Portuguese has two “O” sounds that can be tricky for English speakers: the closed /ô/ and the open /ó/. These sounds are very important because they can change the meaning of a word.

When you start learning Brazilian Portuguese, one of the smartest moves is to focus on pronunciation. Understanding the sounds of Portuguese is not just about repeating what you hear, it’s about training your ear and mouth to recognize patterns that don’t exist in your native language.