Tips for Spanish and Portuguese Public Speakers

  • Tips for Spanish and Portuguese Public Speakers

    Tips for Spanish and Portuguese Public Speakers

    Practical pronunciation tips to help Spanish and Portuguese public speakers sound confident, clear, and professional

    Giving an international presentation in English can be challenging — especially if your first language is Spanish or Portuguese. Many pronunciation habits from these languages transfer naturally into English, sometimes making even advanced speakers harder to understand. The good news? These challenges are predictable and fixable.

    Below are some of the most common articulation issues Spanish and Portuguese public speakers face in English, along with practical exercises you can use immediately to improve clarity, confidence, and audience understanding.

    1. Short and Long Vowels: A Critical Difference in English

    In Spanish and Portuguese, vowels are usually short and consistent. In English, however, vowel length can completely change meaning.

    Examples:

    • hot / hope
    • cop / cope
    • got / goat
    • it / eat
    • bill / Pete
    • batter / barter
    • ladder / later

    If your vowels are too short, key words may sound like different words altogether, forcing your audience to work harder to understand you.

    Practice tip

    When rehearsing, stretch long vowels slightly — not unnaturally, but clearly. Record yourself and listen specifically for vowel length, not just correctness.

    2. Dropping Final Consonants: A Hidden Clarity Killer

    Spanish and Portuguese speakers often soften or drop consonants at the end of words. In English, final consonants are essential for meaning and grammar.

    Common problem words include:

    • text
    • first
    • fifths
    • sixth
    • walks (They walk / she walks)
    • runs (They run / she runs)

    Dropped consonants blur grammar, tenses, and plurals — especially noticeable during presentations or technical talks.

    Practice tip

    Over‑articulate final sounds when practicing. It may feel exaggerated at first, but it will sound natural and clear to your audience.

    3. Adding Extra Syllables to Past Tense Verbs

    A common issue is adding an extra syllable to words ending in ‑ed.

    Examples:

    • worked
    • liked
    • advanced

    Instead of work‑ed, English uses a clean final sound (/t/ or /d/).

    Practice tip

    Clap once per syllable as you speak. If you clap twice for worked, you’re adding an extra syllable.

    4. Adding an “E” Before Words Starting with “S”

    In Spanish and Portuguese, words rarely start with s + consonant. This leads to adding an extra vowel sound at the beginning in English.

    Examples:

    • Spain (not Espain)
    • street (not estreet)
    • school (not eschool)
    • special
    • stop
    • small
    • scary

    Practice tip

    Practice holding the ssssss sound before finishing the word:

    ssssssssschool → school

    This trains your mouth to start without the extra vowel.

    5. “B” and “V” Sounding the Same

    In both Spanish and Portuguese, B and V often sound very similar. In English, they are clearly different.

    Examples:

    • berry / very
    • bet / victory
    • before / victor
    • vicious

    How to fix it

    • B: lips touch, then open
    • V: top teeth touch lower lip, with air flowing

    Speaker tip

    Over‑pronouncing the V sound in practice helps you avoid sounding unclear or monotone in presentations. Practice tongue twisters to develop the correct movement.

    6. Pronouncing the “H” Sound Clearly

    In Spanish and Portuguese, H is silent. In English, it is not.

    Words to practice:

    • he
    • her
    • happy
    • home
    • help
    • behind
    • behave

    A simple physical trick

    Think of gently fogging up a pair of glasses. That soft exhale is the English H sound. Again, tongue twisters focusing on the letter H will help with this.

    7. Slow Down to be Understood

    When speaking to an international audience in English, you are probably not the only one speaking English as a second language. So, your audience needs time to process the words and to understand your accent and the content. Slow down and add pauses to allow for this.

    Practice tip

    Practice saying short short sentences out loud, listening for the silence between the sentences. Once you have develop a rhythm that includes pauses, practice with your presentation. Record yourself to see how your speed, accent and pauses sound.

    Final Advice for Spanish and Portuguese Public Speakers

    Clear pronunciation isn’t about losing your accent — it’s about being understood without effort.

    When preparing a presentation:

    • Practice aloud, not silently
    • Record yourself and listen critically
    • Focus on clarity over speed
    • Choose one pronunciation goal per rehearsal

    Small, consistent adjustments make a powerful difference in public speaking.

     

    Author

    Media, presentation and public speaking trainerKimberly VanLandingham is the founder, trainer, and strategist for European Market Link Sarl, including Presentation Training Switzerland. Kimberly specialises in helping international business executives, technical leaders and their teams with public speaking and other communication skills. Kimberly has over 13 years experience training clients in Switzerland, 20 years of global experience at the DuPont company, and degrees in engineering (BSEE) and communications (MACCC).

    Photo by fauxels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-beige-blazer-holding-tablet-computer-3184328/

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