Questions & Answers about É difícil dizê-lo em voz alta.
Why does the verb change from dizer to dizê before the pronoun lo?
When an infinitive verb like dizer is attached to a direct object pronoun like o, a, os, or as, the verb drops its final -r. To make the combination easier to pronounce, we add an -l- to the pronoun. This rule also applies to verb forms ending in -s or -z.
Why is there a circumflex accent on dizê-lo when dizer doesn't have one?
Once you drop the -r, the word technically becomes an oxytone (a word stressed on the final syllable) ending in -e. Portuguese spelling rules require a written accent here to maintain the stress. We use the circumflex (ê) because the vowel is pronounced with a closed sound.
Could I avoid this complicated grammar and just say É difícil dizer isso?
Does em voz alta refer to the pitch or the volume of the voice?