On some voice samples the stress in Período is on the í, and on Rui’s samples it’s on the first o.
Should I say p-RI-o-do or pri-O-do ?
Thanks 
1 Like
In theory, the only correct pronunciation is the first (the accent clearly marks the stress), but in practice, the other one has become very common, if not dominant. So, I don’t have a firm answer for you - if we stay open to the real-world trends, either option is ultimately acceptable.
5 Likes
I love this question and answer. It shows how languages develop and change. In the US, we often say things like “Me and my wife are going to…” This is grammatically wrong, but people say it all the time!!! So if a foreigner says it, it would not be noticed by most people.
My wife’s cousin has been working with me, and we were talking about how Americans mix up “good” and “well”. As I recall, he said that in his experience, the Portuguese NEVER mix up “boa”and “bem” (and the gender variants).
1 Like
Indeed! I suppose many languages are subject to this. There are lots of examples of incorrections that are common among Portuguese speakers (I confirm that bem/boa isn’t one of them) Some are worth fighting against, while others are easier to integrate, at least outside of formal language standards. I believe that for the average person, the pronunciation of words like período or gratuito* falls into the latter.
*many people pronounce gratuito with a stressed I, instead of a stressed U
2 Likes