/ with an indistinct vowel, or soften the final /t/ too much, producing /tə/ or /to/ instead of a crisp /tɔ/. The rapid transition between the long vowel and the short final vowel requires careful tongue retraction and lip rounding. Hearing native audio and mimicking mouth shapes helps build accuracy.
A useful maputo-specific focus is the diphthongization, or rather the steadier long /uː/ in the middle syllable. Unlike some city names with clear American /oʊ/ or /oʊ/ sequences, Maputo’s middle syllable is a steady /uː/ with rounded lips, followed by a distinct /ɔ/ or /ə/ in the final sound depending on accent. Be mindful of keeping the /puː/ cluster tight while letting the final consonant release clearly. IPA: /məˈpuː.to/ (US) or /ˈməpjuː.tə/ (var.)
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US: Maintain rhotic clarity while preserving /ɔ/ or /ə/ at the end. UK: Stronger non-rhoticity, final vowel often reduced; US /tɔ/ vs UK /tə/. AU: tends toward non-rhotic with a shorter final vowel and a slightly tighter /t/ release. IPA anchors: /məˈpuː.to/ (US), /ˈməpjuː.tə/ (AU/UK variations). Vowel distinctions: middle /uː/ is high back rounded; final /ɔ/ or /ə/ depends on accent; ensure lip rounding matches the vowel. The key is to keep middle long, final short, stress on second syllable, and uniform rhythm across accents.
Maputo’s name derives from the city’s pre-colonial and colonial history. The area around the present-day capital was historically known to local communities by various names, but the modern toponym Maputo was popularized during the Portuguese colonial era when Mozambique was a Portuguese colony beginning in the late 15th century. The name’s precise linguistic origin is debated; some scholars link it to an indigenous term describing a location by the water, others suggest it emerged from phonetic adaptations of local terms by Portuguese explorers and settlers. The first published English references to Maputo date from the early 20th century, coinciding with Mozambique’s colonial documentation. Over time, Maputo has solidified as the administrative center of the country and as a cultural hub, with its name used globally in travel, diplomacy, and media, frequently without modification. In recent decades, Mozambique’s independence movement and post-independence state-building reinforced Maputo’s identity as both a geographic and symbolic focal point of the nation.”,
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Words that rhyme with "Maputo"
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