Similar words in portuguese and english

Q: How many cognates does English and Portuguese have?

If youre an English speaker learning Portuguese, youre in luck: Portuguese-English cognates are remarkably common. Depending on your definition of a cognate, there could be as many as 3,000—and many of these are common, everyday words.

Q: What words are the same in Portuguese and Spanish?

The most commonly used terms are almost the same, agua”, sol”, comer”, bonito”, desculpa”, ... The conjugation system follows the same logic and declinations. However, despite all these similarities, there are enough differences and subtleties to make Portuguese and Spanish two different languages.

Índice Show

Use English vs Portuguese language patterns to improve pronunciation
Additional Portuguese lessons using English vs Portuguese patterns
English: -ary
Português: -ário
Reader Interactions
What Portuguese words are used in English?
How many cognates does English and Portuguese have?
What words are the same in Portuguese and Spanish?
What are the most common words in Portuguese?

There are several language patterns between English and Portuguese. Patterns between two languages are a great way to quickly build vocabulary, as they make it easier to memorize words.

In this lesson you will quickly learn 38 words that are nearly the same in Portuguese and in English thanks to an English vs Portuguese language pattern:

English ending in –ary
Portuguese ending in –ário / -ária

For example:

English: visionary
Portuguese: visionário/visionária

Use English vs Portuguese language patterns to improve pronunciation

Working with words that are similar in English and in Portuguese is great to practice pronunciation because you can really compare how the same letters and the same syllables are pronounced in the two languages.

Listen closely to the pronunciation of the words in Brazilian Portuguese. Don’t be fooled by the fact that you understand the word. Make sure that you truly get its pronunciation so you can say the word with confidence when chatting in Portuguese.

Notice that the words in Portuguese have the graphic accent that we call acento agudo (´). It indicates where to place emphasis when you pronounce the word.

Additional Portuguese lessons using English vs Portuguese patterns

I have other lessons that use different patterns between English and Portuguese to teach you vocabulary and pronunciation. Check them out on my Portuguese Starter Kit page.

Below is a list of 38 words that follow the English vs Portuguese pattern –ary –> ário.

In the video, I pronounce the 18 words that are in bold below to help you practice pronunciation.

This lesson was created with the help of Brazilian Portuguese Vocabulary Builder, by Tom Means. The book shows 4,000 words that follow 24 word-ending patterns between English and Portuguese.

English: -ary	Português: -ário
Adversary	Adversário/a
Anniversary	Aniversário
Arbitrary	Arbitrário/a
Beneficiary	Beneficiário/a
Centenary	Centenário/a
Commentary	Comentário
Contrary	Contrário/a
Culinary	Culinário/a
Dictionary	Dicionário
Documentary	Documentário
Extraordinary	Extraordinário/a
Glossary	Glossário
Hereditary	Hereditário/a
Honorary	Honorário/a
Imaginary	Imaginário/a
Incendiary	Incendiário/a
Intermediary	Intermediário/a
Involuntary	Involuntário/a
Itinerary	Itinerário
Literary	Literário/a
Monetary	Monetário/a
Necessary	Necessário/a
Ordinary	Ordinário/a
Ovary	Ovário
Primary	Primário/a
Proprietary	Proprietário/a
Revolutionary	Revolucionário/a
Salary	Salário
Sanctuary	Santuário
Sanitary	Sanitário/a
Secondary	Secundário/a
Secretary	Secretário/a
Sedentary	Sedentário/a
Temporary	Temporário/a
Veterinary	Veterinário/a
Visionary	Visionário/a
Vocabulary	Vocabulário
Voluntary	Voluntário/a

Now you need to practice so you can speak Portuguese with confidence. Learn Portuguese with a Street Smart Brazil pro. We have been helping learners around the world speak Portuguese with ease since 2008. Book a Trial Lesson here to get started.

Luciana Lage founded Street Smart Brazil drawing on her passion for Brazilian Portuguese language and culture. Street Smart Brazil has been helping learners around the globe speak Portuguese with ease since 2008. Luciana has also taught Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley and at the University of San Francisco.

Reader Interactions

What Portuguese words are used in English?

Emu (from ema), cobra (from cobra), flamingo (from flamingo), jaguar (from jaguarete), macaw (from macau), macaque (from macaco), mosquito (from mosquito) and piranha (from piranha) all came into English from Brazilian Portuguese.

How many cognates does English and Portuguese have?

If you're an English speaker learning Portuguese, you're in luck: Portuguese-English cognates are remarkably common. Depending on your definition of a cognate, there could be as many as 3,000—and many of these are common, everyday words.

What words are the same in Portuguese and Spanish?

The most commonly used terms are almost the same, “agua”, “sol”, “comer”, “bonito”, “desculpa”, ... The conjugation system follows the same logic and declinations. However, despite all these similarities, there are enough differences and subtleties to make Portuguese and Spanish two different languages.