Here is an accent reduction tip for Portuguese speakers who want to improve their spoken American English.
Be careful when you pronounce the letter P. Portuguese speakers often pronounce the American English /p/ sound like a /b/ sound. This can be confusing to American listeners because when you do that:
pill sounds like bill
pull sounds like bull
poor sounds like boor
Peter sounds like beater
The /p/ and /b/ sounds are articulated almost the same way in spoken American English. To make both sounds place your lips lightly together and then push the air out of your mouth in a short burst.
The difference is that /p/ is a voiceless sound and /b/ is a voiced sound. When you make the /p/ sound you should not feel a vibration in your throat. When you make the /b/ sound you should feel a vibration in your throat.
Tags: american english consonants, brazilian portuguese speakers, Spanish & Portuguese Speakers, voiced & voiceless sounds
