English pronunciation practice for Portuguese speakers

1. /ɪ/ as in "sit"

Fix problem Relax the mouth and keep sound short.

English sound /ɪ/

Example "sit"

Common error /i:/ — "seat"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /ɪ/ or /i:/ practice

2. /æ/ as in "man"

Fix problem Move tongue to a lower front position.

English sound /æ/

Example "man"

Common error /e/ — "men"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /e/ or /æ/ practice

3. /ʌ/ as in "cup"

Fix problem Tongue low central. Lips relaxed.

English sound /ʌ/

Example "cup"

Common error No common error specified.

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /æ/ or /ʌ/ practice
Minimal Pairs /ʌ/ or /ɜ:/ practice

4. /ɔ/ as in "not"

Fix problem Keep mouth round and tongue back.

English sound /ɔ/

Example "not"

Common error No common error specified.

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /ɔ/ or /ɔ:/ practice

5. /ʊ/ as in "full"

Fix problem Back of tongue high. Lips rounded but relaxed. Short.

English sound /ʊ/

Example "full"

Common error /u:/ — "fool"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /ʊ/ or /u:/ practice

6. /ə/ as in "the" (schwa)

Fix problem Weak endings: e.g. "London" "England"

English sound /ə/

Example "the" (schwa)

Common error No common error specified.

Practice materials
Practise the neutral vowel /ə/ using spoken dialogues

7. /ɑ:/ as in "part"

Fix problem Mouth more open and tongue to low central.

English sound /ɑ:/

Example "part"

Common error /e/ — "pet"

8. /ɑ:/ as in "cart"

Fix problem Tongue back a little & mouth open.

English sound /ɑ:/

Example "cart"

Common error /æ/ — "cat"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /æ/ or /ɑ:/ practice

9. /ɔ:/ as in "nought"

Fix problem Tongue low & back. Jaws together. Long.

English sound /ɔ:/

Example "nought"

Common error /ɔ/ — "not"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /ɔ/ or /ɔ:/ practice

10. /ɜ:/ as in "bird"

Fix problem Fix tongue in central position. Long.

English sound /ɜ:/

Example "bird"

Common error No common error specified.

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /e/ or /ɜ:/ practice
Minimal Pairs /ʌ/ or /ɜ:/ practice
Minimal Pairs /ɔ:/ or /ɜ:/ practice

11. /eɪ/ as in "late"

Fix problem Tongue moves from front centre to front high.

English sound /eɪ/

Example "late"

Common error /e/ — "let"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /e/ or /eɪ/ practice

12. /əʊ/ as in "note"

Fix problem Tongue central. Then tightly round lips.

English sound /əʊ/

Example "note"

Common error /ɔ/ — "not"

13. /əʊ/ as in "bone"

Fix problem Tongue central. Then tightly round lips.

English sound /əʊ/

Example "bone"

Common error /ɔ:/ — "born"

14. /ɪə/ as in "beer"

Fix problem Tongue high and front. Move to centre.

English sound /ɪə/

Example "beer"

Common error /eə/ — "bear"

15. /ʊə/ as in "tour"

Fix problem Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround.

English sound /ʊə/

Example "tour"

Common error No common error specified.

16. /b/ as in "bet"

Fix problem Voiced. Vibration. Trap air with lips.

English sound /b/

Example "bet"

Common error /v/ — "vet"

17. /θ/ as in "thin"

Fix problem Voiceless. Friction. Tongue between teeth.

English sound /θ/

Example "thin"

Common error No common error specified.

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /ð/ practice
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /t/ practice
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /d/ practice
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /s/ practice

18. /ð/ as in "clothe"

Fix problem Voiced. Friction. Tongue between teeth.

English sound /ð/

Example "clothe"

Common error /θ/ — "cloth"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /ð/ practice

19. /z/ as in "rise"

Fix problem Voiced: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction.

English sound /z/

Example "rise"

Common error /s/ — "rice"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /s/ or /z/ practice

20. /h/ as in "hot"

Fix problem Quickly push air from throat out of mouth.

English sound /h/

Example "hot"

Common error "ch" in "loch"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /h/ or silent "h" practice

21. /tʃ/ as in "cherry"

Fix problem Unvoiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate.

English sound /tʃ/

Example "cherry"

Common error /ʃ/ — "sherry"

22. /dʒ/ as in "age"

Fix problem Voiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate.

English sound /dʒ/

Example "age"

Common error /ʃ/ — "Asia"

23. Silent "r" as in "survivor"

Fix problem British "r" is weaker & usually silent unless followed by a vowel.

English sound silent

Example "survivor"

Common error /r/ — "Sir Ivor"

24. /ŋk/ as in "think"

Fix problem Back of tongue to back roof. Nasal.

English sound /ŋk/

Example "think"

Common error /ŋ/ — "thing"

Practice materials
Minimal Pairs /ŋ/ or /ŋk/ practice

25. /j/ as in "yam"

Fix problem Glide /j/(i:) the tongue quickly to next sound

Portuguese language backgrounds

1. /ɪ/ as in "sit"

2. /æ/ as in "man"

3. /ʌ/ as in "cup"

4. /ɔ/ as in "not"

5. /ʊ/ as in "full"

6. /ə/ as in "the" (schwa)

7. /ɑ:/ as in "part"

8. /ɑ:/ as in "cart"

9. /ɔ:/ as in "nought"

10. /ɜ:/ as in "bird"

11. /eɪ/ as in "late"

12. /əʊ/ as in "note"

13. /əʊ/ as in "bone"

14. /ɪə/ as in "beer"

15. /ʊə/ as in "tour"

16. /b/ as in "bet"

17. /θ/ as in "thin"

18. /ð/ as in "clothe"

19. /z/ as in "rise"

20. /h/ as in "hot"

21. /tʃ/ as in "cherry"

22. /dʒ/ as in "age"

23. Silent "r" as in "survivor"

24. /ŋk/ as in "think"

25. /j/ as in "yam"