LinguaLetters that team up
In three pairs the h is not silent at all – it changes the letter before it, and the two letters make one new sound. lh is the “lli” of “million”, said with the tongue flat against the roof of the mouth: folha, trabalho, mulher. nh is the “ny” of “canyon”: vinho, galinha, amanhã. ch is always “sh”, never the “ch” of “church”: chá, chuva. In each pair you count one sound, so fo-lha has two syllables, not three.
l, then h, written together. Read them as one sound, with the middle of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth: folha, trabalho.
n, then h: one sound, the n said with the tongue flat against the palate: vinho, amanhã.
c, then h: always “sh”, as in “shoe”: chá, chuva.
Two r’s side by side, only between vowels: the strong, breathy r – carro. With one r in the same place you get the quick tap – caro.
| Spelling | Sound | Words |
|---|---|---|
| lh | “lli” in “million” | folha, trabalho, mulher |
| nh | “ny” in “canyon” | vinho, galinha, amanhã |
| ch | “sh” | chá, chuva |
| r-, rr | strong, breathy, like the h of “hat” | rio, carro |
| -r- (entre vogais) | a quick tap of the tongue | caro, para |
One letter more, one word different: caro (expensive) and carro (car). With one r between vowels, the tongue taps once: “KA-ru”. With rr, the sound comes from the throat: “KA-hu”. The same strong r is used at the start of every word: rio, rua.
O carro é caro.The car is expensive.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a folha | leaf; sheet (of paper) | A folha da árvore é verde. The leaf of the tree is green. |
| a mulher | woman; wife | A mulher de chapéu é minha tia. The woman in the hat is my aunt. |
| o trabalho | work, job | O trabalho começa às oito. Work starts at eight. |
| o vinho | wine | Um vinho tinto, por favor. A red wine, please. |
| a galinha | hen, chicken | A galinha está no quintal. The hen is in the backyard. |
| amanhã | tomorrow | Amanhã eu vou à praia. Tomorrow I am going to the beach. |
| o chá | tea | Você quer um chá? Would you like some tea? |
| a chuva | rain | A chuva não para. The rain won’t stop. |
| o rio | river | O rio passa perto da cidade. The river runs near the town. |
| o carro | car | O carro do vizinho é azul. The neighbour’s car is blue. |
| caro | expensive | Esse restaurante é muito caro. This restaurant is very expensive. |
| a porta | door | Feche a porta, por favor. Close the door, please. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- trace the letter: 3
- fill the gap: 2
- match the pairs: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which word has the sound of “ny” in “canyon”?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.