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Olá, queridos alunos! (Hello, dear students!)
This is Virginia, your Brazilian teacher.
Did you know that there are many words in Portuguese that sound exactly the same but have different spellings and meanings? These words are called homophones.
In this lesson, we’re going to take a quiz to see if you know how to use homophones in Portuguese.
First, take the quiz, then check your answers at the end.
Brazilian Portuguese Spelling Test
1. Eu queria ir, (mas | mais) estava chovendo. (I wanted to go, but it was raining.)
A) Mas
B) Mais
2. Anna amou sua (viagem | viajem) ao Brasil. (Anna loved her trip to Brazil.)
A) Viagem (with G)
B) Viajem (with J)
3. É proibido (caçar | cassar) animais silvestres no Brasil. (It’s forbidden to hunt wild animals in Brazil.)
A) Cassar (with S)
B) Caçar (with Ç)
4. Ana está de (mal | mau) humor. (Ana is in a bad mood.)
A) Mal (with L)
B) Mau (with U)
5. Carlos chegou em (cesto | sexto) lugar na corrida. (Carlos finished in sixth place in the race.)
A) Cesto (with C)
B) Sexto (with S)
6. Ele (ouve | houve) música todos os dias. (He listens to music every day.)
A) Ouve (with O)
B) Houve (with H)
7. Sempre (asso | aço) pão fresco aos domingos. (I always bake fresh bread on Sundays.)
A) Asso (with S)
B) Aço (with Ç)
8. É (ora | hora) de ir para casa. (It’s time to go home.)
A) Ora (with O)
B) Hora (with H)
9. Estou (cem | sem) fome. (I’m not hungry.)
A) Cem (with C)
B) Sem (with S)
10. Pedro tem alergia a (noz | nós). (Pedro is allergic to walnuts.)
A) Noz (with Z)
B) Nós (with S)
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Correct asnwers:
1. Eu queria ir, mas estava chovendo. (I wanted to go, but it was raining.)
2. Anna amou sua viagem ao Brasil. (Anna loved her trip to Brazil.)
3. É proibido caçar animais silvestres no Brasil. (It’s forbidden to hunt wild animals in Brazil.)
4. Ana está de mau humor. (Ana is in a bad mood.)
5. Carlos chegou em sexto lugar na corrida. (Carlos finished in sixth place in the race.)
6. Ele ouve música todos os dias. (He listens to music every day.)
7. Sempre asso pão fresco aos domingos. (I always bake fresh bread on Sundays.)
8. É hora de ir para casa. (It’s time to go home.)
9. Estou sem fome. (I’m not hungry.)
10. Pedro tem alergia a noz. (Pedro is allergic to walnuts.)
Vocabulary List
1. Mas / Mais
The word “mas” (with S) means “but,” “however,” or “nevertheless.”
Example: Eu queria ir, mas estava chovendo. (I wanted to go, but it was raining.)
The word “mais” (with IS) is an adverb of intensity or quantity.
Example: Ele é mais alto do que ela. (He is taller than she is.)
2. Viagem / Viajem
The word “viagem” (with G) is a noun that means the act of traveling, of moving from one place to another.
Example: Anna amou sua viagem ao Brasil. (Anna loved her trip to Brazil.)
The word “viajem” (with J) is the verb “viajar” conjugated in the present subjunctive.
Example: Espero que vocês viajem ao Brasil. (I hope you (all) travel to Brazil.)
3. Caçar / Cassar
The word “caçar” (with Ç) means to capture or kill animals.
Example: É proibido caçar animais silvestres no Brasil. (It’s forbidden to hunt wild animals in Brazil.)
The word “cassar” (with S) means to annul or suspend a right or privilege.
Example: O juiz pode cassar o mandato de um político. (The judge can revoke a politician’s mandate.)
4. Mau / Mal
The word “mau” (with U) is the opposite of “bom” (good).
Example: Ana está de mau humor. (Ana is in a bad mood.)
The word “mal” (with L) is the opposite of “bem” (well).
Example: Ele comeu demais e está se sentindo mal. (He ate too much and is feeling unwell.)
5. Sexto / Cesto
The word “sexto” (with S) is the ordinal number that indicates the 6th position in a sequence.
Example: Carlos chegou em sexto lugar na corrida. (Carlos finished in sixth place in the race.)
The word “cesto” (with C) is an object used to store or carry things.
Example: Sempre coloco a roupa suja no cesto. (I always put the dirty clothes in the basket.)
6. Ouve / Houve
The word “ouve” (with O) is a form of the verb “ouvir,” which means to listen.
Example: Ele ouve música todos os dias. (He listens to music every day.)
The word “houve” (with H) is a form of the verb “haver,” which means to happen or exist.
Example: O que houve? (What happened?)
7. Asso / Aço
The word “asso” (with S) is a form of the verb “assar,” which means to cook in the oven.
Example: Sempre asso pão fresco aos domingos. (I always bake fresh bread on Sundays.)
The word “aço” (with Ç) is a metal alloy made of iron and carbon.
Example: Eu tenho uma panela de aço inoxidável. (I have a stainless steel pan.)
8. Hora / Ora
The word “hora” (with H) is used to talk about time.
Example: É hora de ir para casa. (It’s time to go home.)
The word “ora” (with O) has several uses. It’s often used to indicate alternation between two situations or conditions
Example: Ora está frio, ora está quente. (Sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s hot.)
9. Sem / Cem
The word “sem” (with S) indicates absence.
Example: Estou sem fome. (I’m not hungry.)
The word “cem” (with C) is the number 1
Example: A blusa custou cem reais. (The blouse cost one hundred reais.)
10. Noz / Nós
The word “noz” (with Z) refers to the fruit of the walnut tree. It’s commonly used in the plural: nozes (nuts/ walnuts).
Example: Pedro tem alergia a noz. (Pedro is allergic to walnuts.)
The word “nós” (with S) is a personal pronoun.
Example: Nós estudamos português. (We study Portuguese.)
Free PDF!
This lesson includes a free PDF with exercises. Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
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Até a próxima!
Virginia & Speaking Brazilian Team
