Study Resource: Pronouncing the ‘o’ sound in Brazilian Portuguese masculine and feminine adjectives

In several Brazilian Portuguese adjectives that contain an o sound in their stemNo definition set for stemLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., the o is pronounced differently in the masculine form vs. the feminine form.

• In the masculine form it is a “closed o” (more like the sound in “ocean”)

• In the feminine it is an “open o” (more like the sound in “coffee”)

Though this change doesn’t affect the spelling of the adjective stem, it does affect pronunciation. Here is a list of common adjectives that display this change in pronunciation.