Open and Closed Vowels in Portuguese

The vowel system of the Portuguese language

Portuguese is a rather complex and rich language in terms of phonetics, especially in its European variant. Today we will talk about the peculiarities of pronouncing some vowel sounds because it is their accurate pronunciation that brings the speech of a foreigner speaking Portuguese closer to that of a native speaker. When you start learning a language, it is very important to immediately learn to pronounce the sounds as authentically as possible since this helps not only to speak like a native but also to better understand native speakers.

At first glance, Portuguese seems uncomplicated: there are 6 vowel letters in the alphabet (for comparison — there are 10 in Russian), and one vowel letter Y is used only in foreign words and occurs very rarely. In total, 5 vowel letters, but the number of sounds (i.e., how the letter is realized, pronounced in speech) is at least three times greater. The reason is that each vowel letter, depending on its position in the word and its nature in Portuguese, can be open, closed, or nasal. And these are no longer just A or O as we pronounce them under stress, but somewhat different sounds whose correct articulation even affects the meaning of the word.

What is the problem of open and closed vowels for learners of Portuguese?

Pronouncing and perceiving open and closed vowels probably represent the greatest phonetic difficulty for Russian speakers.

Firstly, because Russian vowels do not have a quality such as openness-closedness. Although, to be fair, it should be noted that the pronunciation of the same sound [A] in Russian also varies depending on its position in the word (I suggest pronouncing the word "барабан" \[drum] and listening to the three slightly different variants of the sound [A] in this word). However, in Russian, we do not distinguish separate categories of “open” and “closed” but rather speak about vowel reduction in an unstressed position.

Secondly, it is very unusual for us that in Portuguese both the open and the closed sound can be stressed, pronounced clearly (not reduced as unstressed vowels), but at the same time differently.

Thirdly, for a foreigner, it is practically impossible to determine which vowel sound in a Portuguese word is open and which is closed. Sometimes in words of the same lexical group or even in different grammatical forms of the same word, the vowel may be open in one case and closed in another. For example, in the words ele (the pronoun “he”) and ela (“she”), the vowel [E] is closed in the first case and open in the second. Or in the singular-plural forms of the word “eye-eyes” olho – olhos, the first vowel [O] in the singular form is closed, but in the plural it is open. Of course, one could try to memorize all the positions in a word that yield either “openness” or “closedness” of the vowel, but recalling all these combinations when speaking is, in my opinion, completely unrealistic. Therefore, the easiest way to approximate the pronunciation of these vowels to that of native speakers is to live in a language environment and communicate with native speakers.

However, seriously speaking, even when learning and practicing Portuguese outside a language environment, one can try to pronounce open and closed vowels articulatorily closer to how Portuguese speakers pronounce them, not leaving it to chance. And the result will definitely come because, after all, the physical structure of the speech apparatus is the same for all people regardless of nationality, and it is simply due to phonetic differences that we do not develop the pronunciation of sounds that do not exist in our native language.

Another good piece of news about these sounds for a foreigner: sometimes it is possible to know with 100% certainty whether there is an open or closed vowel in a word. This happens when the stress is placed not according to the rule (usually by default on the penultimate syllable). In this case, above the stressed syllable, there will always be an acento agudo (´) in the case of an open vowel or an acento circumflexo (^) in the case of a closed vowel. For example: também (“also”), português (“Portuguese”).

How exactly to pronounce open and closed vowels?

The general rule for pronouncing an open sound: the mouth is widely open, the air flows freely outward, and the sound is quite long and sonorous in tone.

The general rule for pronouncing a closed sound: the mouth is slightly closed, the sound seems to go not outward but inward, into the throat; the sound is short in tone, more muffled and lower than its open counterpart.

Let’s see how this sounds with specific vowels. We will start, of course, with [A]. The stressed vowel [A] will be open, for example, in the word casa (house), but closed in the word cama (bed).

In unstressed positions, [A] can also be open, for example, alface (lettuce) or closed, for example, sabiá (thrush). The open [A] is pronounced similarly to the Russian sound [A] in the word пАпа (dad), while the closed [A] is pronounced with the mouth almost closed, so the sound comes out short and somewhere between [Э] and [А].

What about the vowels [O] and [E]? Open stressed sounds are quite close to Russian: [O] — as we pronounce it, for example, in the word “ох!” (oh!) and [Э] — as in the word “этот” (this).

In the closed stressed position, these same sounds are pronounced with the mouth almost closed, shortly, with the place of sound formation closer to the larynx; at the same time, the larynx is slightly constricted. Compare the pronunciation of closed and open in the pair: você (2nd person singular pronoun “you”) – café (“coffee”), avô (“grandfather”) — avó (“grandmother”). By the way, the last example is exactly the case where the correct pronunciation of open and closed affects meaning. It is very difficult for a foreigner to distinguish these two words by ear, and it is also not easy to pronounce them in a way that a native speaker understands who is meant. Fortunately, there are masculine and feminine articles and other words that help clarify gender, such as o meu avô (my grandfather), a minha avó (my grandmother).

[U] and [I] can also be open and closed, but they most often occur in diphthongs, triphthongs, or nasal variants. These phonetic phenomena in Portuguese will be discussed in future articles. For those who want to practice pronouncing open and closed Portuguese vowels, I leave a link to a channel where a Portuguese native and a foreigner explain and practice this complex phonetic phenomenon: 

Conclusion

The difference between open and closed vowels in Portuguese is not just a phonetic feature but an important part of correct pronunciation, speech comprehension, and conveying meaning. Initially, this material may seem confusing and difficult, but gradually, with practice, the skill to distinguish and properly reproduce the sounds will come.

It is not necessary to master all the subtleties immediately. The main thing is to start listening carefully, paying attention, repeating after native speakers, and not being afraid to make mistakes. Over time, you will feel when a sound sounds natural, “Portuguese-like,” and when it does not.

When studying the language independently, it can be difficult to understand such subtle nuances. In such cases, consultations with a teacher who not only speaks the language but also deeply understands Portuguese phonetics, and can explain difficult points clearly, patiently, and step by step, are especially valuable. Individual Portuguese lessons at Skype-Language.com will help you not only learn the rules but also gain confidence in your pronunciation, making your speech lively and natural.