Typical Portuguese Speaker Problems

1 · Pronunciation

Extra vowels: Facebook-i, es-tudy, sport-i

Brazilian Portuguese words almost always end in a vowel (or in l, r, s, z, m), and they do not begin with s plus a consonant (escola, estudar), so you add a small "ee" or "eh" to make English fit: Facebook-i, es-tudy. Some European Portuguese speakers do the opposite and shorten final clusters, but the added vowel is the usual Brazilian habit.

• Face-book-i (three syllables)Face-book (two syllables): finish on the k
• es-tudy, es-schoolstudy, school: begin with s, then t or k at once
• hip-hop-i musichip-hop music: close your lips on the p
• es-por-tis (sports said in three syllables)sports /spɔːts/: one syllable

How to make it

1. Say the last consonant and stop. Keep your lips or tongue where they are: do not let your voice start again.
2. For p, t and k, close, then let out a tiny puff of air. No "ee" sound after it.
3. Start s-words with a long hiss, then go straight into the next consonant: sssstudy, not estudy.
4. Practise the s alone first (ssss), then add tudy. Speed up until it is one word.

Say it after me

bag, stop, study, school, street, sports

2 · Pronunciation

-ed and -s endings: worked, played, wanted, rise/rice

In Portuguese every written ending is pronounced, so worked comes out as two syllables, work-ed. English also has a voiced z at the end of words (rise, is, has), which Portuguese does not allow in final position, so it is often replaced by s.

• I work-ed in a shop. (two syllables)I worked /wɜːkt/ in a shop. (one syllable)
• She play-ed football. (two syllables)She played /pleɪd/ football. (one syllable)
• Prices rice every year. (said /raɪs/)Prices rise /raɪz/ every year: voice on, longer vowel.
• He help-ed me and stopp-ed the car. (two extra syllables)He helped ... and stopped ...: /t/ only, no extra syllable. (Wanted is the exception: two syllables.)

How to make it

1. Put two fingers on your throat. For /d/ and /z/ you feel a buzz; for /t/ and /s/ you feel nothing.
2. For -ed, copy the sound before it: no buzz before (k, p, ch, s) gives a quick /t/; a buzz before (l, n, v, a vowel) gives a quick /d/.
3. Add the extra syllable /ɪd/ only after t or d: want-ed, need-ed.
4. Buzz the end of rise, is and has, and make the vowel before it longer than in rice and ice.

Say it after me

worked, played, wanted, rise, rice, buses

3 · Pronunciation

Sentence stress and weak vowels: beats, not syllables

Brazilian Portuguese gives most syllables a similar length and a clear vowel, and it is often spoken loudly with a falling tune. In English, only some words carry a beat, and small words and unstressed syllables shrink to a weak /ə/. If you stress words like was, the or to, you sound as if you are making a special point. (European Portuguese reduces unstressed vowels strongly and is closer to English here.)

• MY-SIS-TER-WORKS-IN-A-HOS-PI-TAL (all loud)my SIS-ter WORKS in a HOS-pi-tal
• She WAS ready. (loud was)She was READy: was /wəz/ is quick and quiet
• I want TOO go. (full "too")I want /tə/ go.
• a cup OFF tea (full "off")a cup /əv/ tea

How to make it

1. Tap the table once for each important word as you speak.
2. On each tap, make the stressed syllable longer, louder and a little higher.
3. Say the small words between the taps very fast, very quietly and with a lazy "uh" vowel.
4. Do not skip small words: squeeze them. Keep the taps steady even when there are many small words in between.

Say it after me

banana, again, comfortable, hospital

4 · Pronunciation

Word stress in long words and compounds: eduCAtion, GREENhouse

Portuguese words are stressed in a fairly regular way and every syllable stays clear, so you can place the stress too late or too evenly in long English words, and you can stress both parts of a compound (tea CUP).

• e-du-ca-TION (stress at the end)e-du-CA-tion: stress the syllable before -tion
• po-li-ti-CALpo-LIT-i-cal
• a tea CUPa TEA-cup
• en-vi-ron-MENTen-VI-ron-ment

How to make it

1. Clap once on the strong syllable and keep the other syllables small.
2. Make the strong syllable longer, louder and higher: en-VI-ron-ment.
3. Learn the endings: say -tion, -ic, -ity words with the stress just before the ending.
4. For two-part compounds, hit the first part hard and let the second part fall: TEAcup.

Say it after me

environment, education, political, university, greenhouse, technology

5 · Pronunciation

Long and short vowels: seat/sit, pool/pull

Portuguese has no long-short pairs like English, so /iː/ and /ɪ/ both land on one Portuguese "i", often rather short, and /uː/ and /ʊ/ both land on one "u". Listeners then hear the wrong word: leave for live, cooed for could.

