Click on the links below to hear genuine native Portuguese speakers with different accents reading the following paragraph.  With careful listening practise, you should eventually be able to distinguish different accents and identify whereabouts the speaker is from.  This can be quite difficult to start with!

"Dom Sebastião I era o décimo-sexto Rei de Portugal, e sétimo da Dinastia de Avis. Era neto do rei João III, tornou-se herdeiro do trono depois da morte do seu pai, o príncipe João de Portugal duas semanas antes do seu nascimento, e rei com apenas três anos, em 1557. Em virtude de ser um herdeiro tão esperado para dar continuidade à Dinastia de Avis, ficou conhecido como O Desejado; alternativamente, é também memorado como O Encoberto ou O Adormecido, devido à lenda que se refere ao seu regresso numa manhã de nevoeiro, para salvar a Nação."

^{(Taken from:  "Sebastião de Portugal." Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. 2 Jan 2006, 20:26 UTC. 13 Jan 2006, 08:30)}

Male, Northern Portuguese (from Porto, Douro Litoral)

Female, Northern Portuguese (from Porto, Douro Litoral)

Male, Angolan

Female, Angolan

Male, Southern Brazilian (from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul)

Female, Southern Brazilian (from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul)

Male, Southern Brazilian (from Curitiba, Paraná)

Female, Central Brazilian (from Goiania, Goias)

Male, Carioca (from Rio de Janeiro) The city of Rio de Janeiro is in the state of the same name.

If you are able to supply an audio file for this section with an accent that is not already featured here, please contact me.  I would especially like to be able to add samples of the following accents:  Azorean, Algarvian, Lisboeta, Northern Brazilian, and Female Carioca.

Trouble playing the audio files? Click here.

Comments

Wow, good job Russell! Written by Krystoffer on 2006-02-01 20:48:36 IP: 201.34.68.95 It's much more real to be able to hear it! =D  And it's so beautiful, I love the European accent! hehe  Brazilian accent is quite dull... =P

Nice Written by Joel on 2006-02-19 22:18:19 IP: 80.3.128.8 I myself like the European accent a lot better - it's quite plesent to hear it.

to the administrator Written by joe on 2006-02-22 07:52:28 IP: 80.3.128.8 Hi there, I like this site a lot - I'm Portugeuse and I like what you have done here in this site, thanks. Take care of yourself, keep doing a great job, Joe.

Uma boa idéia Written by Paul B on 2006-04-24 17:18:30 IP: 80.3.128.8 Reminds me of a lesson I attended on a hort course in Thetford, where three different teachers from different parts of Portugal read out a paragraph for us - it was a great lesson in understanding why I had problems understanding much of spoken Portuguese.

Great! Written by Ivy on 2006-04-24 17:17:47 IP: 80.3.128.8 Really appreciate it! WOW. You are a great teacher...thanks. I am currrently on basic portuguese and your materials are currently helping me a lot

Brazilian accent is beautiful Written by Rick B. on 2006-05-27 01:01:08 IP: 24.141.61.26 I'm the head of the languages department at a high school in Canada. I'm fluent in Spanish and French. I've had a couple of Brazilian students and I love their accent. It sounds much more melodic than European Portuguese. I went to school with Portuguese kids and I always thought it sounded rough and ugly, but now that I heard the Brazilian dialect, an interest in the language has grown in me. I don't like the shhh sound of the s's and the silent endings. I'm planning a trip to Brazil soon.

Brazilian coming soon Written by Administrator on 2006-05-27 08:53:26 IP: 80.3.128.8 I am hoping to add Brazilian accents here soon. I have a theory that Americans (including Canada and South America) prefer the sound of the Brazilian accent, and Europeans prefer the sound of the Portuguese accent.    Of course, both have their merits, and Brazilian is certainly easier to understand, but personally I like the slushiness of European Portuguese. It's kind of gooey, if you know what I mean. Brazilian is certainly more 'melodic' - they almost sing.

