Minimal-Pair Pronunciation Practice: /ɑːr/ (“car”)
Typical Problem Sounds for Portuguese / Brazilian Speakers
Practice the main English sounds that Portuguese and Brazilian learners often find difficult.
Choose a sound, load an example word or phrase, and listen with different English voices and speeds.
Type a word or phrase → hear it
Ready.
Typical problem sounds for Portuguese / Brazilian speakers
1. /ɪ/ vs /iː/
ship / sheep
live / leave
2. /æ/ vs /ɛ/
man / men
bat / bet
3. /ʌ/ vs /ɒ/ or /ɑː/
luck / lock
cup / cop
4. /θ/ and /ð/
think / this
three / those
5. /h/
house
happy
6. Final consonants
cap / cab
best / bed
7. Final -ed endings
worked
played
8. Consonant clusters
street
asked
9. Word stress
PREsent / preSENT
PHOtograph / phoTOGraphy
10. /r/ and English rhythm
red
around
Practice sentences
Tip: start very slow
Repeat 3–5 times
Compare different voices
Points
0 / 30
+1 if correct on 1st try
Typical Problem Sounds for Portuguese / Brazilian Speakers
Click a), b), or c).
1. The white ______ is eating grass.
(A ovelha branca está comendo grama.)
/ɪ/ vs /iː/ → ship, sheep, live, leave
a) ship (navio)
b) sheep (ovelha)
c) shape (forma)
2. I want to ______ in London one day.
(Eu quero morar em Londres um dia.)
/ɪ/ vs /iː/ → live, leave, sit, seat
a) leave (partir / deixar)
b) live (morar / viver)
c) love (amar)
3. Please take a ______ before dinner.
(Por favor tome um assento antes do jantar.)
/ɪ/ vs /iː/ → sit, seat, ship, sheep
a) seat (assento)
b) sit (sentar)
c) set (conjunto)
4. We need a new ______ for the picnic.
(Nós precisamos de uma nova bolsa para o piquenique.)
/b/ vs /v/ → bag, big, very, vote
a) bag (bolsa)
b) vague (vago)
c) back (costas)
5. The hotel room has a lovely sea ______.
(O quarto do hotel tem uma linda vista para o mar.)
/b/ vs /v/ → berry, very, boat, vote
a) few (poucos)
b) blue (azul)
c) view (vista)
6. Please check the water ______.
(Por favor verifique a válvula da água.)
/b/ vs /v/ → vote, very, valve, boat
a) bulb (lâmpada)
b) valve (válvula)
c) wolf (lobo)
7. Please ______ carefully before you answer.
(Por favor pense com cuidado antes de responder.)
TH /θ/ → think, three, thank
a) sink (pia / afundar)
b) think (pensar)
c) thing (coisa)
8. ______ is my best friend.
(Este é o meu melhor amigo.)
TH /ð/ → this, that, those
a) These (estes)
b) This (este)
c) Dis (forma incorreta)
9. ______ students are waiting outside.
(Três estudantes estão esperando do lado de fora.)
TH /θ/ → think, three, thank
a) Three (três)
b) Tree (árvore)
c) Free (livre)
10. Please turn on the hall ______.
(Por favor acenda a luz do corredor.)
/h/ → house, happy, home
a) light (luz)
b) height (altura)
c) night (noite)
11. Her new ______ is very big.
(A nova casa dela é muito grande.)
/h/ → house, happy, hello
a) house (casa)
b) mouse (rato)
c) horse (cavalo)
12. He is a very ______ child.
(Ele é uma criança muito feliz.)
/h/ → happy, house, home
a) happy (feliz)
b) apple (maçã)
c) heavy (pesado)
13. Please put on your seat ______.
(Por favor coloque o cinto de segurança.)
Final consonants → belt, best, cap, cab
a) bell (sino)
b) belt (cinto)
c) bed (cama)
14. This English ______ is difficult.
(Este teste de inglês é difícil.)
Final consonants → test, best, next
a) test (teste)
b) text (texto)
c) ten (dez)
15. I dropped the glass ______ on the floor.
(Eu deixei a taça de vidro cair no chão.)
Final consonants → cup, cap, cab
a) cup (xícara)
b) cab (táxi)
c) cap (tampa / boné)
16. She ______ all day yesterday.
(Ela trabalhou o dia inteiro ontem.)
Final -ed endings → worked, played, watched
a) work (trabalhar)
b) worked (trabalhou)
c) worker (trabalhador)
17. They ______ tennis after lunch.
(Eles jogaram tênis depois do almoço.)
Final -ed endings → played, worked, wanted
a) play (jogar)
b) plate (prato)
c) played (jogaram)
18. We ______ a movie last night.
(Nós assistimos a um filme ontem à noite.)
Final -ed endings → watched, worked, lived
a) watch (assistir / relógio)
b) watched (assistimos)
c) wash (lavar)
19. The children walk to ______ every day.
(As crianças vão a pé para a escola todos os dias.)
Consonant clusters → school, street, stop
a) school (escola)
b) cool (legal / fresco)
c) stool (banquinho)
20. Turn right at the next ______.
(Vire à direita na próxima rua.)
Consonant clusters → street, strong, school
a) seat (assento)
b) sheet (folha / lençol)
c) street (rua)
21. Please wait at the bus ______.
(Por favor espere no ponto de ônibus.)
Consonant clusters → stop, school, street
a) shop (loja)
b) stop (parada)
c) top (topo)
22. I got a birthday ______ from my uncle.
(Eu ganhei um presente de aniversário do meu tio.)
Word stress → PREsent / preSENT
a) present (presente)
b) presence (presença)
c) president (presidente)
23. We will pre______ the report tomorrow.
(Nós vamos apresentar o relatório amanhã.)
Word stress → PREsent / preSENT
a) sand (areia)
b) sent (parte de present)
c) sence (forma incorreta)
24. The black ______ is under the table.
(O gato preto está debaixo da mesa.)
/æ/ vs /ɛ/ → cat, cut, men, man
a) cut (cortar)
b) cat (gato)
c) cot (berço portátil)
25. My ______ is from Porto Alegre.
(Meu marido / homem é de Porto Alegre.)
/æ/ vs /ɛ/ → man, men, bat, bet
a) men (homens)
b) man (homem)
c) moon (lua)
26. I need a clean ______ for my tea.
(Eu preciso de uma xícara limpa para o meu chá.)
/ʌ/ vs /ɒ/ → cup, cop, luck, lock
a) cop (policial)
b) cup (xícara)
c) cap (boné / tampa)
27. Good ______ with your exam tomorrow.
(Boa sorte com sua prova amanhã.)
/ʌ/ vs /ɒ/ → luck, lock, bus, boss
a) lock (fechadura)
b) luck (sorte)
c) look (olhar)
28. The front ______ is open.
(A porta da frente está aberta.)
English /r/ → red, right, around
a) door (porta)
b) doll (boneca)
c) draw (desenhar)
29. The little boy is wearing a red ______.
(O menino está usando uma camisa vermelha.)
English /r/ + vowels → red, right, really
a) shirt (camisa)
b) short (curto / short)
c) skirt (saia)
30. I can ______ the bird in the garden.
(Eu consigo ouvir o pássaro no jardim.)
/ɪə/ /ɪr/ type contrast → hear, hair, here
a) hear (ouvir)
b) hair (cabelo)
c) here (aqui)