home * links * French * German * Portuguese * Spanish * Vietnamese

BASIC PORTUGUESE PRONUNCIATION

 

Portuguese uses an alphabet similar to our own. Many of the letters are pronounced the same, but some are different. The following is a brief list of some of the major differences. You will also see the following marks with these letters in Portuguese: à, á, ã, â, ç, é, ê, í, ó, õ, ô, ú, ü

 

 

 

Consonants

 

1. 'Ç' is always pronounced like 's' in the English word 'sun'.

 

2. 'D' is pronounced like 'j' in the English word 'jog' before the letters 'e' and 'i' if they are not nasalized.

 

3. 'G' is pronounced like 's' in the English word 'measure' before the letters 'e' and 'i'. When it comes before 'a', 'o', and 'u', it sounds like 'g' in the English word 'go.'

 

4. 'J' is pronounced like 's' in the English word 'measure.'

 

5. 'L' is nasalized at the end of words and most syllables. In this case it sounds somewhat similar to 'oo' in the English word 'moon.'

 

6. 'M' nasalizes the preceding vowel at the end of words and most syllables.

 

7. 'N' nasalizes the preceding vowel at the end of words and most syllables.

 

8. 'R' at the beginning of words sounds like 'h' in the English word 'house.'

 

9. 'S' at the end of words and before the letters 'c', 'k', 'p' and 't' sounds like 'sh' in the English word 'shine'.

 

10. 'T' is pronounced like 'ch' in the English word 'chin' before the letters 'e' and 'i' if they are not nasalized.

 

11. 'X' can sound like 'x' in the English word 'taxi', 'z' in the English word 'zoo', 'sh' in th English word 'shine', or 's' as in the English word 'sun'.

 

 

 

Consonant combinations

 

1. 'Ch' sounds like 'sh' in the English word 'shine'.

 

2. 'Lh' sounds similar to 'lli' in the English word 'million'.

 

3. 'Nh' sounds similar to 'ni' in the English word 'onion'.

 

4. 'Rr' is pronounced like 'h' in the English word 'house'.

 

 

 

Vowels

 

1. 'E' at the end of a word sounds like 'ee' in the English word 'feet'.

 

2. 'I' sounds like 'ee' in the English word 'feet'.

 

3. 'O' at the end of a word or before a final 's' sounds like 'oo' in the English word 'moon'.

 

4. 'U' sounds like 'oo' in the English word 'moon'.

 

 

Vowel combinations

 

1. 'Au' is pronounced like 'ow' in the English word 'now'.

 

2. 'Ei' is pronounced like 'ay' in the English word 'bay'.

 

3. 'Oi' is pronounced like 'oy' in the English word 'boy'.

 

4. 'Ou' is pronounced like 'oa' in the English word 'boat'.