Table 1
List of Portuguese and English syllable patterns
Table 2
Postulates and hypotheses as proposed by Flege (1995FLEGE, Jim. 1995. Second-language Speech Learning: Theory, Findings, and Problems. In: W. Strange (ed.). Speech Perception and Linguistic Experience: Issues in Cross-language Research. Timonium, MD: York Press. p. 229-273.: 239)
English
Portuguese
/pr/ primitive
/pr/ primitivo
/tr/ translation
/tr/ tradução
/kr/ crater
/kr/ cratera
/br/ Brazil
/br/ Brasil
/dr/ drama
/dr/ drama
/gr/ graduation
/gr/ graduação
/θr/ three
____________
/fr/ fruit
/fr/ fruta
/ʃr/ shrimp
____________
English
Portuguese
/pl/ plant
/pl/ planta
/kl/ classic
/kl/ clássico
/bl/ block
/bl/ bloco
/gl/ glory
/gl/ glória
/sl/ slav
__________
/fl/ flora
/fl/ flora
/ʃl/ schlub
__________
/kv/ kvetcher
__________
English
Portuguese
/pj/ puberty
____________
/kj/ cuticle
____________
/bj/ beautiful
____________
/gj/ gewgaw
____________
/fj/ fume
____________
/vj/ view
____________
/θj/ thew
____________
/hj/ huge
____________
/mj/ municipal
____________
/pw/ Puerto Rican
/tw/ twenty
/kw/ quality
/kw/ qualidade
/bw/ bwana
_____________
/dw/ dwell
_____________
/gw/ guarani
/gw/ guarani
/sw/ swell
_____________
/ʃw/ shwa
_____________
/hw/ when
_____________
/θw/ thwack
_____________
English
Portuguese
/sp/ span
____________
/st/ state
____________
/sk/ sky
____________
/sf/ sphere
____________
/sm/ smart
____________
/sn/ snore
____________
/sl/ slav
____________
/sv/ svelt
____________
/ʃm/ schmoo
____________
/spr/ sprout
____________
/str/ street
____________
/skr/ screen
____________
/spl/ splay
____________
/skl/ sclerotic
____________
/skw/ squat
____________
/spy/ spew
____________
/sky/ skew
____________
English
Portuguese
/sp/ dispute
disputa
/st/ destitute
destituir
/sk/ discourtesy
descortesia
/sb/ asbestos
____________
/sd/ disdain
____________
/sg/ disgrace
____________
/sp/ despair
disparate
/st/ constitute
constituinte
/sk/ ascorbic
ascórbico
/sm/ osmosis
____________
/sʒ/ disjoint
____________
/sl/ dislocate
____________
/sr/ disrespect
desrepeitar
/sj/ disunite
____________
/sw/ unswept
____________
/str/ distribute
distribuir
/spl/ resplendecent
resplandecente
/stl/ wrestler
____________
/skr/ description
descrição
/sfr/ disfranchise
esfregar
English
Portuguese
/bj/ abusive
____________
/gj/ legume
____________
/fj/ refuse
____________
/mj/ ammunition
____________
/pj/ amputate
____________
/kj/ osculate
____________
/kw/ unqualified
/kw/ inqualificável
English
Portuguese
/pl/ diplomacy
/pl/ diplomacia
/bl/ oblique
/bl/ oblíquo
/kl/ aclimatize
/kl/ aclimatizar
/gl/ inglorius
/gl/ inglório
/fl/ reflexive
/fl/ reflexivo
/θl/ breathless
__________
/t ʃl/ matchless
__________
English
Portuguese
/pr/ oppress
/pr/ oprimir
/tr/ attract
/tr/ atrair
/kr/ across
/kr/ acreditar
/br/ abrupt
/br/ abrupto
/gr/ retrograde
/gr/ retrogrado
/dr/ adrenalin
/dr/ adrenalina
