Portuguese/Contents/Complete Pronunciation

Portuguese alphabet, like in other Romance languages has a natural evolution from Latin and so it is not strictly phonetic and has some features inherited from its history. Although, compared to English or even French it is easy to read and not so hard to write. Letters The sounds are better explained in the next chapters. Glossary: Coda: the sounds in a syllable after the vowel, for example t in spit; Onset: the sounds in a syllable before the vowel, for example sp in spit; Nucleus: the vowel of a syllable; Glide: the sounds /j/ and /w/; Stressed: (of a syllable) which is pronounced more emphatically, for example compounding. Letter Context Sound (IPA) Sound (compared to English) ExampleAStressed and preceding a nasal consonant; unstressed./ɐ/ ~ /ə/Similar to u in under or a in beta.40px|noicon40px|noiconGuarda; SantanaStressed and not preceding a nasal consonant./a/Similar to a as in English father, but the tongue is more to the front.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconGuarda; Crato; OvarBNot word-initial and not following a nasal vowel./β/As in Spanish vivir.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconAbrantes; Sabugal; BorbaWord initial or following a nasal vowel./b/B as in bee.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconBorba; Braga; PombalCPreceding a, o, u or a consonant./k/K like in skip (avoid aspiration).40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconCascais; Cadaval; ConstânciaPreceding e and i./s/C like in since.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconBarcelos; Cinfães; ConstânciaDNot word-initial and not following a nasal vowel nor a consonant./ð/Th as in this.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconAlmada; Mêda; Pedrógão GrandeWord initial or following a nasal vowel or a consonant./d/D as in dozen, but have the tip of your tongue touch your teeth.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconMangualde; Fundão; GuardaEStressed./e/A as in English bait (but avoid turning it into a diphthong), é as in French fiancée, or e in Spanish negro.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconVila Verde; Alcochete; MadalenaStressed./ɛ/ E as in English bed.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconPinhel; Palmela; PenelaUnstressed./ɨ/ ~ /ɯ/Similar to u in put, but without rounding your lips.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconCastelo de Vide; Loures; PenelaUnstressed, in unguarded speech: word-final or word-initial following s and another consonant.Silent.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconEspinho; Monchique; NordesteF/f/F as in fine.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconFafe; Fronteira; PenafielGPreceding a, o, u and following a non-nasal vowel or a consonant./ɣ/40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconGolegã; Arganil; MelgaçoPreceding a, o, u or a consonant and following a nasal vowel or word-initial./g/G as in ago.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconGuarda; Angra do Heroísmo; GolegãPreceding e or i./ʒ/S as in pleasure or as French j in Jean.Gelo; agirHSoundless. H in hour. 40px|noicon HortaISyllable nucleus./i/Ee as in bee, but shorter; or as Spanish i in mina.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconEspinho; Alvito; Idanha-a-Novafollowing a vowel (most cases)./j/Y in yes.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconOleiros; Góis; CascaisJ/ʒ/S as in pleasure or j as in French Jean.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconBeja; Montijo; AlijóLSyllable onset./l/L as in lamb, but have the tip of your tongue touch your teeth.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconAlijó; Alandroal; LouléSyllable coda./ɫ/L as in jungle, but have the tip of your tongue touch your teeth.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconFunchal; Alandroal; MelgaçoMSyllable onset./m/M as in mother.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconAlmeirim; Armamar; MafraSyllable coda (word-final or preceding b or p).Nasalises preceding vowel.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconAlmeirim; Coimbra; Campo MaiorNSyllable onset./n/N as in never, but have the tip of your tongue touch your teeth.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconSantana; Nisa; AlcanenaSyllable coda (preceding consonants other than b and p).Nasalises preceding vowel.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconSantana; Esposende; EntroncamentoO Stressed./o/ As o in boat (but avoid turning it into a diphthong), as French o in mot or as Spanish o in no.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconLisboa; Fornos de Algodres; Corvos Stressed./ɔ/A as in ball or aw as in law40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconMora; Fonos de Algodres; Murtosa Unstressed./u/Oo as in boot, but shorter. Or as French ou in fou.