New here? Start with my free accent course, English Pro Lite: 45 video lessons.
Are you a native Portuguese speaker who:
- says words like had and head with the same vowel?
- wants to speak English more smoothly, with words that connect?
- isn't sure how to say the dark L /l/ in words like little, pull, and feel?
American English Pronunciation for Portuguese Speakers: Top 5 Pronunciation Challenges
My Portuguese-speaking students most often need help with the five areas below. I explain what happens in each one, and my free video lessons show you how to practice.
And don't forget to download your free Guidebook to the Sounds of American English!
Portuguese Challenge #1: The EH /ɛ/ and AA /æ/ Vowels
Portuguese and American English share several vowels, but some English vowels are new for Portuguese speakers.
One of the hardest is AA /æ/, as in apple. Portuguese doesn't have it, so many speakers use EH /ɛ/ instead, because EH exists in Portuguese and sounds close to AA.
Download a PDF: The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) of the American English Vowels
When EH replaces AA, lag and man sound like leg and men. All four are real words, so your listener can easily hear the wrong one.
For example, if you say The man talked quickly with EH in man, an American hears The men talked quickly. That's a different meaning!
How to Pronounce the EH /ɛ/ and AA /æ/ Vowels in American English
The differences are in your lips, jaw, and tongue. For AA /æ/, the jaw is fully open, the lips pull back, and the back of the tongue tenses or lifts a little. For EH /ɛ/, the jaw closes a bit, the lips relax a bit, and the tongue has no tension at all.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the EH /ɛ/ Vowel; How to Pronounce the AA /æ/ Vowel; EH /ɛ/ and AA /æ/ Minimal Pairs.
Portuguese Challenge #2: The TH /θ, ð/ Consonants
Portuguese doesn't have the TH /θ, ð/ sounds, so they're often hard for Portuguese speakers. Many use /t/ or /d/ instead. As a result, the, this, and that sound like "duh," "dis," and "dat," and think, thing, and three sound like "tink," "ting," and "tree."
Listeners will usually still understand you. But they may notice your accent more than your message.
How to Pronounce the TH /θ, ð/ Consonants in American English
For TH, the tip of your tongue comes out between your upper and lower teeth. Your teeth close gently to hold the tongue tip in place (don't bite!). The body of the tongue is wide. Air flows out over the top of the tongue, where it touches your upper teeth. Your cheeks move in a little, pushing the corners of your lips toward each other.
TH /θ/ is voiceless: only air comes out, and your vocal cords don't vibrate. That's the "th" in think, thing, and three. TH /ð/ is voiced: your vocal cords vibrate. That's the "th" in the, this, and that.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the TH /θ, ð/ Consonants; Place, Manner, and Voicing of the American English Consonants; English Made Easy: The TH /θ, ð/ Sound.
Portuguese Challenge #3: Final -s and -ed Endings
English spelling doesn't always match pronunciation, so saying a new word can feel like a guessing game.
The -s and -ed endings are a good example, and they're often hard for Portuguese speakers. Plays, cats, and watches all end in -s, but the -s sounds different in each one!
It's the same with -ed in past tense verbs like walked, loved, and needed: the spelling is the same, but the sound is different in each one.
These endings matter because they carry grammar: plural -s, past tense -ed, and so on. If you drop or change them, it can sound like a grammar mistake, and listeners notice that even more than a pronunciation mistake.
How to Pronounce Final -s and -ed Endings in American English
First, look at the base form of the word, with no ending. The last sound of the base form tells you how to say the ending.
Final -s:
- Say /s/ after a voiceless sound (except S /s/, SH /ʃ/, and CH /ʧ/). Cat, ship, and kick become cats, ships, and kicks, with /s/.
- Say /z/ after a voiced sound (except Z /z/, ZH /ʒ/, and J /ʤ/). Shoe, dog, and love become shoes, dogs, and loves, with /z/.
- Say an extra syllable, /ɪz/, after S /s/, Z /z/, SH /ʃ/, ZH /ʒ/, CH /ʧ/, or J /ʤ/. Class, watch, and push become classes, watches, and pushes.
Final -ed:
- Say /t/ after a voiceless sound (except /t/). Kiss, type, and look become kissed, typed, and looked, with /t/.
- Say /d/ after a voiced sound (except /d/). Travel, brag, and apply become traveled, bragged, and applied, with /d/.
- Say an extra syllable, /ɪd/, after /t/ or /d/. Vote, divide, and grade become voted, divided, and graded.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: Pronounce the Past Tense Like a Native Speaker; Never Delete This Sound!; Speak Smooth and Easy English Using the Flap T.
Portuguese Challenge #4: The Dark L /l/ Consonant
Many Portuguese speakers find L hard at the end of a word or syllable, as in pull or A little over 5 years ago. It's common to round the lips for a final L, which turns it into a W /w/.
This final L has a special name in American English: the dark L. The back of the tongue pulls down and back, so the sound moves toward the back of the mouth and throat.
The L at the start of a word or syllable, as in love and allow, is called the light L. It's made at the front of the mouth, with the front of the tongue rising to the ridge behind your top teeth (the alveolar ridge).
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the Light L and Dark L in American English
The dark L is a big part of how American English sounds. Once you can say it, your English will sound more natural and smooth, and it will also help your voice placement.
How to Pronounce the Dark L in American English
The key is your tongue position. The tongue narrows and pulls back and down, and you should feel a little tension in the back of your throat. The tongue tip usually stays down, but it can rise to the roof of your mouth in some words.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the L /l/ Consonant; Your #1 Go-To Guide to the Dark L; How to Pronounce the Light L and Dark L Sounds.
Portuguese Challenge #5: Final Consonants T, D, M
Other consonants can be hard at the end of a word or syllable too, especially D /d/, T /t/, and M /m/.
A final D often comes out like J /ʤ/, so wade and bad sound like wage and badge.
A final T can come out like CH /ʧ/, so bat and hit sound like batch and hitch.
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the Three American T Consonants
And a final M can be tricky. In Portuguese, an "m" at the end of a word is usually a nasal sound closer to N /n/ or NG /ŋ/. In English, that makes beam sound like bean or bing.
All three changes can turn one real word into another: bad and badge, bat and batch, beam and bean.
How to Pronounce D, T, M Final Consonants in American English
The best practice is minimal pairs with these sounds. Try to make the two words sound as different as you can.
It also helps to practice these final consonants while linking words together, because that's how you'll use them in real conversation.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the T /t/ and D /d/ Consonants; Linking with Nasals N /n/, M /m/, and NG /ŋ/; Linking with the Unreleased D /d/ Consonant.
Want one-to-one help with your accent? See my private accent coaching.
Meet Nicky
Nicky found her own voice in English, and her confidence grew a lot.