Table with (letter | name | phonetics | example)
- Alphabet
- Diphthongs
- Pronunciation rules & exceptions
- Accents
- Practice ** Audio examples ** Listen, Repeat, & Spell ** Read & speak
It is important to learn how to correctly spell and pronounce a language early in your language learning adventure because it avoids learning two versions of the same language. For example, if I learned the meaning of the word “filha” but never learned to pronounce it correctly, I would know it means daughter but would think it is pronounced as “fill-ha”. Then, when I finally use it with a native speaker or perhaps hear it pronounced, I will have to forget the pronunciation I originally linked to the word and replace it with the correct one. As you can see, it is definitely worth investing some time upfront to avoid this situation. I promise it won’t be too painful!
ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Letter | Name | Pronunciation | Example | Approximate Sound | Notes |
ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
- Depends on regional accent.
- *When at the end of a word or syllable, indicates that the previous vowel is nasalized.
Digraphs
Pairs of letters which represent a single sound different from the sum of their components.
Stress Pattern
Default stress is on the next-to-last syllable.
Examples
como estuda comida eles vizinha revistas velho
Words ending in L/Z/R/U/I
Stress is on the last syllable.
Examples
jornal papel rapaz falar urubu comi
Accent Marks
Automatically pulls stress to the syllable containing the accent mark.
Examples
Automático Pronúncia Àquilo ônibus metrô
Accent Marks
Accent Marks
Mark(s)
á,é,í,ó,ú
â,ê,ô
à
ã,õ
ç
- You need to switch your keyboard to United States International.
Other Important Tips
Noun vs Verb
It is common for a verb in the 1st person present form and the related noun to be the same word but they are usually pronounced slightly different. When this happens, the noun is pronounced with a closed vowel and the verb is pronounced with an open vowel.
Examples
o remo, eu remo o piloto, eu piloto o almoço, eu almoço
Back-to-Back Consonants
Often, when two consonants come one after another in a word, it can be hard for Brazilians to pronounce them so instead, they will throw a “e” in between.
Examples
ritmo objetivo digno advogado
Closing
Pronunciation can be annoying to study but will pay off huge in the end. Learning how the different vowels, constants, accent marks, and stresses work in Portuguese will allow you to pronounce the words you learn correctly from the start.
The trickiest pronunciation there is
BBH Assignment
Practice pronouncing the words from this lesson with your BBH and then try new words. Also ask your BBH about regional accents in Brazil to get a better understanding of how pronunciation varies by region.
Resources
