Portuguese vs. Spanish: Similarities and Differences

It’s often thought that Portuguese and Spanish are mutually intelligible. To some degree, that’s true. But can a Portuguese speaker understand Spanish, and vice versa? A chat between speakers of the two languages can be understood on some level, though not totally.Plus, there’s the additional layer of regional differences within each language. European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese contrast in context, pace, pronunciation, and more. The same is true with Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish. Thus, a Brazilian Portuguese speaker might find it harder to converse with a Castilian speaker, as opposed to someone with Latin American Spanish as their native tongue. However, conversation between Latin American Spanish and European Spanish has a high degree of intelligibility.

For this article, let’s focus on how Portuguese is similar to Spanish. Once you understand these Portuguese vs Spanish differences, you’ll be able to decide which language to learn.

How Similar Are the Two Languages? Parallels and Differences Between Portuguese and Spanish

Portuguese and Spanish similarities are prominent in both vocabulary and pronunciation. These factors make the languages somewhat intelligible to each other; Portuguese is similar to Spanish enough that the transition between the languages is fairly smooth for fluent speakers.

Important Note: Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese are drastically different. Brazilian Portuguese has a different linguistic history and influence from the vast diversity of Indigenous tribes, African slaves, and subsequent immigrants to the country. The Portuguese in this article is geared toward Portuguese spoken in Portugal.The Portuguese vs Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation examples below highlight how to transfer Spanish words and concepts over to Portuguese.

Vocabulary in Spanish and Portuguese: Can You Spot the Differences? 

The vocabulary is the easiest part for Spanish speakers, and it really illustrates how similar Portuguese is to Spanish.  

Here are the top vocabulary hacks to remember: 

1. -ión → -ão 

Words ending in -ión in Spanish end in -ão in Portuguese (i.e. administración →  administração) 

2. z → ç: 

The cedilla (ç), or squiggly c, oftentimes replaces the soft c or z in Spanish. Examples include abraço (abrazo), taça (taza), and dança (danza.)

3. –io/a → -o/a: 

The common Spanish diphthong  “io/a” is rarely used in Portuguese, and is replaced with o/a. Examples include espaço (espacio), justiça (justicia), and preço (precio). 

4. –ano/an → -ão: 

Even though Portuguese does have words that end in -ano/an, it is much more likely that words ending in -ano/an in Spanish will take an -ão suffix. Common examples include mão (mano) and pão (pan). 

5. -ito/ita → -inho/inha: 

The diminutive changes only slightly in Portuguese (i.e. cafecito →  cafezinho, gatita →  gatinha.) 

6. por+ el/la → pelo/pela: 

Not to be confused with pelo (hair) or pela (to peel) in Spanish, the words “por + el” and “por + la” transform into pelo and pela (i.e. Voy a pasar por la casa. →  Vou passar pela casa.) 

7. h → f: 

In Spanish, the Latin “f” often becomes an “h” (i.e. farina → harina), whereas the Portuguese (farinha), French (farine), and Italian (farina) stay true to the original. Other examples include formiga (hormiga) and forno (horno). 

8. -ales & –eles → -ais & -éis: 

 Be on the lookout for different plural forms in Portuguese. The singular form of a word could be the same in both Spanish and Portuguese, like coral or hotel, but it changes in the plural form (i.e. corales → corais, hoteles → hotéis.)

9. muy & mucho/a → muito/a:  Lucky for us, there is no difference in Portuguese between the Spanish words muy and mucho. In Portuguese, they are both muito, and follow the same gender and plural agreements as Spanish (i.e. Muchas personas son muy bonitas. →  Muitas pessoas são muito bonitas.)

Pronunciation: Can You Hear It?

The differences between Portuguese and Spanish are bridged by pronunciation. If you speak Spanish, you should be able to understand Portuguese easily by simply tuning your ears! 

The pronunciation (or phonetics) of Portuguese is the kryptonite of Spanish speakers. 

Many times, the words are exactly the same in Spanish, letter for letter, and Spanish speakers miss out on a golden opportunity to understand a new language. 

