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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | X | Z |
Click↓for MP3 audio files
The Portuguese alphabet consists of 23 letters (18 consonants and 5 vowels).
The letters K, W and Y do not belong to the Portuguese alphabet, but they can be used in names (Wagner/Wilson/Yara/Amaury) or with international terms (kg/km/watt, etc.).
Remark: It is important to know how to pronounce the alphabet as sometimes you have to spell your name or ask people to spell something for you.
The comparison with English words should help you pronounce the words correctly in Portuguese. Please note that not every sound can be reproduced in written form.
LETTER | PORTUGUESE | MEANING | SOUND | ENGLISH |
A | aluno | student | sounds like [a] | father |
alemã | German | nasal sound | -- | |
B | bala | candy | sounds like [b] | bay |
C | casa | house | ca/co/cu sounds like [k] | key |
cedo | early | ce/ci sounds like [s] | city | |
Ç | moça | young woman | ça/ço/çu sounds like [s] | city |
CH | cheque | check | sounds like [sh] | she |
D | data | date | sounds like [d] | day |
E | letra, você | letter, you | sounds like [e] | them |
leite | milk | sounds like [ee] at the end, if unstressed | cheese | |
festa, café | party, coffee | sounds like [e] | bed | |
F | faca | knife | sounds like [f] | for |
G | gato | cat | ga/go/gu sounds like [g] | get |
gelo | ice | ge/gi sounds like [g] | beige | |
GU | água | water | gua/guo sounds like [gw] | Nicaragua |
português | Portuguese | gue/gui sounds like [g] | get | |
lingüiça | sausage | güe/güi sounds like [gw] | Nicaragua | |
H | hotel | hotel | h is always silent, except for borrowed words such as hall, hobby, etc. | -- |
I | camisa | shirt | sounds like [ea] | meat |
J | jornal | newspaper | sounds like [g] | beige |
L | laranja | orange | la/le/li/lo/lu sounds like [l] | like |
Brasil | Brazil | al/el/il/ol/ul sounds like [w] | few | |
LH | trabalho | work | sounds like [ll] | million |
M | mapa | map | sounds like [m] | more |
bom | good | sounds between m and n, similar to the French word bon | -- | |
N | nada | nothing | sounds like [n] | no |
conta | bill | sounds like [n] | contract | |
NH | amanhã | tomorrow | sounds like [ng], similar to the French words Avignon and champagne | -- |
O | bonito, avô | pretty, grandfather | sounds like [o] | know |
livro | book | sounds like [w or o] at the end, if unstressed | boo/know | |
moda, avó | fashion, grandmother | sounds like [aw] | law | |
P | pato | duck | sounds like [p] | pie |
Q | quase | almost | qua/quo sounds like [kw] | quick |
aqui | here | que/qui sounds like [k] | key | |
cinqüenta | fifty | qüe/qüi sounds like [kw] | quick | |
R | recibo | receipt | similar to [h] sound | holiday |
honra | honor | similar to [h] sound, if preceded by n | holiday | |
carta | letter | sounds like [r], similar to the English or French r | morning or jour | |
caro | expensive | similar to [r] sound | Mary | |
RR | carro | car | similar to [h] sound | holiday |
S | sopa | soup | at the beginning sounds like [s] | sea |
cansado | tired | if preceded by l/n/r sounds like [s] | sea | |
inglês | English | after vowels sounds like [s] | must | |
casa | house | between vowels sounds like [z] | zero | |
SC | piscina | swimming pool | sce/sci sounds like [s] | sea |
SÇ | desça | go down | sça/sço sounds like [s] | sea |
SS | assado | roasted | sounds like [s] | sea |
T | tomate | tomato | sounds like [t] | top |
U | uva | grape | sounds like [w] | boo |
V | você | you | sounds like [v] | verb |
X | México | Mexico | sounds like [sh] | she |
caixa | box/cashier | after ai/ei sounds like [sh] | she | |
táxi | taxi | sounds like [ks] | taxi | |
próximo | next | sounds like [s] | city | |
excelente | excellent | exce/exci sounds like [s] | city | |
texto | text | excl/exp/ext sounds like [s] | must | |
exame | exam | exa/exe/exi/exo/exu sounds like [z] | zero | |
Z | zero | zero | before a vowel sounds like [z] | zero |
feliz | happy | after a vowel sounds like [s] | must |
Click↓for MP3 audio files
For the letters r/s/x/z there are two big regional differences in pronunciation between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Both pronunciations are correct.
Tip: Be aware that there is this difference. Learn to distinguish between them and choose one of the easiest for you.
LETTERS | PORTUGUESE | ENGLISH |
R | carta | letter |
S | inglês | English |
X | sexta-feira | Friday |
Z | feliz | happy |
ACCENT | INDICATES |
(´) acute | the pronunciation is open as in café (coffee), avó (grandmother). |
(^) circumflex | the pronunciation is closed as in você (you), avô (grandfather). |
(`) grave | a contraction of the preposition a and the definite article a = à (to). |
(~) tilde | a nasal sound as in mão (hand). |
(..) two dots | the letter u is pronounced as in tranqüilo (quiet). |
5. Similarities between Portuguese and English
Even though English is not a Latin language, there are more similarities between Portuguese and English than you might imagine.
