How to Pronounce Portuguese

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: The vowels.

   The Portuguese language uses five letters for vowels, and additionally three diacritics (four with the tilde, see later step about nasal vowels).
   
   A
   - Like in Father, or like in comma Á
   - Like Father, always stressed À
   - Like Father, only in contractions Â
   - Like Surf, always stressed E
   - Either roughly like Any, Enough (the exact sound exists only in some English dialect, like Australian Bed, the IPA symbol is e), or sometimes like Equal É
   - Like Any Ê
   - Like E, but longer, and never like in Equal or Any I
   - Like in Equal Ì
   - Like in Equal O
   - Like in Under or Only (but try not to pronounce it ow or ou, but short and single sounded like the U in Under.
   
   Imagine that Only is spelled Ownly, an try only to pronounce the O) Ó
   - Like Oyster, or, when the last letter of a word, like Under Ô
   - Like O, but longer, and never like in Under U
   - Like in Foot Ú
   - Like in Foot Û
   - Like in Foot
2. 2

   Step 2: The consonants.

   Portuguese uses the same consonant as English does, except K, W and Y, which are only used in foreign loan words.
   
   B
   - Like in Believe C
   - When in front of E, and I like in Bicycle.
   
   Otherwise like in Cow. ç
   - Always like in Bicycle D
   - Like in Devil, except when placed in front of an I or an E, that is pronounced like Equal, in that case the D is pronounced like Jam F
   - Like in Fine G
   - When in front of E and I like in Protégé.
   
   Otherwise like in Girl Gu
   - Normally like Good or Paraguay, but when in front of I or E simply like in Girl H
   - Never pronounced.
   
   Like in Hour J
   - Like in Protégé L
   - Like in Lonely, or when at the end of a syllable like in Cow M
   - Like in Mouse, or when at the end of a word roughly like in Song.
   
   N
   - Like in Never, or when at the end of a syllable roughly like in Song P
   - Like in Pull Q
   - Only used in the combination qu-, which is pronounced like in Queen when in front of A, O or U, otherwise like Cow R
   - Normally like the Spanish R (rolled or not).
   
   When it is the first or the last letter of a word, after N or written rr however, it is pronounced like Home.
   
   S
   - Like in Son, or when between two vowels like Zone.
   
   In some dialects pronounced like Shower, especially in front of T.
   
   T
   - A little like in Ten, but more dry.
   
   Can sound almost like a D.
   
   When in front of I or an E, that is pronounced like in Equal, the T is pronounced like Cheese V
   - Like in Vase X
   - Like in Shower, or when at the end of a syllable like in Son or Xerox Z
   - Like in Zone, or when between to vowels like Son , Normally the second to last syllable is always stressed, except:
   When one of the letters has a diacritic (ex.: á, â, or ã), in this case the letter with the diacritic is always stressed (this does not count for the rarely used diacritics à and ü) When the last letter of the word is a consonant, but not m or s.
   
   In this case the last syllable is stressed.
   
   When the last letter is U or I.
   
   In this case the last syllable is stressed. , Nasal vowels occur when the diacritic ~ is used (ã, õ) or when the vowel is followed by an N or M, and the M is the last letter of the word.
   
   The tilde (~) is normally used in combinations like ação (action) or mãe (mom) with other vowels.
   
   In this case both vowels are nasal.
   
   You make a nasal vowel by simply letting part of the air blowing out of you nose while pronouncing the vowel.
3. 3

   Step 3: Stress.

4. 4

   Step 4: Nasal vowels.

Detailed Guide

About the Author