Different accents in Brazil Written by Hugo on 2007-02-11 08:49:48 IP: 80.3.128.4 Im a native speaker from Portugal, and in Portugal there are different accents for the language - just like in Brazil, there are different accents there, including there are regions where you can hear the slushiness typical of European Portuguese or even the use of tu instead of você.     It really depends on the region where the language is spoken. I think it really depends on the speaker themself, to determine whether the language is understandable or not. Sure, all people might say the Brazilian accent rules over Portuguese people, and I do like that accent, but I would invite those people who say the Portuguese accent sucks, to listen and try to understand the accent of the Brazilans in the north of Brazil.     Great job with your site, it really ROCKS !!!!

Wow Written by Bryann on 2006-10-25 07:13:17 IP: 80.3.128.8 As an (almost) native Brazilian Portuguese speaker, I always loved the Brazilian Portuguese accent. It almost 'sings' to me (like admin said). When I heard European Portuguese for the first time, I thought it was a Brazilian with a speech impediment... Anyway, I may be biased [Ed: Yep! Then again, so am I!], but I personally think that European Portuguese is, well, feio [Ed: 'feio' means 'ugly']. It's far too 'slushy' and unclear.     Then again, that's just my opinion. I'd rather speak with a Brazilian than with a Portuguese anyday...    By the way, GREAT JOB with the site. I NEVER understood the tenses. Never. Thank you so much!

Accents Written by Ricardo on 2006-11-26 08:33:40 IP: 80.3.128.6 Even though Portugal is a small country, you can find a different accent in almoust every town... the rough and "feio" is the one that I speak... it's almoust "accentless" and dry and it's from the capital, Lisbon . But I had a Finnish girlfriend and she loved it - she even went to learn it for a few years and I think she's still learning it. Now, if you cross the bridge and go South from Lisbon you can notice a slight difference in the melody of the speech, and if you go all the way down like in the Algarve, it seems like a different language. If you go North, you can hear them almoust singing... it's kind'a like Italian.    Brazil is HUGE... it's almost a continent... in the south the accent is very similar to the European Portuguese and in the north, (to be more precise, in the north east) it is not "feio"... it's "horrivel" - I guess everyone understood that one...    Portuguese from Portugal is more versatile, has more sounds and less "sugar".  Portuguese from Brazil is "sweet" and "mellow" and easier to learn.    Don't forget Portuguese from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, Macau and Timor... they are all different, but in the end all alike.    Take care.

Thanks Written by Leah on 2006-12-03 21:26:05 IP: 80.189.122.158 Hi - your site is wonderful. It was great being able to compare the accents. Even though I still class myself as very much a beginner, I can easily spot whether someone is from Brazil or Portugal. Personally I think European Portuguese is just so beautiful. Sometimes I think it sounds quite Slavic. I would be very interested to hear comparisons from within different regions in Portugal.  Thanks again - your site is such a help.

Brazil & Portugal Written by Maya on 2006-12-31 12:33:59 IP: 198.54.202.195 I've been to both Brazil and Portugal and both countries are lovely. I don't have any problem with any of their accents at all. I think both are equally unique of course, though I prefer the Brazilian accent over the Portuguese accent. Not because I think the Portuguese accent is ugly, but becuase the Brazilian accent in my opinion is is much more sophisticated and sexy as well.

Brazil accent Written by Shaanti on 2006-12-31 12:31:46 IP: 196.25.255.195 I like the Brazilian accent much better than the European one....it sounds way too rough in my opinion and I don't like the compressing of the words. The Brazilian accent is definitely much more melodic and sophisticated.

Brazilian accent Written by Thiago Wolff on 2007-01-13 08:45:34 IP: 65.27.195.73 I really love the Portuguese language, especially with the Brazilian accent. It sounds really beautiful. However, it depends on the region of Brazil. There are some regions that the accent is even uglier than the accent from Portugal (actually those are quite similar, e.g. Santa Catarina). I would say the accents from Rio de Janeiro and from Rio Grande do Sul are really nice.  I wholeheartedly suggest the website to put some audio with a Carioca accent as well. The differences are huge.

