In this pronunciation lesson you will learn the Brazilian pronunciation of the letter L when it comes at the end of a word or a syllable, such as in the words Brasil, futebol, and carnaval.
This video lesson is a part of the Street Smart Brazil Portuguese Starter Kit. In this series we give you important pronunciation tips to improve your pronunciation whether you are just starting out with Portuguese or want to improve your language skills.
The examples I use in the lesson come from the following Brazilian songs:
- Levada Brasileira, by Daniela Mercury
- Aquarela, by Toquinho
The video for this pronunciation lesson is below. Boa aula!
Pronunciation of the L at the end of a word
Let me start with three very common words. You will find these words in the song Levada Brasileira, by Daniela Mercury.
- Brasil
Here is a pronunciation tip: When I pronounce the final L of a word, I do not move my tongue up. My tongue does not touch the roof of my mouth as it does when I pronounce it in English.
For English speakers, the ending of “Brasil” sounds like the word “few”.
Or you may find another word whose sound will help you remember how to pronounce this final L correctly.
Let’s see one more word:
- Carnaval = carnival
English speakers may think of the word “now” or “vow”.
What word in your language can help you remember the Brazilian pronunciation of the L at the end of a word?
Here is the third example:
- Futebol = soccer
Check out out my video lesson with soccer vocabulary in Portuguese.
Pronunciation of the L at the end of a syllable
When the L is at the end of a syllable, the rule is the same as for when it is at the end of a word.
- O papel = paper
- Fácil = easy
- Em volta = around, as in “people are around the table”
- Azul = blue
- Sul = south
I encourage you to learn with songs.
For great tips and strategies to learn language using music and other media resources, check out Susanna Zaraysky’s book Language is Music.
It is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese on Amazon.com.
Get all the practice you need with our live, one-on-one Portuguese lessons via video meetings. Learn at your pace, learn what you want, and control your schedule. It makes a huge difference when you learn with professionally created, exclusive materials and teachers who are truly prepared to teach you Portuguese.