• Please take a sit. (you mean seat)Please take a seat /siːt/.
• I fill happy today. (you mean feel)I feel /fiːl/ happy today.
• I like swimming in the pull. (you mean pool)I like swimming in the pool /puːl/.
• Look at this! (said long, like Luke)Look /lʊk/ at this: short and loose.

How to make it

1. For /iː/ smile a little and hold the sound for a count of two: seeeat.
2. For /ɪ/ relax your lips, no smile, and make the sound quick: sit.
3. For /uː/ push your lips forward into a small circle and hold: poooool.
4. For /ʊ/ let your lips relax and make it quick: pull.

Say it after me

seat, sit, feel, fill, pool, pull

6 · Pronunciation

bed / bad, cut / cat, heart / hat

Portuguese has no sound exactly like the English /æ/ in cat or the relaxed /ʌ/ in cup, so you borrow the nearest Portuguese vowel: bad sounds like bed, cup like cap, and the long /ɑː/ in heart comes out short like hat. Spelling can mislead too: the letter u in cut is not Portuguese "u".

• The bed is bad. (both said as bed)The bed /bed/ is bad /bæd/.
• a cap of tea (you mean cup)a cup /kʌp/ of tea
• I hurt my hat. (you mean heart)I hurt my heart /hɑːt/.
• We went for a walk in the pack. (you mean park)the park /pɑːk/: long, open, no r

How to make it

1. For /e/ open your mouth about half way and keep it short.
2. For /æ/ drop your jaw wide, as if you are about to yawn, tongue low and forward.
3. For /ʌ/ keep your mouth half open and make a short, lazy "uh" from the middle.
4. For /ɑː/ open wide and hold it for a count of two; do not say an r.

Say it after me

bed, bad, cut, cat, heart, hat

7 · Pronunciation

h and r: hair/rare, ear/hear, rate/hate

In many Brazilian accents a word-initial Portuguese r (or rr) is a breathy, throaty sound close to English /h/, so English r comes out like h: red sounds like head. The written letter h is silent in Portuguese, so English /h/ is often dropped (ear for hear) or added in the wrong place. How strong this is depends on the region.

• My car is head. (you mean red)My car is red /red/: tongue pulled back, no breath at the start.
• I can ear you. (no h)I can hear you: a gentle breath at the start.
• My hold friend (an h added before old)My old friend: no h, start with the vowel.
• The hair is rare. (both said the same way)hair /heə/ (breath) and rare /reə/ (r, tongue pulled back)

How to make it

1. For /h/ open your mouth, relax your tongue and just breathe out, like warming your hands.
2. For /r/ pull the tongue back and bunch it up. The tip lifts a little but touches nothing.
3. Push your lips slightly forward for /r/. If you feel a scrape in your throat, it is not an English r.
4. Test it: hand in front of your mouth. You should feel warm air on hair, but not on old.

Say it after me

hair, rare, hide, ride, hear, ear

8 · Pronunciation

th: think / sink, this / dis, mouth / mouse

Portuguese has no th sounds, so you replace them with the closest sounds you already have: s or t for /θ/ (think becomes sink or tink) and z or d for /ð/ (this becomes zis or dis).

• I sink it is a good idea.I think /θɪŋk/ it is a good idea.
• I like tree things about my city.I like three /θriː/ things about my city.
• Dis is my brozer.This /ðɪs/ is my brother /ˈbrʌðə/.
• We went to the mouse of the river.mouth /maʊθ/: end with the tongue tip touching the back of the top teeth.

How to make it

1. Touch the back of your top front teeth with the tip of your tongue. When you practise slowly, you can let the tip show a little between your teeth.
2. For /θ/ push air out gently over the tongue: no voice, only a soft hiss.
3. For /ð/ do the same with your voice on: the tongue tip should tickle.
4. Pull the tongue back quickly for the next sound. Do not leave it out for the whole word.

Say it after me

think, sink, this, mother, mouth, three

9 · Pronunciation

t, d, and ch/sh: tea, did, chair/share

In many Brazilian accents (not all), t and d before the vowel /i/ are said as "ch" and "j": tea becomes chee and did becomes jid. Separately, the Portuguese letters ch are pronounced like English sh, so chair comes out as share.

• I drink chee every morning.I drink tea /tiː/ every morning.
• Jid you see him?Did /dɪd/ you see him?
• Take a share. (for chair)Take a chair /tʃeə/.
• I wash a film. (for watch)I watch /wɒtʃ/ a film.

How to make it

1. For /t/ and /d/, press the tongue tip firmly on the ridge behind the top teeth. Hold, then release with a small puff.
2. Keep the front of your tongue away from the roof of your mouth so you do not hiss: tea, not chea.
3. For /tʃ/ start with the same t, then slide into sh in one movement.
4. For /ʃ/ push your lips forward and make a long, soft hiss with no t in front.

