Portuguese from Zero: Sounds & Spelling (L1)

By the end

What you'll build

• Produce the five Portuguese nasal vowels, including the ão that has no Spanish or English equivalent
• Hear and make the open/closed distinction in e and o, which changes meaning
• Pronounce the Brazilian R correctly in all its positions — it is not a Spanish R
• Handle the palatalisation that turns 'de' into 'jee' and 'te' into 'chee'
• Apply the stress rules and know why each written accent is there
• Read any Portuguese word aloud from its spelling, including words you have never seen

Curriculum

What's inside

6 modules · 38 lessons

1. 01

   Why Portuguese Isn't Spanish

   9 lessons
   • Find Your Level — Read This First
   • Find Your Level — 5-Minute Placement Checkquiz
   • Welcome — The Language That Looks Familiar and Isn't
   • The Vowels — Open, Closed and Reducedpronunciation card
   • Listening: Open, Closed, Reducedlistening lab
   • + 4 more lessons
2. 02

   The Nasal Vowels

   6 lessons
   • The Sound That Defines Portuguese
   • The Five Nasals and the ãopronunciation card
   • Listening: Nasal or Not?listening lab
   • When M and N Stop Being Nasalfill blank
   • Speaking Lab: The Nasal Setspeaking lab
   • + 1 more lesson
3. 03

   The R That Is an H, and Other Consonants

   6 lessons
   • The Consonants That Surprise Everyone
   • The R and the Palatalisationpronunciation card
   • Which Sound?fill blank
   • Listening: Consonant Contrastslistening lab
   • Tongue Twisters: R, LH and NHtongue twister
   • + 1 more lesson
4. 04

   Stress and the Written Accents

   6 lessons
   • Four Accents, Three Jobs
   • The Four Accentspronunciation card
   • Which Accent?fill blank
   • Listening: Where's the Stress?listening lab
   • Build It: Accent Pairssentence builder
   • + 1 more lesson
5. 05

   Putting the Sound System Together

   6 lessons
   • The Complete Letter-to-Sound Map
   • Reading Unfamiliar Wordsfill blank
   • Word Power: Signs and Streetsword power
   • Speaking Lab: Read a Brazilian Menuspeaking lab
   • Listening: Portuguese at Real Speedlistening lab
   • + 1 more lesson
6. 06

   Reading Aloud and Regional Portuguese

   5 lessons
   • Brazil, Portugal and the Rest
   • Regional Soundspronunciation card
   • Speaking Lab: Read a Station Announcementspeaking lab
   • Final Check: Sounds & Spellingquiz
   • Course Review — Spaced Recallflashcard sr

The shape of it

How this course works