Loading ...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.).
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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.
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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.
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| 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 |
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Remark: The letter x has several different pronunciations.
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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.
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Tip: Be aware that there is this difference. Learn to distinguish between them and choose one of the easiest for you.
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| LETTERS | PORTUGUESE | ENGLISH |
| R | carta | letter |
| S | inglês | English |
| X | sexta-feira | Friday |
| Z | feliz | happy |
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1 Comment Received
May 10th, 2008 @6:58 am
Very nice, studying portuguese at the moment! Useful info
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