English for Brazilians
English Alphabet and Sounds
The English Alphabet
The English alphabet uses the same 26 letters you know from Portuguese. That's the easy part. The challenge is that the names of the letters, and especially the sounds they make, are quite different. Learning these new sounds is the first step to clear pronunciation.
Let's start with the names of the letters. Knowing these helps with spelling words out loud.
| Letter | How to Say It (English Name) |
|---|---|
| A, a | ei |
| B, b | bi |
| C, c | si |
| D, d | di |
| E, e | i |
| F, f | ef |
| G, g | dgi |
| H, h | eitch |
| I, i | ai |
| J, j | djei |
| K, k | kei |
| L, l | el |
| M, m | em |
| N, n | en |
| O, o | ou |
| P, p | pi |
| Q, q | kiu |
| R, r | ar |
| S, s | es |
| T, t | ti |
| U, u | iu |
| V, v | vi |
| W, w | dabliu |
| X, x | eks |
| Y, y | uai |
| Z, z | zi |
Vowels Can Be Tricky
English has only five vowel letters (A, E, I, O, U), but they represent many different sounds. Unlike Portuguese, where vowel sounds are quite consistent, English vowel sounds change depending on the word.
Also, English vowels are not nasal in the way Portuguese vowels often are. Sounds like ã in maçã or õ in põe don't really exist in English. When you speak English, try to make your vowel sounds purely oral, without air passing through your nose.
The letter 'A' sounds different in 'cat', 'car', 'cake', and 'call'. Listening carefully to native speakers is key to learning these variations.
Consonants That Differ
Many consonants sound similar to Portuguese, but a few key differences can cause confusion. Mastering these will make your English much easier to understand.
| Sound | How to Make It | Common Mistake for Portuguese Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| H (at the start of a word) | Exhale air from your throat, like you're fogging up a mirror. Ex: house, happy. | Pronouncing it silently, like in Portuguese hora. The English 'h' is almost always pronounced at the start of a word. |
| R | The tip of your tongue curls back slightly but does not touch the roof of your mouth. Ex: red, car. | Using the Portuguese 'r' sound, which can be a tap (like in caro) or a throat sound (like in rato). The English 'r' is softer. |
| TH | For words like think and three, place your tongue tip between your teeth and blow air. For words like this and that, do the same but add voice (vibrate your vocal cords). | Replacing it with an 's' sound, a 'z' sound, or a 't'/'d' sound. This sound does not exist in Portuguese and needs practice. |
| J | This sound is like the d and the ch in tchau blended together: /dʒ/. Ex: job, bridge. | Using the softer Portuguese 'j' sound (/ʒ/), which is like the English 's' in 'pleasure'. |
The best way to get these sounds right is to listen and repeat. Find recordings of native speakers and try to mimic their pronunciation. It feels strange at first, but it becomes natural with practice.
How many vowel letters does the English alphabet have?
True or False: The English vowel 'A' always makes the same sound, similar to Portuguese.
Getting comfortable with these new sounds is a big step. Keep practicing, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.