Portuguese is a descendent of Latin.
See the alphabets below :
Note: the letter q is always preceded by a u.
Vowels :
See the alphabets below :
Letter
|
Name of the Letter
|
Sound (IPA)
|
Sound (compared to English)
|
Example
|
|
A
|
a
|
a as in american father
|
fado
|
fate
|
|
B
|
be
|
b as in bee (no aspiration)
|
beber
|
to drink
|
|
C
|
ce
|
c like in account
|
coisa
|
thing
|
|
c like in since
|
cedo
|
early
|
|||
D
|
de
|
d as in dozen
|
dois
|
two
|
|
E
|
e
|
é as in French fiancée or e in Spanish negro
|
bela
|
beautiful
|
|
ai as in french Palais or e as in English bed
|
ferro
|
iron
|
|||
F
|
efe
|
f as in fine
|
folha
|
sheet
|
|
G
|
ge
|
g as in ago
|
Gótico
|
Gothic
|
|
s as in pleasure or j as in French Jean
|
geográfico
|
geographic
|
|||
H
|
agá
|
soundless
|
hora
|
hour
|
|
I
|
i
|
ee as in bee but shorter or i as in spanish mina
|
mito
|
mith
|
|
J
|
jota
|
s as in pleasure or j as in French Jean
|
joia
|
jewel
|
|
L
|
ele
|
l as in lamb, never as in jungle
|
letra
|
letter
|
|
M
|
eme
|
m as in mother
|
morteiro
|
||
N
|
ene
|
n as in never
|
nada
|
nothing
|
|
O
|
o
|
o as in French mot or o as in Spanish no
|
total
|
total
|
|
a as in ball or aw as in law
|
lorde
|
lord
|
|||
P
|
pe
|
p as in people; not aspired
|
pata
|
paw
|
|
Q
|
que
|
c like in account
|
querer
|
to want
|
|
R
|
erre
|
dd as in ladder
|
caricatura
|
caricature
|
|
more or less, r in French patrie
|
carro
|
car
|
|||
S
|
esse
|
s as in since
|
sela
|
saddle
|
|
z as in zoo
|
casa
|
house
|
|||
T
|
t
|
t as in tongue
|
tropas
|
troops
|
|
U
|
u
|
oo as in boot, but shorter or ou as in French fou
|
utopia
|
utopia
|
|
V
|
ve
|
v as in victory
|
vitória
|
victory
|
|
X
|
xis
|
sh as in she
|
xílofone
|
||
x as in oxyde
|
óxido
|
oxyde
|
|||
s as in since
|
explosão
|
explosion
|
|||
z as in Brazil
|
zero
|
zero
|
|||
soundless
|
exceção
|
exception
|
|||
Z
|
ze
|
z as in Brazil
|
azimute
|
Vowels :
- A [ah]
- E [ayh]
- I [ee]
- O [ohr]
- U [oo]