Portuguese Alphabet - Vowels - Nasalization

Nasalization

When a syllable ends with m or n, this consonant is not fully pronounced, but merely indicates the nasalization of the vowel which precedes it. At the end of words, this sometimes produces a nasal diphthong.

Monophthongs Diphthongs
Grapheme Pronunciation Grapheme Pronunciation
-an, -am, -ân, -âm1 /ɐ̃/ -am2 /ɐ̃ũ/
-en, -em, -ên, -êm1 /ẽ/ -em, -ém2 /ɐ̃ĩ ~ ẽĩ/
-in, -im, -ín, -ím3 /ĩ/ -en-, -én-4
-on, -om, -ôn, -ôm3 /õ/ -êm2 /ɐ̃ĩ ~ ẽĩ/
-un, -um, -ún, -úm3 /ũ/

The grapheme -en- is also pronounced as a nasal diphthong in a few compound words, such as bendito (bem + dito), homenzinho (homem + zinho), and Benfica.

Read more about this topic:  Portuguese Alphabet, Vowels