# Pronounciation of the vowels in spoken language



## Julie B.

Bom dia !
I am french and my fiancé is portuguese. I am currently learning portuguese and he is trying to help me. 
But yesterday we had an argument about the pronunciation of some vowels in the spoken language in other words, the fact that when you speak very fast you don't pronounce some letters. 
He told me the word "escudos" very fast and I heard [ʃˈkudʒ] or [ʃˈkudʃ]. I told him to repeat slowly and I heard [əʃˈkuduʒ] so I told him that just like in french and many other languages when you speak fast you don't pronounce some letters. And he told me that he was pronouncing ALL the letters. He didn't feel any difference between the slow and fast version.
So if there is a portuguese teacher or linguist here could you tell me if all the letters are pronounced when speaking very fast ? I really want to learn and be able to understand and speak effectively.
Obrigada !


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## Carfer

Neither a teacher nor a linguist but yes, we skip and also mute sounds quite often when speaking fast (sometimes, even when we speak normally). I myself have been questioned about being some kind of Slavic by foreign people unaware of my true nationality because of that.


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## Vanda

And depending on the region you live in Brazil, these some letters non pronunciated (mainly in the end of the word) will be more accentuated; for example, in my state, Minas Gerais.
More about it
Brazilian: Pronunciation of the last letter of a word
Rules for pronunciation of final 'S' in European Portuguese


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## pfaa09

Yes, that is true, sometimes we don't say the complete word, but this is a natural thing with native speakers, and maybe this happens because we are thinking on the next word, I don't now exactly the right reason for that, but I think this is a common thing between languages.
The most important for you is to learn the language in a proper way, with the complete words, and when you feel comfortable speaking Portuguese, then you may commit those "sins"


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## AlexSantos

In spoken Portuguese It is quite common for vowels to be reduced to a mid central vowel sound, which is commonly called a "schwa" in English (It is the same sound of the last vowel in "together"). Some speakers, especially in Portugal, are prone to dropping these vowels altogether in fast speech when they occur in the middle of a word.


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## Julie B.

Thank you everyone ! I will first learn the slow pronunciation even if I sound a bit formal.
I will also beg my boyfriend to speak to me as if I was a 3 year old 
I may improve at some point !
Again muito obrigada


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## Julie B.

Vanda said:


> And depending on the region you live in Brazil, these some letters non pronuncation (mainly in the end of the word) will be more accentuated; for example, in my state, Minas Gerais.
> More about it
> Brazilian: Pronunciation of the last letter of a word
> Rules for pronunciation of final 'S' in European Portuguese



Thank you Vanda for the useful links !


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## Nino83

In European Portuguese unstressed "e" is normally dropped, for example _p*e*ssoa_ [p'soɐ].
Sometimes also unstressed "o" [u] is dropped, for example _pr*o*cess*o*s_ [pr'sɛsʃ], _p*o*ssib*i*lidad*e*s_ [psibli'dadʃ].
Normally "e" and "o" at the end of the word are dropped.
Sometimes, when there are two consecutive "i", the unstressed one is dropped, for example _m*i*nistr*o*s_ [m'nistɾʃ].


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## Julie B.

Nino83 said:


> In European Portuguese unstressed "e" is normally dropped, for example _p*e*ssoa_ [p'soɐ].
> Sometimes also unstressed "o" [u] is dropped, for example _pr*o*cess*o*s_ [pr'sesʃ], _p*o*ssib*i*lidad*e*s_ [psibli'dadʃ].
> Normally "e" and "o" at the end of the word are dropped.
> Sometimes, when there are two consecutive "i", the unstressed one is dropped, for example _m*i*nistr*o*s_ [m'nistɾʃ].



Thank you Nino83. Knowing that it will be easier for me to improve my understanding of spoken portuguese !


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## xiskxisk

Most portuguese people are not aware of the amount of sounds they drop.

You can watch these European Portuguese videos with IPA transcription.

You can see in the 'Portuguese Optic Fibre Ad' video the dropped vowels (they're marked in the subtitles).

Also, there are vowels that become unvoiced and they change the surrounding consonants. 'Face' and 'faço' will be realised as /fas/, but the final /s/ will sound different in 'faço'. This allows our brain to hear the final U, even though it's not really pronounced.

These unvoiced vowels are marked in the 'Super Bock – Direitos do Amigo' video (notice how direitos almost sounds like direitxu).

PS. You can click the 'slow' button to play the videos in slow motion.


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## Nino83

xiskxisk said:


> 'Face' and 'faço' will be realised as /fas/, but the final /s/ will sound different in 'faço'. This allows our brain to hear the final U, even though it's not really pronounced.


Hi, xiskxisk.
Could you explain the difference between these two /s/?

EDIT:
In songs and newscasts vowels are not extremely dropped but in fast casual speech, for examples in movies, only stressed vowels, unstressed /a/, nasal vowels and vowels in hiatus are retained.
See the video in this thread


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## xiskxisk

Nino83 said:


> Hi, xiskxisk.
> Could you explain the difference between these two /s/?