Say it after me

tea, team, did, chair, share, watch

10 · Pronunciation

Final l: feel, bell, bottle, Brazil

At the end of a syllable, l in most Brazilian accents is a /w/-like vowel, so Brasil ends in a sound like "oo". If you do the same in English, feel sounds like few and bottle like bottoo.

• I feel good. (said fee-oo)I feel /fiːl/ good: tongue tip up at the end.
• a plastic bottoo (bottle)a plastic bottle /ˈbɒtl/: tongue tip on the ridge
• Brazew (Brazil)Brazil /brəˈzɪl/: finish with the tongue on the ridge
• The tow is expensive. (tool)The tool /tuːl/ is expensive.

How to make it

1. Say the vowel, then lift the tip of your tongue to the ridge behind the top teeth.
2. Keep the tongue there for a moment. Do not round your lips: no "oo".
3. Feel the tip touching the ridge: if it is not touching, it is not an l.
4. Check with a mirror: your lips stay relaxed and the tip moves up.

Say it after me

feel, bell, school, bottle, little, table

11 · Pronunciation

Final m, n, ng: team, sun, sing

In Portuguese, a vowel before a final m, n or ng often becomes a nasal vowel and the consonant itself nearly disappears, so team sounds like tea with a nasal vowel, and sun, sum and sung start to sound alike.

• The tea (nasal) won the game.The team /tiːm/ won the game: lips closed at the end.
• The sum is shining today. (said for sun)The sun /sʌn/ is shining: tongue tip on the ridge, lips apart.
• a thin to remember (thing)a thing /θɪŋ/ to remember: back of the tongue up
• I have ten books. (ten said with a nasal vowel and no clear n)ten /ten/: the tongue tip touches the ridge at the end

How to make it

1. Say the vowel with your mouth only, no air through your nose. Hold your nose: the vowel should not change.
2. For /m/ close your lips completely at the end: team.
3. For /n/ touch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the top teeth: sun.
4. For /ŋ/ lift the back of the tongue and let the air go through your nose: sing. Do not add a g.

Say it after me

team, teen, sum, sun, sing, sin

12 · Grammar

Always give a subject: It is, I need, she likes

Portuguese often drops the subject (É importante estudar, Está chovendo) and the object (Eu comprei), because the verb ending or the context shows who or what. English always needs a subject, and often needs it even when nothing real is acting, and it needs an object too.

• Is very cold in my city in winter.It is very cold in my city in winter.
• Is important to sleep well before an exam.It is important to sleep well before an exam.
• My brother works in a bank. Likes his job.My brother works in a bank. He likes his job.
• I bought this phone and I love.I bought this phone and I love it.

13 · Grammar

There is / there are, not "have": There are many parks

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, tem (from ter, to have) often means "there is": Tem muita gente aqui. If you copy this, you say Have many people here, which is not English. Formal Portuguese uses há or existe instead, with the same problem.

• Have many tourists in my city in August.There are many tourists in my city in August.
• Had a big storm last night.There was a big storm last night.
• In my village has a small river.In my village there is a small river.
• Exists a lot of pollution in big cities.There is a lot of pollution in big cities.

14 · Grammar

I have lived here since 2019: for, since and the present perfect

Portuguese says Moro aqui desde 2019 and Estudo inglês há cinco anos, using the simple present for a situation that began in the past and continues now. Portuguese also does not change the tense for a finished or an unfinished time period, so learners copy this and say I live here since 2019 or I have been to Rome last spring.

• I live in this city since 2019.I have lived in this city since 2019.
• I am studying English for five years.I have been studying English for five years.
• I have been to Rome last spring.I went to Rome last spring.
• She works here since March.She has worked here since March.

15 · Grammar

Questions: do/does/did, indirect questions, short answers, tags

Portuguese makes a question with intonation alone (Você gosta de música?), has no word like do, repeats the verb in a short answer (Gosto.), and uses one tag, não é?, for everything. In indirect questions it keeps the question order, which is wrong in English.

• Where you live now?Where do you live now?
• Please tell me what time does the museum open.Please tell me what time the museum opens.
• Do you enjoy sport? Yes, I enjoy.Do you enjoy sport? Yes, I do.
• The shops open at nine, isn't it?The shops open at nine, don't they?

16 · Grammar

the, a, or nothing: Life is hard, my brother, next Monday

Portuguese uses o / a / os / as in many places where English uses no article: for general ideas (A vida é difícil), before possessives (o meu irmão, especially in European Portuguese), names of meals, streets and next / last expressions. A few Portuguese expressions have no article where English needs one (ter razão).

• The life is expensive in the big cities.Life is expensive in big cities.
• I told the my brother about the plan.I told my brother about the plan.
• We usually have the lunch at one.We usually have lunch at one.
• I will see you the next Monday.I will see you next Monday.

