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Study Resource: Pronouncing the ‘o’ sound in Brazilian Portuguese masculine and feminine adjectives

By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira

In several Brazilian Portuguese adjectives that contain an o sound in their stem, the o is pronounced differently in the masculine form vs. the feminine form.

  • In the masculine form it is a “closed o” (more like the sound in “ocean”)

  • In the feminine it is an “open o” (more like the sound in “coffee”)

Though this change doesn’t affect the spelling of the adjective stem, it does affect pronunciation. Here is a list of common adjectives that display this change in pronunciation.

Masculine
(closed o)
Feminine
(open o)
English
grosso
grossa

thick

torto
torta

crooked

morto
morta

dead

absorto
absorta

absorbed

cuidadoso
cuidadosa

careful

disposto
disposta

willing

idoso
idosa

elderly

maldoso
maldosa

mean

exposto
exposta

exposed

caridoso
caridosa

charitable

duvidoso
duvidosa

doubtful

vaidoso
vaidosa

vain

teimoso
teimosa

stubborn

ansioso
ansiosa

anxious