Carioca Written by Administrator on 2007-01-13 08:46:00 IP: 80.3.128.6 I would love to add a Carioca accent, but so far I have no volunteers!

Sorry Written by Shaanti on 2007-01-13 08:44:55 IP: 196.25.255.195 Awww I can't help cos I'm not Cariocan. But I'll see if I can get help......hopefully.     Rio accent:  The European accent has too much "slushiness" and too much compressing of the words...thats why the Rio accent still sounds nicer even though they have the "sh" sound in common.

COOL Written by Gail on 2007-03-08 09:14:57 IP: 156.34.181.223 I Love Portuguese!

Brazilian accents Written by Theresa on 2007-02-10 12:19:49 IP: 198.54.202.195 First when I heard the Portuguese language I never liked it at all...I remember I was in Lisbon at the time. But after touring Brazil I couldn't believe how beautiful those Brazilians sound when speaking.It's so wonderful. I absolutely have taken a huge interest in the Brazilian language and culture. They speak Portuguese so beautifully...not just the Cariocans and and Southern Brazilians.    And as far as the north eastern accent is concerned, first I found it kinda ugly too but later I found it a bit amusing...Now whenever I hear the north eastern accent I can't help but smile out of delight of course. I can just listen to Brazilians all day     Great job on your site...it's definitely been very helpful. Keep up the good work

Portuguese accent Written by Rui on 2007-02-27 22:20:07 IP: 86.141.84.173 Firstly let me congratulate you for this excellent forum and a very good site. I am teaching Portuguese from Portugal and I agree that Brazilian Portuguese sounds great. But so does Portuguese from Portugal. Just like English from England is not better or worse than English from anywhere else. They're just different. And that's the most fascinating thing about languages - their diversity. I am grateful to be able to appreciate Caetano Veloso as well as Mariza and Madredeus and to read Jorge Amado as well as José Saramago, to be impressed by Carlos Drummond de Andrade as well as Fernando Pessoa. A language or accent is not more beautiful or uglier than any other. It depends on the speaker or writer and the use they make of it! Enjoy your Portuguese learning!

Brazilian accent or Portuguese accent Written by Leonardo on 2007-03-08 09:16:02 IP: 201.67.99.74 Well, Portuguese is Portuguese. there is no Brazilian accent because even in Brazil there are lots of different accents. The best ones are from those who studied more - well educated people speak better. The Portuguese accent is nice too, but it depends on who is speaking.    If you stick to just one accent and despise the other you will never improve your portuguese as you should. And the way you pronounce will vary according to where you live. If you don't live in Brazil or in Portugual your accent won't be Brazilian or Portuguese, your accent will be "Canadian" "English" "American" or whatever. You only pick the accent by living where people speak the language otherwise you will always have a foreign accent. The accent is not important, let's study and learn how to speak and understand the language and then after that the accent will come according to where you are. Thanks.

Preferences Written by Administrator on 2007-03-08 09:11:53 IP: 80.3.128.6 Some valid points made by Leonardo, but I think it is natural to have preferences when it comes to accents - no matter what the language. Also, some people do have the ability to imitate other accents with great accuracy - even if they don't live in the native country or area. I would encourage students of Portuguese to try to imitate the accent of their choice, as accurately as they can, because this will make it easier for natives to understand what they are saying.

Written by Hugo on 2007-04-03 13:32:49 IP: 201.10.190.175 Both Brazilian and Portuguese accent are nice. It is just a question of liking or not. I prefer Brazilian, more melodic. European accent may sound very polite, I prefer casual way of living.

Accent Written by Lozano on 2007-06-26 21:41:58 IP: 71.96.7.51 I am fond of the Portuguese accent many have stated that is sounds too rough but to me its sounds very masculine and the pronounciation is continuous never changing that is why I prefer it over the Brazilian accent which is too complex almost sounds like a speech impediment and I must state that I have been exposed to the various regional accents of Brazil.