17 · Grammar

information, advice, furniture: no -s, no a

Some nouns are plural or countable in Portuguese but uncountable in English: informações, conselhos, móveis. After muito a singular countable noun is also possible in Portuguese (muita árvore), so much is used with the wrong noun.

• She gave me many informations about courses.She gave me a lot of information about courses.
• I need an advice about my homeworks.I need some advice about my homework.
• We bought new furnitures.We bought new furniture.
• We have much problems this year.We have many problems this year.

18 · Grammar

Prepositions: depend on, married to, at Christmas, for three years

Portuguese em, de, com, para, por each cover several English prepositions, so you translate the Portuguese one: depender de becomes depend of, casar com becomes marry with, interessado em becomes interested in (which works) but preocupado com becomes worried with.

• It depends of the weather.It depends on the weather.
• She is married with a doctor.She is married to a doctor.
• I am worried with my exam results.I am worried about my exam results.
• I lived there during three years.I lived there for three years.

19 · Grammar

One negative only: I don't know anything

Portuguese needs the negative word não before the verb and also uses a second negative after it: Não vi ninguém, Não sei nada. Both are required. English allows only one negative in a clause, so you carry over the double negative.

• I don't know nothing about this topic.I don't know anything about this topic.
• He didn't tell nobody about the problem.He didn't tell anybody about the problem.
• I can't find my keys nowhere.I can't find my keys anywhere.
• My town doesn't have no cinema.My town doesn't have a cinema. / My town has no cinema.

20 · Grammar

want you to, enjoy doing, after finishing: verb patterns

Portuguese says quero que você venha ("I want that you come") and uses the infinitive where English uses -ing: cansado de ouvir becomes tired of to listen. Some Portuguese infinitives have no to-like word, so learners drop to after try or promise.

• She wants that I send her the photos.She wants me to send her the photos.
• I am tired of to listen to the same advice.I am tired of listening to the same advice.
• After to finish the report, she went home.After finishing the report, she went home.
• He tried call me twice.He tried to call me twice.

21 · Grammar

Adjectives come first and never take -s: a small flat, wrong answers

In Portuguese most adjectives come after the noun and agree with it in number: um livro interessante, as respostas erradas. Copying that gives a book interesting and the wrongs answers. Portuguese can also drop the noun after an adjective, which English does not allow.

• She lives in a flat small.She lives in a small flat.
• These are the wrongs answers.These are the wrong answers.
• What a city marvellous!What a marvellous city!
• The important is to help other people.The important thing is to help other people.

22 · Grammar

can, must, should: no to, no -s, then the plain verb

Portuguese uses a main verb for skills (Ele nada) and puts de or a or the infinitive after verbs like dever. Learners add to after modals, or add -s to the verb after can (because other Portuguese verbs agree with the subject).

• You must to bring your passport.You must bring your passport.
• She can speaks three languages.She can speak three languages.
• He should to see a doctor.He should see a doctor.
• Last year students must wear a uniform.Last year students had to wear a uniform.

23 · Grammar

if and when clauses: no will after if, when, as soon as

Modern spoken Portuguese often uses the same tense in both halves of a conditional (Se eu vejo, eu falo) and, after time words, uses the future subjunctive or a future form where English needs the present. Learners then say when you will need me.

• I will call you when I will get home.I will call you when I get home.
• If I will see him tomorrow, I will tell him.If I see him tomorrow, I will tell him.
• If I would have more money, I would buy a bigger flat.If I had more money, I would buy a bigger flat.
• If she left earlier, she wouldn't have missed the bus.If she had left earlier, she wouldn't have missed the bus.

24 · Grammar

Stative verbs: I understand, she needs, not "is understanding"

In Brazilian Portuguese the progressive (estar + gerund) is used very freely, including with verbs of knowing and feeling: Não estou entendendo. Copying it into English gives I am not understanding or I am knowing.

• I am not understanding this lesson.I don't understand this lesson.
• My sister is knowing three languages.My sister knows three languages.
• I am not liking this kind of music.I don't like this kind of music.
• At the moment I look for a flat near the university.At the moment I am looking for a flat near the university.

25 · Speaking style

Sounding polite: Could you…? I'd like… No, thank you

In Portuguese a request can be made with the imperative (Passe o formulário, por favor) and a low, loud, direct voice without sounding rude. In English the same style can sound abrupt or even angry. Also, obrigado can be a polite refusal, but English Thank you with the stress on you can sound sarcastic.

• Give me the form, please.Could you give me the form, please?
• I want to change my appointment.I'd like to change my appointment, please.
• You are wrong.I see your point, but I'm not sure I agree.
• Repeat the question.Sorry, could you repeat the question, please?