Common English mistakes Portuguese speakers make

Portuguese and English share a lot of vocabulary, which causes both help and trouble. Most repeated mistakes come from translating word for word, from false friends, and from Portuguese sound habits.

"I have 20 years" and "I live here since 2020"

In Portuguese you have an age (tenho vinte anos), so learners say "I have 20 years". Portuguese also uses the present tense for something that started in the past, so "I live here since 2020" or "I study English since two years" appears.

Fix: English uses "I am 20", and "I have lived here since 2020" or "I have studied English for two years".

False friends

"Pretend" does not mean pretender (intend). "Actually" is not atualmente (currently). "Parents" are not parentes (relatives). "Push" is empurrar, not puxar, which means pull.

Fix: keep a list of false friends and review it often.

Extra vowels at the end of words

Portuguese words rarely end in a hard consonant, so English words pick up a vowel: "Facebook" becomes "Facebooki", "hip hop" becomes "hip hopi", "worked" becomes "workedi".

Fix: practise finishing words on the consonant, with the lips or tongue stopping clean.

R, H and "th"

In Brazilian Portuguese, an R at the start of a word is often like an English H, so "rice" can sound like "hice". Portuguese speakers may also say "tink" or "dis" for "think" and "this".

Fix: a tutor can show the English R (tongue pulled back and not touching) and the th position, and repeat minimal pairs with you.

Common questions

Why do these mistakes continue after years of studying English?

Portuguese and English look similar, so a mistake that works in translation feels correct. Knowing the rule is not the same as producing it in speech, which needs spoken repetition.

What should I ask a tutor to focus on?

Ask for correction on age and "since / for", false friends, final consonants and the R and th sounds in live conversation.