/θr/ thrilling
____________
/fr/ front
/fr/ afrontar
/sr/ enshrine
____________
/vr/ every
____________
/lrdw/ worldwide
____________
/rs/ marshals
marcha
/rk/ merchants
____________
/rm/ murmur
murmurar
/rn/ turning
tornar
/rl/ forlorn
____________
/rt/ portent
portento
/rsl/ ierceless
_____________
/rh/ overhead
_____________
/rs/ arsenal
arsenal
/rd/ sordid
sordido
/rps/ adsorption
_____________
/ror/ arthritis
_____________
/rv/ service
serviço
/rθ/ seaworthy
______________
/kspr/ express
/bg/ hobgloblin
/ksp/ expert
/bs/ absolete
/kspl/ explain
/dg/ mudguard
/ktf/ respectful
/tb/ hatbox
/kspl/ explore
/tp/ hotpot
/kskw/ exquisite
/bm/ submerge
/kstr/ extra
/ps/ shipshape
/kskr/ excrete
/pc/ scripture
/kskl/ exclaim
/bt/ obtain
/kt/ victorious
/df/ handfull
/kb/ blackboard
/tl/ cutlass
/kz/ exzema
/tn/ witness
/km/ blackmail
/bd/ subdued
/kn/ hackneyed
/kskl/ exclaim
/btr/ obtrude
/tkr/ outcry
/bstr/ abstract
/bs/ absorb
/lf/ engulfed
/lfr/ palfrey
/ld/ buildings
/lt/ alter
/lkr/ fulcrum
/lnh/ unhealthy
/mp/ impute
/nf/ unfair
/nbr/ unbruised
/mf/ triumphant
/nv/ envious
/ngr/ engrave
/mpt ʃ / sumptuous
/ns/ answer
/nkr/ uncrowded
/mpl/ complex
/nz/ enzyme
/nfr/ unframed
/mbld/ stumbled
/n θ/ unthankful
/nst/ instant
/mpr/ impress
/nh/ unhealthy
/n θr/ enthral
/mbr/ embrace
/nt ʃ / uncharted
/nskr/ inscribe
/mpstr/ semstress
/n ʒ / enjoy
/nstr/ instruct
/mb/ number
/ns/ unshape
/npl/ unpleasant
/ms/ themselves
/nkl/ conclude
/ndzm/ groundsman
/np/ unpleasant
/nl/ enliven
/ŋkw/ banquet
/nt/ entangle
/nj/ union
/ŋkj/ incubate
/nk/ unkind
/nw/ unwept
/ŋg/ finger
/nb/ unbound
/ntr/ intrude
/ŋd/ kingdom
/nd/ tendency
/ndr/ undrinkable
/ŋk/ monkey
/ng/ ungoverned
/npr/ unprocessed
/ŋkl/ conclude
English
Portuguese
/sb/ asbestos
asbesto
/zd/ ________
desdém
/sd/ disdain
______
/zm/ osmosis
osmose
/zn/
asneira
/zr/ Israel
israelita
/sp/ clasp
/pt/ adopt
/pθ/ depth
/sk/ risk
/ks/ tax
/ ŋ θ/ length
/sts/ chests
/ps/ lapse
/ksθ/ sixth
/fts/ lifts
/ts/ blitz
/fθ/ fifth
/kts/ facts
/ksts/ texts
/dθ/ width
/rf/ dwarf
/rl/ snard
/rps/ warps
/rbd/ absorbed
/rt ʃt / arched
/rʒd/ charged
/rvd/ carved
/rsh/ harsh
/rnd/ warned
/rθ/ hearth
/rst/ forced
/rks/ marks
/rmd/ armed
/rgd/ morgued
/rts/ parts
/rdz/ cords
/ ŋ ks/ thanks
/nks/ jinx
/mpt/ stamped
/mps/ glimpse
/mft/ triumphed
/nθ/ hyacinth
/ŋkts/ instincts
/mpts/ tempts
/nts/ wants
/nd/ rand
/nt ʃ / lunch
/nst/ danced
/nz/ bronze
/nθ/ tenth
/zndθ/ thousandth
/nʒd/ changed
/lz/ Charles
/rsts/ bursts
/rks/ Marx
/rps/ corpse
/lks/ Wilkes
/lkts/ mulct
/rl ds/ worlds
/rnt/ aren’t
/rts/ quartz
/rpts/ excerpts
/lts/ waltz
/lfθs/ twelfths
/rmθ/ warmth
Table 3
Contrasts between English and Portuguese clusters. The letter “C” stands for consonants, the number indicates the maximum number of consonants in the cluster, “V” stands for vowel, “NV” for nasalized vowel and the line stands for the syllabic context.