Below you will find a table with Portuguese endings and their corresponding forms in English. Pronunciation and stress can sometimes be very different from English and you may find some exceptions, but in general you should not have a problem if you are familiar with Portuguese.
You can expand your vocabulary very quickly if you know these endings.
PORTUGUESE | ENGLISH | ||
acto/ato ecto/eto | fato, impacto, compacto, contato, aspecto, projeto, objeto, direto | act/ect | fact, impact, compact, contact, aspect, project, object, direct |
ado/ada | irritado/a, evaporado/a, limitado/a, sofisticado/a | ed | irritated, evaporated, limited, sophisticated |
al/o | animal, total, capital, profissional, liberal, individual, radical, tradicional, nacional, natural, interno, político, típico | al | animal, total, capital, professional, liberal, individual, radical, traditional, national, natural, internal, political, typical |
ante /ente |
ento
assistente, imigrante, elefante, importante, permanente, acidente, detergente, freqüente, cliente, paciente, estudante, presidente, violento, talento
ant
/entassistant, immigrant, elephant, important, permanent, accident, detergent, frequent, client, patient, student, president, violent, talent
ão
prisão, opinião, religião, região
on
prison, opinion, religion, region
ção
condição, instrução, loção, negociação, reação, situação, comunicação, conversação, eleição, cooperação, solução, contradição, organização, exceção, qualificação, posição, informação, revolução, corrupção, operação, instituição, população
tion
condition, instruction, lotion, negotiation, reaction, situation, communication, conversation, election, cooperation, solution, contradiction, organization, exception, qualification, position, information, revolution, corruption, operation, institution, population
cia
/çaassistência, violência, preferência, evidência, independência, experiência, inteligência, província, polícia, sentença, presença, justiça
ce
assistance, violence, preference, evidence, independence, experience, intelligence, province, police, sentence, presence, justice
cia
democracia, burocracia
cy
democracy, bureaucracy
dade
curiosidade, universidade, cidade, faculdade, sociedade, prioridade, comunidade, identidade, celebridade
ty
curiosity, university, city, faculty, society, priority, community, identity, celebrity
es
escândalo, estável, espírito, estado, estação, esporte, especial, estória
s
scandal, stable, spirit, state, station, sports, special, story
esso
sucesso, processo, acesso
ess
success, process, access
fia
geografia, fotografia, caligrafia, filosofia
phy
geography, photography, calligraphy, philosophy
fone
telefone, microfone
phone
telephone, microphone
gem
massagem, garagem, imagem, mensagem
age
massage, garage, image, message
gia
tecnologia, biologia, sociologia
gy
technology, biology, sociology
ia/io
família, agência, emergência, indústria, companhia, secretária, adultério, adversário, necessário, aniversário, mistério, categoria, história, estória, laboratório, território
y
family, agency, emergency, industry, company, secretary, adultery, adversary, necessary, anniversary, mystery, category, history, story, laboratory, territory
ico
dinâmico, romântico, público
ic
dynamic, romantic, public
isar/izar
analisar, batizar, legalizar, organizar
ise/ize
analyze, baptize, legalize, organize
ismo
turismo, patriotismo, comunismo
ism
tourism, patriotism, communism
ista
dentista, artista, analista, jornalista, especialista, turista, economista
ist/yst
dentist, artist, analyst, journalist, specialist, tourist, economist
ivo/iva
explosivo, primitivo, exclusivo, criativo, positivo, negativo, alternativa
ive
explosive, primitive, exclusive, creative, positive, negative, alternative
ma
programa, problema, dilema, trauma, drama, sistema, cinema
am/em ma
program, problem, dilemma, trauma, drama, system, cinema
mente
exatamente, pessoalmente, inicialmente, recentemente
ly
exactly, personally, initially, recently
mento
investimento, monumento, momento, documento, instrumento, testamento
ment
investment, monument, moment, document, instrument, testament
ogo
diálogo, catálogo
ogue
dialogue, catalogue
or
vendedor, professor, diretor, sucessor, ator
or
vendor, professor, director, successor, actor
oso/o
famoso, curioso, generoso, nervoso, próspero, sério, tremendo
ous
famous, curious, generous, nervous, prosperous, serious, tremendous
ro
centro, membro, teatro, termômetro
er
center, member, theater, thermometer
são
conclusão, expansão, evasão, fusão, confusão, televisão, decisão
sion
conclusion, expansion, evasion, fusion, confusion, television, decision
ssão
permissão, missão, expressão, discussão
ssion
permission, mission, expression, discussion
ta
diplomata, astronauta
at/aut
diplomat, astronaut
ura
/urocultura, agricultura, escultura, miniature, arquiterura, futuro
ure
culture agriculture, sculpture, miniature, architecture, future
uto
minuto, instituto, substituto
ute
minute, institute, substitute
6. More examples of similar words
PORTUGUESE | ENGLISH |
area | area |
arte | art |
câmera | camera |
causa | cause |
chance | chance |
classe | class |
concerto | concert |
crime | crime |
fã | fan |
filme | film |
horror | horror |
hotel | hotel |
idéia | idea |
líquido | liquid |
lista | list |
mapa | map |
método | method |
moderno | modern |
música | music |
perfume | perfume |
foto | photo |
planeta | planet |
popular | popular |
produto | product |
rádio | radio |
reforma | reform |
serviço | service |
vítima | victim |
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