Master The Sounds Of Portuguese
The Neutral E Sound
The Medium E, also called the neutral E, is a common vowel sound in European Portuguese. It is not as open as é, and not reduced or weakened. Instead, it sits comfortably in the middle — clear, stable, and controlled.
To produce this sound, open your mouth slightly and keep your lips relaxed and neutral. The jaw does not drop much, and the tongue stays forward but not low. The sound should feel balanced — never wide or tense.
This sound is called medium because it is in-between open and closed. It’s also neutral becuase it is neither. It is basically a relaxed, natural E sound.
Medium/Neutral E Sound
Click the audio on the left and scroll down to follow the text as you listen.
This is a short preview of a FalaPT lesson.
Listen first
Then repeat each word out loud
Listen again and speak with the recording
Verdade / truth
Verdade.
É verdade.
É verdade o que disse ontem.
It’s true what you said yesterday.
Pequeno / small
Pequeno.
É pequeno.
O apartamento é pequeno mas confortável.
The apartment is small but comfortable.
Primeiro / first
Primeiro.
Primeiro faço isto.
Primeiro faço isto e depois continuo.
First I do this and then I continue.
You’ll hear the Medium E in stressed syllables of words like mesa, ver, pelo, and bebé. In these cases, the vowel is clearly pronounced but does not open fully like é in pé or café. The contrast may feel subtle at first, but it is essential for accuracy.
It’s important to distinguish Medium E from Open E. For example, avó and avô contrast openness with O sounds, and similar distinctions exist with E. Mispronouncing openness can make words harder to recognize in fast speech.
Training your ear to hear the Medium E will improve your listening skills and help you sound more natural and confident in European Portuguese.
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