Did you know that... Written by Nuno on 2007-07-19 20:08:51 IP: 87.196.29.2 It was actually Portugal who declared independence from Brazil, and not the other way around. After the Napoleonic invasions, the true heir to the Portuguese throne stayed in Brazil…    Some experts say that the “truest” form of Portuguese is spoken by upper-class “cariocas”, since Rio de Janeiro was Brazil’s most important city during Portuguese rule and was where most Portuguese settlers ended up (along with São Paulo), and it wasn’t affected by French influence as the European version did.    And what about African Portuguese? It may be closer to the European version (Portugal had colonies there which lasted 500 years) but it still has a different sound. Give me some “kizomba” music anytime : )    May I also suggest Galician Portuguese? Now that's a freakin' weird accent...

Portuguese Written by KathyBlue on 2007-08-31 12:54:40 IP: 80.251.171.125 They say the "original and well-pronounced" Portuguese is spoken in Coimbra.   I do prefer Portugal's Portuguese = original Portuguese.

Portuguese accent for me. Written by Arthur on 2007-11-01 19:53:07 IP: 71.97.114.37 'Some experts say that the “truest” form of Portuguese is spoken by upper-class “cariocas”, since Rio de Janeiro was Brazil’s most important city during Portuguese rule and was where most Portuguese settlers ended up (along with São Paulo), and it wasn’t affected by French influence as the European version did.'    Im sure these 'experts' are Brazilian and choose to ignore that Brazilian Portuguese has evolved incorporating foreign elements    The mission of this site is to help others in Continental Portuguese, notice the picture of Portugal in the upper left corner. Notice the vowels presented in this site are European I seriously doubt that the Portuguese post pedantic and irrelevant comments on sites relating to Brazilian Portuguese.

Careful Written by Administrator on 2007-11-01 19:59:13 IP: 80.3.252.130 Ok folks, let's not start a war between Brazil and Portugal!     There seems to be a surprising degree of animosity in some comments submitted on this page (a number of which I have edited or deleted altogether as they were too inflammatory!). Please let's all acknowledge that different people prefer different accents, and that there is no one 'true' Portuguese accent - every accent must have evolved to some degree since the birth of the language.    Whilst the focus of this site is European Portuguese, comments about Brazilian Portuguese are acceptable if relevant to the subject of the page, and on this page (comparing accents), they are more relevant than on most other pages.    Now, play nice!

Interesting! Written by Ian on 2007-11-08 21:01:07 IP: 86.56.50.130 Nice site!    I personally like the Carioca accent best. The one spoken by the guy from Porto also sounds very nice to me.    I found the lady from Goiânia very hard to understand.    It's amazing how diverse Portuguese accents are. For comparison, Spanish accents are not that different from each other, at least relative to the Portuguese ones.    Good work!

Madeira accent Written by Eiryl on 2007-11-09 15:19:20 IP: 81.157.164.228 I go to Madeira on holiday and am learning Portuguese. I find it very hard to understand the pronunciation out of context. If I start to try out my Portuguese, the person I am speaking to speaks so quickly and I am lost and feel defeated!. I would like to hear the Madeiran dialect.

this is awesome! Written by Ange Kirkwood da Silva on 2007-11-10 11:41:17 IP: 124.168.37.93 As an Aussie learning Portuguese not fast enough for my liking (family & friends are very well meaning but I get lost in conversations & I'd like to say a bit more than vamos dormir which is what I feel like during most gatherings ) you are a godsend and it's about time I found you     BTW a very amusing accent is the one from Madeira, lots of interesting vowel shifts, for instance vinho is almost like vonho & eu sei is almost eu sooi (lengthened like that too!). My husband (from near Coimbra) has worked with lots of Madeirenses and likes to "put on" their accent, trouble is when I first heard a real Madeirense speaking I thought he was putting it on...oops!    And I prefer the sloppy European accent too, and the way they cut the word endings; we ozzies like to do that too     Seeya soon!

