Learn Portuguese Portuguese Pronunciation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How is the letter 'ã' pronounced in Portuguese?
- As a nasalized 'a' sound (Correct answer)
- Like the English 'an'
- Like the English 'ah'
- Like the Spanish 'n'
Correct answer: As a nasalized 'a' sound
The 'ã' in Portuguese is a nasalized vowel sound, produced by letting air flow through the nose while saying 'a'.
Question 2: In Brazilian Portuguese, how is the letter 'D' typically pronounced before the vowel 'I'?
- Like the English 'j' (affricate /dʒ/) (Correct answer)
- Like a hard 'd'
- Silently
- Like a 'th' sound
Correct answer: Like the English 'j' (affricate /dʒ/)
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'd' before 'i' or final unstressed 'e' is often pronounced as an affricate, similar to the English 'j' in 'jet'.
Question 3: What is the Portuguese nasal vowel combination 'ão' most similar to in pronunciation?
- The English 'own' but nasalized (Correct answer)
- The French 'on'
- The English 'an'
- The Spanish 'on'
Correct answer: The English 'own' but nasalized
'ão' in Portuguese is a nasal diphthong that resembles a nasalized version of the English 'own' sound.
Question 4: How is the Portuguese 'lh' digraph pronounced?
- Like the English 'ly' or Spanish 'll' (Correct answer)
- Like a standard English 'l'
- Like a 'y' sound
- Silently
Correct answer: Like the English 'ly' or Spanish 'll'
The 'lh' digraph in Portuguese is pronounced similarly to the English 'ly' in 'million' or the Spanish 'll' in some dialects.
Question 5: How is the letter 'R' typically pronounced at the start of a word in Brazilian Portuguese?
- Like a guttural 'h' sound (Correct answer)
- Like the English 'r'
- Like a rolled Spanish 'r'
- Like a French 'r'
Correct answer: Like a guttural 'h' sound
In Brazilian Portuguese, a word-initial 'r' is typically pronounced as a guttural fricative sound, similar to the English 'h'.
Question 6: What accent mark in Portuguese indicates stress and an open vowel sound?
- Acute accent (´) (Correct answer)
- Grave accent (`)
- Circumflex (^)
- Tilde (~)
Correct answer: Acute accent (´)
The acute accent (´) in Portuguese marks the stressed syllable and indicates an open vowel pronunciation, as in 'café'.
Learn Portuguese Portuguese Pronunciation 1
How is the letter 'ã' pronounced in Portuguese?