Pronunciation

What do Portuguese people eat for breakfast? Why do we greet women with two kisses on the cheek? And who eats ‘Bolas de Berlim’ at the beach? In this live-recorded episode, Rui and Joel discuss some of Portugal’s most interesting habits.

Noticing the subtle differences between sounds is the key to mastering European Portuguese comprehension and pronunciation. How many can you get right? (Note: Our Premium Members have access to an entire unit focused just on Minimal Pairs!)

By popular demand, Rui and Joel return to one of their classic podcast formats. They feature one of the 600+ “Shorties” available on our platform and explore vocabulary and expressions. Later, Rui helps Joel fix some of his more subtle pronunciation errors in European Portuguese – are you making the same mistakes?

Commonly referred to as “minimal pairs”, practicing hearing the difference between these similar-sounding words can help you unlock a whole new level of comprehension and pronunciation in European Portuguese.

Damiana and Rui help Joel with that tricky Portuguese “lh” sound! Brace yourself for some awkward mouth and nostril close-ups 👄🥴 (Check our Site Index for more pronunciation content!)

The Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 (Acordo Ortográfico da Língua Portuguesa de 1990, a.k.a. the ) came into effect in May 2009. Its goal was to standardize the spelling of Portuguese across Portuguese-speaking countries, particularly Brazil and Portugal. However, its implementation was met with criticism and many practical challenges. First, let’s address a common […]

Joel asks an Internet service provider about their most unusual customer inquiries.

Don’t get apoquentado! Joana is here to teach us more about pronunciation and vocabulary variations in the Alentejan Portuguese dialect.

Joana talks about the Alentejo accent.

How do you pronounce “bochecha” (cheek)?

Zé video-calls his friend Sara to ask for help choosing an outfit for an upcoming wedding. Language focus: Pronunciation of s, z, ç, and ch  

Practice that tricky “lh” sound as Carlos tells Sara about his daily troubles. Try listening line by line and repeating the words containing ‘lh’ out loud.