When it's followed by an /u/ sound you make the shape in your mouth like you're pronouncing the /u/.

Like this: Vocaroo | Voice message

The first is a normal /s/, and the second is how it sounds in words ending with an unstressed /su/ sound when the /u/ becomes silent, like in faço, espaço or passo. Example.

The second pair is the same for the /ʃ/.


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## Nino83

xiskxisk said:


> Like this: Vocaroo | Voice message
> The first is a normal /s/, and the second is how it sounds in words ending with an unstressed /su/ sound when the /u/ becomes silent.


Thank you very much!


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## Julie B.

xiskxisk said:


> Most portuguese people are not aware of the amount of sounds they drop.
> 
> You can watch these European Portuguese videos with IPA transcription.
> 
> You can see in the 'Portuguese Optic Fibre Ad' video the dropped vowels (they're marked in the subtitles).
> 
> Also, there are vowels that become unvoiced and they change the surrounding consonants. 'Face' and 'faço' will be realised as /fas/, but the final /s/ will sound different in 'faço'. This allows our brain to hear the final U, even though it's not really pronounced.
> 
> These unvoiced vowels are marked in the 'Super Bock – Direitos do Amigo' video (notice how direitos almost sounds like direitxu).
> 
> PS. You can click the 'slow' button to play the videos in slow motion.



Thank you so much this is so useful ! And I can practice with the videos.


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## gfrebello

If I may give just an extra little tip for you as a French native speaker, try to think of things like "*e*" as in "j*e* m'en souviens" or in the verb "r*e*trouver". You surely learned at some point that this "e" has a proper sound and how to pronounce it, but in spoken French you'd say much more commonly "j'm'en souviens" and "r'trouver", right? This also gives me nightmares when studying French but it's all about practice and getting used to it. Take it slowly and soon you'll start doing it yourself.

And as said before in this thread, these drops are much more common in PT Portuguese. In BR Portuguese we tend to pronounce everything, so if you're not worried about sounding european it could be easier to learn it the Brazilian way.

Good luck!


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## mexerica feliz

gfrebello said:


> . In BR Portuguese we tend to pronounce everything


 Not quite:

noite quente = noitch kentch
noites quentes = noitç kentç
medicina = metçina

 ˝Agora eu fiquei doç, doç, doç...˝ (Camaro Amarelo)


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## لوامنّ

You should not discuss subtleties of pronunciation with someone who is not phonetically trained. For the brain is subject to many sound illusions. We thing we say things one way, while in fact, we speak in another.


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## guihenning

gfrebello said:


> In BR Portuguese we tend to pronounce everything


We don't drop as many unstressed vowels as the Portuguese do, but we do that in lesser extent. In fact, most of the phonetical phenomena are shared between the lusophony going the Portuguese just further. In Brazil, final unstressed vowels are likely to be aspirated and unvoiced. Unstressed vowels and prepositions between words tend to disappear/merge with stressed ones. Thinking that Brazilians pronounce everything is a mistake.


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## Vanda

> Thinking that Brazilians pronounce everything is a mistake.


_ Conta iss prum mineir, s, né mes Guile?  _


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## Nino83

Vanda said:


> mes


Mes = mesmo?


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## Vanda

Sim...


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## guihenning

Exatamentch!


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## guihenning

Só para acrescentar que boa parte dos fenômenos fonéticos são compartilhados entre BR e PT:

'O' átono antes de pausa desaparece também. Dizemos 'fas' (faço) e a boca projeta o U, mas as cordas vocais não vibram, o 'u' sai em forma dum sopro; aspirado.
'A' átono antes de vogal tônica também costuma desaparecer por completo: «Problema é teu!» > «Problê mé teu! | «Bonita uma ova!» > Bonit'uma ova!
'E' átono pré-tônico não desaparece com frequência, mas pode acontecer principalmente antes de Z ou sons palatais: Desaparecer > dzaparecer; Deslizar > dz/djlizar
'E' átono final e pós-tônico se mistura a consoantes palatais e desaparece: diferentx, gentx, importantx; quem não palataliza D e T, pronuncia o 'i' muito muito fraco e reduzido.
'E' átono antes de 'E' tônico pode ou não desaparecer: «Ele me disse que eu sou louca!» > êli mi dji:ss qu'eu sô loca!; êli mi dji:ss quiêu sô loca!
Dois 'e's átonos formam um 'i' mais longo, geralmente: Ele e ela > êli: ela.
Sem contar em fala normal que tudo vai caindo, até consoante vai embora.
Diferente disso aqui! > Diferên djiss aki
Projeto de quê? > projé dj(i)quê?
O vento derrubou isso aqui tudo, olha > U ven djirrubô saki/issaki tud'ó

Ou seja: nós também adoramos um prato cheio de vogais para as engolirmos por aí a torto e a direito. Menos que os _tugas_, é verdade, mas brasileiro tem costume de dizer que os portugueses engolem as vogais todas como se nós pronunciássemos tudo direitinho. Como se fizéssemos a manutenção das vogais com muito amor e carinho… 
A gente come vogal igualmente, só com menor intensidade.


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