Portuguese is much more phonetic than English. Once you understand how syllables work, you can read and pronounce new words with confidence — even if you don’t know their meaning.
The key is learning the Portuguese syllabary (silabário), which is divided into:
- Simple Syllables (Silabário Simples)
- Complex Syllables (Silabário Complexo)
Below, you’ll find tables structured like the traditional syllabary charts, just like the images you see in Brazilian schools.
Simple Syllables in Portuguese (Silabário Simples)
What Are Simple Syllables?
Simple syllables follow this pattern:
Consonant + Vowel (CV)
They are the foundation of Portuguese reading and pronunciation.
Simple Syllabary Table
| A | E | I | O | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | BA | BE | BI | BO | BU |
| C | CA | CE | CI | CO | CU |
| D | DA | DE | DI | DO | DU |
| F | FA | FE | FI | FO | FU |
| G | GA | GE | GI | GO | GU |
| H | HA | HE | HI | HO | HU |
| J | JA | JE | JI | JO | JU |
| K | KA | KE | KI | KO | KU |
| L | LA | LE | LI | LO | LU |
| M | MA | ME | MI | MO | MU |
| N | NA | NE | NI | NO | NU |
| P | PA | PE | PI | PO | PU |
| Q | QUA | QUE | QUI | QUO | — |
| R | RA | RE | RI | RO | RU |
| S | SA | SE | SI | SO | SU |
| T | TA | TE | TI | TO | TU |
| V | VA | VE | VI | VO | VU |
| X | XA | XE | XI | XO | XU |
| Z | ZA | ZE | ZI | ZO | ZU |
Nasal Simple Syllables (ÃO)
These sounds do not exist in English and are extremely important in Portuguese.
| BÃO | CÃO | DÃO | FÃO | GÃO |
| LÃO | MÃO | NÃO | PÃO | RÃO |
| SÃO | TÃO | VÃO | XÃO | ZÃO |
Examples:
- PÃO (bread)
- MÃO (hand)
- NÃO (no)
Complex Syllables in Portuguese (Silabário Complexo)
What Makes a Syllable “Complex”?
Complex syllables include:
- Consonant clusters (BR, TR, PL, FL…)
- Digraphs (NH, LH, CH)
- Special combinations (QU, GU)
- Final consonant sounds (AR, ER, IR…)
Complex Syllabary Tables
Consonant + R
| A | E | I | O | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR | BRA | BRE | BRI | BRO | BRU |
| CR | CRA | CRE | CRI | CRO | CRU |
| DR | DRA | DRE | DRI | DRO | DRU |
| FR | FRA | FRE | FRI | FRO | FRU |
| GR | GRA | GRE | GRI | GRO | GRU |
| PR | PRA | PRE | PRI | PRO | PRU |
| TR | TRA | TRE | TRI | TRO | TRU |
| VR | VRA | VRE | VRI | VRO | VRU |
Examples:
- Brasil
- Prato
- Trator
Consonant + L
| A | E | I | O | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BL | BLA | BLE | BLI | BLO | BLU |
| CL | CLA | CLE | CLI | CLO | CLU |
| FL | FLA | FLE | FLI | FLO | FLU |
| GL | GLA | GLE | GLI | GLO | GLU |
| PL | PLA | PLE | PLI | PLO | PLU |
Examples:
- Blusa
- Placa
- Floresta
Digraphs (Two Letters, One Sound)
CH (sounds like “sh”)
| CHA | CHE | CHI | CHO | CHU |
Example:
- Chave
LH (similar to “lli” in million)
| LHA | LHE | LHI | LHO | LHU |
Example:
- Coelho
NH (similar to “ny” in canyon)
| NHA | NHE | NHI | NHO | NHU |
Example:
- Unha
QU and GU Combinations
| A | E | I | O | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QU | QUA | QUE | QUI | QUO | — |
| GU | GUA | GUE | GUI | GUO | GUU |
Examples:
- Queijo
- Guitarra
- Aquário
Final Consonant Syllables
| AR | ER | IR | OR | UR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS | ES | IS | OS | US |
| AN | EN | IN | ON | UN |
| AM | EM | IM | OM | UM |
| AL | EL | IL | OL | UL |
Examples:
- Árvore
- Escada
- Ambulante
Why This Works So Well for English Speakers
Portuguese syllables are:
- Predictable
- Consistent
- Logical
Once you learn the syllabary, you can:
- Read faster
- Pronounce better
- Understand spoken Portuguese more easily
How to Practice the Syllabary
- Read each row out loud
- Practice one table per day
- Break real words into syllables
- Focus on nasal and digraph sounds
- Repeat daily for 5–10 minutes
Final Thoughts
If you can read the Portuguese syllabary, you can read Portuguese.
Mastering simple and complex syllables is one of the fastest ways for English speakers to improve pronunciation, reading, and speaking confidence in Portuguese.