Here are the best pronunciation hacks to use your Spanish knowledge to understand Portuguese. 

1. rr → /h/: 

The double “r” in Portuguese is not rolled but sounds like an English “h” or Spanish “j.” Even though the word for car is carro in both Spanish and Portuguese, Spanish speakers don’t catch that the double “r” sounds like an /h/. 

2. -ão → nasal /ow/: 

 The -ão in Portuguese sounds like a very nasal “ow” in English. Now, do you remember that  –ión → -ão and -ano/an → -ão you read about in the vocabulary section? Don’t misunderstand these words because they end in a nasally “ow.” For example, educação sounds like /eh-du-ca-sow/. 

3. -al & -el→ /aʊ/: 

In Spanish, words ending in –al and –el have a hard “l” sound, whereas in Portuguese they have a long “u” sound, like in the words “house” and “out.” So that the word global  sounds like /glow-baw/. In addition to these contrasting pronunciation and vocabulary factors, it’s helpful to remember that Portuguese is similar to Spanish for some language elements but much different for others, like accent marks and prepositions.

Is Portuguese More Difficult Than Spanish? 

Answer: It depends. We have to take the following into account: 

• Most speakers of both languages claim to know more Spanish vocabulary but think Portuguese is easier to pronounce. 
• Unlike Spanish, grammatical rules are not strictly upheld in everyday Brazilian fala (“speak”), making speaking a breeze but writing a bit more complicated. 

Brazilians are very forgiving when it comes to new language learners. They will likely encourage you with phrases like “You sound just like a Brazilian!” or “You speak Portuguese better than me!” even if you just say Oi, tudo bem? (“Hey, how are you?”). This cultural attribute makes for a highly conducive learning environment.

Cultural Influences Shaping Portuguese and Spanish

Due to geography, Spain and Portugal are in relative isolation from the rest of Europe. This is due to Portugal being on the West end of the Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrenees mountain range separating Spain and France. 

This has resulted in these two countries being slightly cut off from the rest of Europe, which led to them heavily influencing each other’s cultures, especially linguistically.

Well, Aren’t Spanish and Portuguese Basically the Same Thing?

Do not make the mistake of assuming they are one and the same – each language and dialect inside the language has its own unique qualities.

In fact, these two countries have a history of bloodshed through war, which has absolutely shaped distinct differences in the two cultures. However, the linguistic influences and similarities they share are undeniable.Speaking of roots, another commonality these languages share is Arabic’s influence on their vocabulary. There are so many words that come from Arabic in Spanish and Portuguese. A key reason for this language exchange is the long history of trade and conquest between the geographically adjacent regions of the world.

Portuguese vs Spanish: Which One Should You Learn?

As you can see, the differences between Portuguese and Spanish aren’t wide enough to use one as a “template” to make learning the other easier. The question is, which language should English speakers learn first? The key is to exploit Portuguese and Spanish similarities to your advantage. 

Coming from English, Spanish is the easiest language to learn first due to its predictable grammar and pronunciation.

Spanish is spoken like it is spelled (unlike English, which has many unpredictable pronunciations like though, thorough, and through). Portuguese, on the other hand, has a phonetic system that often doesn’t align with the English alphabet. 

For example, the world ruim (bad, from the word “ruin”) in Portuguese is pronounced hoo-een, whereas, in Spanish, en ruinas (in ruins) is pronounced exactly how you would in English ru-ee-nas (but of course, you’ll have to try to roll your r’s!).

However, don’t feel like you HAVE to learn Spanish first! Pimsleur’s innovative instruction method ensures intuitive, collaborative, streamlined learning for any skill level! We make learning easy by focusing on listening and speaking the language, whether it’s Spanish or Portuguese. Start speaking Spanish or Portuguese after your very first lesson – and within weeks, you’ll be speaking either language conversationally!If you’d like to learn just one language, our Premium subscription is for you. Can’t decide between Portuguese vs Spanish? Sign up with an All Access subscription, with instant access to every language in the Pimsleur catalog. Either option is perfect for novice learners!