Language Learning Factory

Guia de Pronúncia
If you desire to speak well in Portuguese, then quickly go through this pronunciation guide which will enhance your accent as well as assist you in conversing better!

We have given the standard pronunciations although they can vary among the dialects. So, polish your Portuguese with these quick pronunciation rules.

Letters
a sounds like ‘a’ in far
E.g. – anél   (ring)
ã is a nasal sound
E.g. – alemã (German)
b sounds like ‘b’ in basket
E.g. – bife (beef)
c sounds like

• ‘k’ in kite

E.g. – casa (house)

• ‘c’ in cite

E.g. – cedo (early)
ç sounds like ‘c’ in city
E.g. –  moça (young woman)
ch sounds like ‘sh’ in shark
E.g. –  cheque (check)
d sounds like ‘d’ in dog
E.g. –  dança (dance)
e sounds like

• ‘e’ in stem

E.g. –  caneta (pen)

• ‘ee’ in feet

E.g. –  leite (milk)

• ‘e’ in red

E.g. –  festa (party)
f sounds like ‘f’ in farm
E.g. –  fome (hunger)
g is pronounced as

• ga/go/gu and sounds like ‘g’ in gate

E.g. –   galo (rooster)

• ge/gi and sounds like ‘g’ in siege

E.g. –   gelo (ice)
gu is pronounced as

• gua/guo and sounds like ‘gw’ in Antigua

E.g. –   água (water)

• gue/gui and sounds like ‘g’ like in gate

E.g. –   Português (Portuguese)

• güe/güi and sounds like ‘gw’ in Antigua

E.g. –   lingüiça (sausage)
h is always silent
E.g. – hospital
i sounds like ‘ea’ in heat
E.g. –  camisa (shirt)
j sounds like ‘g’ in siege
E.g. –  jogo (game)
l is pronounced as

• la/le/li/lo/lu and sounds like ‘l’ in life

E.g. –   laranja (orange)

• al/el/il/ol/ul and sounds like ‘w’ in new

E.g. –   Brasil (Brazil)
lh sounds like ‘ll’ in billion
E.g. –  trobalho (work)
m sounds like

• ‘m’ in money

E.g. –  moda (fashion)

• m and n like French word bon

E.g. –  bom (good)
n sounds like

• ‘n’ in nose

E.g. –  nada (nothing)

• ‘n’ in content

E.g. –  conta (bill)
nh sounds like ‘gn’ in Champagne
E.g. –  manhã (morning)
o sounds like

• ‘o’ in slow

E.g. –  bonito (pretty)

• ‘o’ or ‘w’ in row/boo

E.g. –  livro (book)

• ‘aw’ in law

E.g. –  moda (fashion)
p sounds like ‘p’ in pole
E.g. – ( pato duck)
q is pronounced like

• qua/quo and sounds like ‘kw’ in quick

E.g. –  quanto (how much?)

• que/qui and sounds like ‘k’ in key
• E.g. –  aqui (here)
• qüe/qüi and sounds like ‘kw’ in quick

E.g. – tranqüilo (calm)
r sounds

• Similar to ‘h’ sound in house

E.g. –  resto (remain)

• Similar to ‘h’ sound in house, if it is preceded by ‘n’

E.g. –  honra (honor)

• Similar to ‘r’ in rat

E.g. –  carta (letter)
s sounds like

• ‘s’ in see, if it comes in beginning

E.g. –  sopa (soup)

• ‘s’ in see, if it is preceded by l/n/r

E.g. –  cansado (tired)

• ‘z’ in zebra, if it comes between vowels

E.g. –  casa (house)
sc is pronounced like sce/sci and sounds like ‘s’ in see
E.g. –  piscina (swimming pool)
sç sounds like sça/ sço and sounds like ‘s’ in see
E.g. –  desça (go down)
ss sounds ‘s’ in see
E.g. –  assado (roasted)
t sounds ‘t’ in town
E.g. –  tornate (tomato)
u sounds like ‘w’ in put
E.g. –  uva (grape)
v sounds like ‘v’ in van
E.g. –  você (you)
x sounds like

• ‘sh’ in she

E.g. –  México (Mexico)

• ‘sh’ in she if it is followed ai/ei

E.g. –  caixa (box)

• ‘x’ in taxi

E.g. –  táxi (taxi)

• ‘c’in city

E.g. –  próximo (next)

• ‘z’ in zebra if the letters exa/exe/exi/exo/exu are there

E.g. –  exame (exam)
z sounds like

• ‘z’ in zebra, if it precedes a vowel

E.g. –  zero (zero)

• ‘s’ in must, if it follows a vowel

E.g. –  feliz (happy)