Os Sons das Vogais II Deeper patterns in Brazilian pronunciation
This is a follow-up to "Os Sons das Vogais" (A1). Here you will learn five more patterns: how nouns and verbs with the same spelling can sound different, when nasal sounds turn off, how words link together in fast speech, and how -ão and -am can even tell you which verb tense you are hearing.
Substantivo x verboLigação entre palavras-ão x -am
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Pronunciation Notes
Read this before doing the exercises. Try to say the examples out loud.
1. Nouns vs. verbs: the same letters, a different vowel
Some Brazilian words are spelled with e or o, but the noun and the verb that share that spelling are pronounced with a different vowel quality. The noun uses a closed vowel ([e], [o]); the verb uses an open vowel ([ɛ], [ɔ]) — a bit more like the "e" in "bed" or the "o" in "hot".
Noun (closed)
Verb (open)
o acerto
eu acerto (open ɛ)
o começo
eu começo (open ɛ)
o almoço
eu almoço (open ɔ)
o jogo
eu jogo (open ɔ)
o olho
eu olho (open ɔ)
Good to know: the same closed/open alternation also shows up between singular and plural nouns! In the singular, the stressed o is closed; in the plural, it often opens up. o ovo (closed) → os ovos (open) · o olho (closed) → os olhos (open) · o jogo (closed) → os jogos (open)
2. -or endings: usually closed, with famous exceptions
Words ending in -or are normally pronounced with a closed [o]: amor, motor, professor, cor. But a small group of very common comparative words break the rule and use an open [ɔ] instead.
Closed [o] — the rule
Open [ɔ] — the exceptions
amor, calor, motor
maior, melhor, pior
professor, elevador
menor, suor
Memory tip: the exceptions are almost all comparative words — maior (bigger), melhor (better), pior (worse), menor (smaller). If a word means "more/less ___", it probably has the open sound!
3. When nasalization turns off
You learned that m and n nasalize the vowel right before them. But there is an important condition: this only happens when the m/n is followed by another consonant (or is at the end of the word). If the m/n is followed by a vowel, it stays a normal, oral consonant — and the vowel before it is not nasalized.
Nasalized (m/n + consonant)
NOT nasalized (m/n + vowel)
campo, sombra
canal, acomodar
infância, cinco
sinal, banana (1st a)
Compare:canal — the a before n is oral, because n is followed by the vowel a. But in campo, the a before m IS nasal, because m is followed by the consonant p.
4. The invisible link between words
When a word ends in a nasal vowel and the next word starts with a vowel, Brazilians often connect them with a light [ɲ] sound (like the "nh" in "sonho"). This is called ligação — word linking.
Linking happens
No linking
sim ou não
com ela
bem aqui
bom amigo
também eu
um ovo
The rule: linking happens after words ending in -im, -em/-ém, -en. It does not happen after words ending in -um, -om, or -ã — those simply pause before the next vowel.
5. Two more diphthong patterns
The diphthong ai before x: just like ei simplifies before j/r/x, the diphthong ai reduces to a single [a] sound when it comes before an x.
Written
Sounds like
baixo
BA-shu
caixa
KA-sha
faixa
FA-sha
The extra [i] before final -s/-z: when a stressed vowel is the last sound of a word and it is followed by -s or -z, Brazilians often turn it into a diphthong by adding a light [i] sound.
Written
Sounds like
nós
NOIS
três
TREIS
vocês
vo-SEIS
arroz
a-HOIS
6. -ão or -am? A sound that reveals a verb tense
-ão and -am are written differently, but both are pronounced the same way: [ãu]. So how do you know which one a verb ending in this sound uses? It depends on the tense!
Tense
Ending
Example
Future (eles/elas)
-ão (stressed)
eles falarão, sairão
Other tenses (eles/elas)
-am (unstressed)
eles falavam, cantaram
Bonus pattern: the same kind of written accent trick happens with -ém/-êm: ele convém (singular) vs. eles convêm (plural) — same sound [ẽi], different grammar, told apart only by the accent.
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Exercises
Practice everything you just learned. Read each example aloud before answering.
🎙️ How to practice pronunciation with this material
Exercises marked with 🎙️ ask you to record yourself. Use your phone's voice memo app or WhatsApp's microphone, say the words or sentences slowly and clearly, listen back once, and send the audio file to your teacher along with your written answers. This page cannot receive audio directly.
Exercise 1 — Noun or verb? 🎙️
Choose which one matches the open/closed sound.
Record yourself saying both words in each pair, exaggerating the vowel quality. Then decide which one is being described.
1
Which one has the open [ɔ] sound: o jogo or eu jogo?
2
Which one has the closed [e] sound: o acerto or eu acerto?
3
Which one has the open [ɔ] sound: o olho or eu olho?
4
Which one has the open [ɔ] plural sound: o ovo or os ovos?
Exercise 2 — Spot the -or exception
Which word breaks the closed [o] rule?
In each group, two -or words use the regular closed [o] sound. One is a comparative exception with the open [ɔ] sound. Find it.
1
amor · melhor · motor
2
professor · maior · elevador
3
calor · cor · pior
4
menor · horror · leitor
Exercise 3 — Nasal or not? 🎙️
Does the m/n nasalize the vowel here?
Check what comes right after the m or n. If it's a consonant (or the end of the word), the vowel before is nasal. If it's a vowel, it stays oral. Record yourself saying each word, then answer.
campo
canal
acomodar
sombra
sinal
cinco
Exercise 4 — Does it link? 🎙️
Will these two words connect with [ɲ]?
Look at how the first word ends. Remember: linking happens after -im, -em/-ém, -en; it does NOT happen after -um, -om, -ã. Record yourself saying each pair naturally, then answer.
bem aqui
bom amigo
sim ou não
um ovo
também eu
com ela
Exercise 5 — Extra sounds
Fill in the simplified or added sound.
Some of these words simplify ai to a before x. Others add an extra i before a final -s/-z. Write only the letter asked for.
1
caixa → sounds like K-sha
2
baixo → sounds like B-shu
3
três → sounds like TRES
4
nós → sounds like NOS
Exercise 6 — -ão or -am?
Complete the verb with the correct ending.
Both endings sound like [ãu]. Look at the tense: future = -ão; other tenses (like imperfeito or pretérito perfeito) = -am.
1
Amanhã, eles trabalh até tarde. (future)
2
Ontem, eles trabalh até tarde. (past)
3
No próximo ano, eles mor no Rio. (future)
4
Quando eram crianças, eles mor no Rio. (imperfeito)
Exercise 7 — Read aloud 🎙️
Practice reading these sentences.
Record yourself reading each sentence slowly, then a bit faster, paying attention to the highlighted pattern. Send the audio to your teacher.
Eu acerto o problema, mas o acerto final depende do chefe.verb (open) vs. noun (closed)
O canal de televisão fica perto do campo de futebol.canal (oral) vs. campo (nasal)
Sim ou não, também eu vou com você.word linking with [ɲ]
A caixa estava embaixo da mesa, perto de nós três.ai→[a] before x · extra [i] before s
Eles cantarão amanhã, mas ontem eles cantaram outra música.-ão (future) vs. -am (past)
Exercise 8 — Your turn 🎙️
Write and record your own sentences.
Write 3 sentences about your routine or plans. Try to include: (1) a noun/verb pair with the same spelling (like jogo); (2) a word ending in -ão or -am; (3) two words that link together (like sim ou). Then record yourself reading your sentences aloud and send the audio together with your written answers.
Example: "Eu jogo bola todo sábado. No fim de semana, meus amigos jogarão comigo também. Sim ou não, eu sempre vou."
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