How to Learn the Portuguese Alphabet

Portuguese is a Romance language, meaning it originated from Latin. Spanish and Portuguese are "sister" languages, which can help people with Spanish language knowledge in learning Portuguese. Portuguese and English are both Indo-European languages which can help identify the spelling in words and make it easier to identify their meaning. Following the Latin alphabet, Portuguese uses six diacritics (special characters). These characters include three accents (acute: Á, circumflex: Â, grave: À), as well as the cedilla (Ç), the tilde (Ã), and the dieresis (Ü). The letters K, W and Y are part of the official alphabet but are rarely used, except in foreign words or names.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Learning DVD or audio book
• Flash cards

1. Purchase a learning DVD or audio book to ensure that you are pronouncing the alphabet properly. Some learning websites may offer audio, such as easyPortuguese (see Resources).

2. Study in short, regular bursts. According to The Everything Learning Brazilian Portuguese Book, students who study 15 to 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week acquire more language than those who cram their studies into one day.

3. Start practicing the alphabet immediately after you learn it and on a regular basis afterward. This will reinforce the knowledge.

4. Make flash cards to practice pronunciation on your own.

5. Take regular breaks to avoid stress when learning. According to The Everything Learning Brazilian Portuguese Book, students do better with a language when they are less stressed about learning.

References

• The Everything Learning Brazilian Portuguese Book; Fernanda L. Ferreira, Ph.D.; July 2007

Resources

• easyPortuguese
• Language Learning Library

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