The Portuguese alphabet has 26 letters, arranged from A to Z. The letters K, W and Y are mainly used in proper names, acronyms, and foreign words. Each letter has a name and tends to have different sounds depending on the word. Learning the names of the letters helps to spell and recognize written words.

The Portuguese has five written vowels: A, E, I, O, U. Each vowel can sound differently, depending on its position in the word and the diacritic mark. The vowels form the nucleus of the syllable and determine much of the pronunciation. Listening to and repeating vowels in simple words helps fix the basic sounds.

Consonants are letters that normally appear around vowels to form syllables. Many consonants maintain a stable sound in simple words. The sound can change with letter combinations and with position in the word, but the basic value of consonants is predictable in everyday names and words.

The letters C and G have two main sounds in Portuguese. Before E or I, they tend to have a softer sound, similar to the S and J sounds. Before A, O or U, they normally have a stronger sound, similar to the K and G sounds in English get. This rule appears in many common words.

The letter R has different sounds depending on its position in the word. At the start of the word or between two vowels, the sound can vary quite a bit regionally, but follows stable patterns locally. In many Brazilian varieties, RR and initial R have a strong sound, and R between vowels has a weaker sound.

S and Z have different sounds, but they can come close in rapid speech depending on the region. S normally represents the S sound, especially at the start of the syllable. Z normally represents the Z sound, and also appears when S is between vowels in many words.

The combinations LH and NH represent sounds unique to Portuguese. LH has a sound similar to the LL in Spanish in some regions, forming a soft sound in syllables like 'lha'. NH has a nasal sound, similar to the GN in Italian or the Ñ in Spanish. These sounds occur frequently in short words.

CH normally represents a sound similar to SH in English. X can have more than one sound, but in the common words of this unit it appears with two main values: SH sound and S sound. Memorizing the sound in frequent words is the most reliable strategy for X.

Portuguese uses nasal vowels, especially when M or N follows the vowel in the same syllable or when there is a til. The nasal sound is produced by letting air pass through the nose, not closing the mouth completely. The til marks nasalization and appears in very common words.

Graphic accents indicate which vowel is pronounced more strongly and, often, which sound the vowel should have. The most common accents are the acute and circumflex. Reading words with accents helps predict the correct pronunciation of the stressed syllable.

Portuguese pronunciation varies between countries and within Brazil, especially in the sounds of R, S at the end of the syllable, and unstressed vowels. These variations are regional and stable, and do not hinder communication. Recognizing variation helps understand speakers from different places.