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconEspinho; Fornos de Algodres; Corvo Following a vowel: always in ão, sometimes in other cases./w/W in win.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconGavião; Olhão; SátãoP/p/P as in spit (avoid aspiration).40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconSerpa; Porto; Praia da VitóriaQ/k/K as in skip (avoid aspiration).40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconMonchique; Ourique; Vila Nova da BarquinhaRSyllable coda; following a consonant or non-nasal vowel, but never word-initially./ɾ/Dd as in ladder in American English, or r as in Scottish English free40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconRibeira Brava; Rio Maior; TrofaWord-initial; following nasal vowels./ʁ/ ~ /ʀ/R in French rouge.40px|noiconResendeSWord-initial; following consonant; (sometimes) between a nasal vowel and a vowel./s/S as in since.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconSanto Tirso; Sousel; Reguengos de MonsarazBetween two non-nasal vowels; between a vowel and a glide; (sometimes) between a nasal vowel and a vowel./z/Z as in zoo.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconSousel; Esposende; NisaSyllable coda, preceding a voiceless sound or no sound./ʃ/Sh as in shine.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconEsposende; Arruda dos Vinhos; CascaisSyllable coda, preceding a voiced sound./ʒ/S as in pleasure.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconLisboa; Arruda dos Vinhos; Angra do HeroísmoT/t/T as in stick (avoid aspiration).40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconSintra; Tomar; TrofaUSyllable nucleus./u/Oo as in boot, but shorter. Or as French ou in fou.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconCuba; Sabugal; Tábua(Usually) following a vowel./w/W as in win.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconArouca; Viseu; VouzelaV/v/V as in victory.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconViseu; Vagos; PovoaçãoXWord initial (always); following /j/ (most cases); otherwise only in some cases./ʃ/Sh as in shine.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconCarta'xo; Seixal; Vila Franca de XiraNot word initial./ks/X as in oxyde.Táxi (taxi)Not word initial./s/S as in since.Trouxe (brought); Máximo (maximum)Not word initial./z/Z as in Brazil.Exacto/exato (exact)Brazilian PortugueseSoundless.Exceção (exception)ZSyllable onset./z/Z as in Brazil.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconNazaré; Vizela; AzambujaSyllable coda, preceding a voiceless sound./ʃ/Sh as in shine.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconPorto Moniz; Santa Cruz; Vila Nova de Foz CôaSyllable coda, preceding a voiced sound./ʒ/S as in pleasure.40px|noiconSanta Cruz da Graciosa Note: the letter q is always followed by a u. Digraphs Digraphs is a pair of letters used to sign one sound. Digraph Context Sound (IPA) Sound (compared to English) ExampleCH/ʃ/Sh as in she.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconChaves; Machico; CorucheLH/ʎ/Similar to lli as in million. As gli as in Italian figlio.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconBatalha; Covilhã; OlhãoNH/ɲ/Similar to ny as in canyon. As ñ as in Spanish mañana.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconEspinho; Cantanhede; LourinhãGUPreceding e or i (usually)./g/G as in go.40px|noicon40px|noiconFelgueiras; GuimarãesPreceding a or o; (rare) preceding e or i./gw/Gw as in Gwen.40px|noiconMortáguaQUPreceding e or i (usually)./k/K as in skip.40px|noicon40px|noicon40px|noiconOurique; Monchique; Vila Nova da Barquinha.Preceding a or o; (rare) preceding e or i./kw/Qu as in quite.Quatro (four); aquoso (watery); frequência (frequency); aquífero (aquifer)RR/ʁ/ ~ /ʀ/Carro (car)SS/s/S as in since.Passo (step) Diacritics In Portuguese, a letter with or without Diacritics is considered the same. Letter with diacritic Name Sound (IPA) Sound (compared to English) Exampleáa com acento agudostressed aa as in english fathercálicecalixàa com acento grave (Crase)aːa as in english father, but longer.Fui à cidade.I went to the cityãa com tilãa as in French dansnãonoçce cedilhass as in sincemoçagirlée com acento agudostressed ɛai as in french Palais or e as in English bedpatéticopatheticêe com acento circunflexostressed eé as in French fiancée or e in Spanish negrobêbadodrunkíi com acento agudostressed iee as in bee or i as in French midiLíbanoLebanonóo com acento agudostressed ɔa as in ball or aw as in lawpróprioproperôo com acento circunflexostressed oo as in French mot or o as in Spanish noavôgrandfatherõo com tilõaprox. on as in French boncançõessongsúu com acento agudostressed uoo as in boot, but shorter or ou as in French foumúltiplomultiple