Written by Sarah on 2007-11-20 22:19:15 IP: 72.54.24.226 I appreciate the language- I think it's so beautiful and melodic. I'm sure I am biased, though, since my fiancee is a Carioca. Though it is the accent that I am trying to emulate and the one I love the most, I appreciate all the other accents. The only negative aspect of the Portuguese accents is that I can barely understand what they are saying. Even my fiancee has a bewildered look on his face when a Portuguesa speaks. I guess it's like an American trying to understand an Austrailian or vice versa (but with really strong accents). Viva Brasil!

Wish of Hearing More Dialects and Written by Lone Wanderer on 2007-11-23 09:46:23 IP: 130.243.144.62 Stumbled upon this website only earlier today and have to say this place is absolutely fantastic!     There are not many chances to hear spoken Portuguese so I really enjoyed the sound samples on this site. Hopefully it's possible to get more natives record their dialect for public use. As has been mentioned many times already, people have their own preferences. For me the Porto accent was the most interesting, it's as if pronouncing words like that would need more effort than the Southern Brazilian accent! :P    I see this comment earlier in this thread was posted near a year back but eh, I'll quote anyway: "Sometimes I think it sounds quite Slavic. I would be very interested to hear comparisons from within different regions in Portugal."  – Agree with you on that and likewise hope to hear more of Portuguese dialects on this site. When I first heard Cristiano Ronaldo (of Selecção and Manchester United) being interviewed in Portuguese in some press conference on the tele some years ago, at first I thought he was speaking Russian! Then as I related my opinion on one Internet messageboard at a later date, some thought I was crazy because as far as linguistics go, Portuguese does not belong to the same language group as Russian does... Nice to know that I'm not alone with my opinion!    Muito obrigado, Admin! Keep up the good work!

Madeira and the Brazilian accent Written by Lucy Gibbs on 2008-01-20 19:39:22 IP: 86.161.246.78 Hi    I am in English person thinking about going to live in Madeira in a couple of years and I would like to learn Portuguese. I want to buy the Rosetta Stone language course that covers the 'Brazil' accent. Does anyone have a view on whether this accent will help me get by in Madeira. I have tried another of their courses and the ability to continually hear what a word sounded like made a huge difference to my learning speed. If I get a regular course with CDs in European Portuguese I doubt I will get enough experience of the spoken word. Any comments would be appreciated.

Madeira Written by Administrator on 2008-01-20 19:41:54 IP: 80.3.252.130 Madeirans will have no trouble understanding you if you speak Brazilian Portuguese, however if you are going there to live, I would highly recommend trying to learn European Portuguese, as that is what they speak. If you can get used to the European accents, you will find it easier to understand Madeirans, and they will probably find your speech a little more palatable. Although Rosetta Stone is very effective, there are other CD-Rom based courses out there that use similar techniques and also teach European Portuguese.

Sotaques: Written by Mark Soldiers on 2008-04-24 19:16:32 IP: 206.127.125.130 When I reached the point that I wanted to hear spoken Portuguese I looked for movies dubbed into Portuguese. They were all done in Brasileiro sotaque. Curiously, the movies most often dubbed into Portuguese are the Horror Flicks. I thought this was dumb at first, but the phrases in the flicks were quite short and repetitive. And they also have a certain piquancy: por exemplo -- Agora aqui você deve deixar toda a desconfiança para trás. Ou -- A morte não é o fim - o sofrimento é para sempre! But I did luck out and also found the Liz Taylor, Richard Burton’s, Taming of the Shrew dubbed into Portuguese. Also Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility. The first worked terrifically, because the actors were quite physical. The second had almost non stop dialogue. But the actors were quite English, very few grand gestures. I also subscribe to Brazil’s Globo TV. The news broadcasts are the easiest to understand (plus you see Brazil as a backdrop). No the advertisements were the easiest to understand. Then I began watching the Telanovalas. Marivahlosa! The acting is grand. The women are beautiful; the men handsome. And the emotions are deliciously excessive. Finally, maybe someone can answer this: I’m told you can get by in Italy with Brazilian Portuguese. This, because of all the Brasileiros with dual citizenship, Italy/Brazil.

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