Portuguese and Spanish, although closely related Romance languages, differ in many aspects of their phonology, grammar, and lexicon. Both belong to a subset of the Romance languages known as West Iberian Romance, which also includes several other languages or dialects with fewer speakers, all of which are mutually intelligible to a considerable degree.

The most obvious differences between Spanish and Portuguese are in pronunciation. Mutual intelligibility is greater when written rather than spoken. Compare, for example, the following sentences—roughly equivalent to the English proverb "A word to the wise is sufficient," or, a more literal translation, "To a good listener, a few words are enough.": () ().

There are also some differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese as there are between British and American English or Peninsular and Latin American Spanish. This article notes these differences below only where: both Brazilian and European Portuguese differ not only from each other, but from Spanish as well; both Peninsular (i.e., European) and Latin American Spanish differ not only from each other, but also from Portuguese; or either Brazilian or European Portuguese differs from Spanish with syntax not possible in Spanish (while the other dialect does not).

Sample texts Portuguese and Spanish share a great number of words that are spelled identically or almost identically (although the pronunciation almost always differs), or which often differ in predictable ways. The following paragraph, taken from the , by Manuel Seco (Espasa Calpe, 1989), is contrasted with the literal Portuguese translation below, with notable lexical similarities and differences of word order:

(Spanish)

(Portuguese)

(English)The following sample is taken from the newspaper El País. Because it uses everyday language, it has fewer cognates, making the two languages more distant and resulting in low intelligibility for speakers who have no (formal) knowledge of or exposure to the other language.

(Spanish)

(Portuguese)

(English)

Vocabulary

Cognates Many lexical differences between Spanish and Portuguese come from the influence of the Arabic language on Spanish vocabulary, which is significantly lower in Portuguese. Most of the similarities and cognate words in the two languages have their origin in Latin,with approximately 89% on standard Swadesh lists meaning that both languages share many common root words. A relevant number of those cognates, however, differ semantically: similar words have different meanings. Portuguese has more specific terms and expressions which do not occur, or are not directly translatable, in Spanish. Several key differences reflect the unique historical and cultural development of each of these two languages. Levels of understanding in the written forms are much higher than in the spoken forms. Mutual intelligibility varies among interlocutors and contexts. Some of the similarities and differences are listed below.

One form vs. multiple forms In some instances, a single word can have multiple meanings in one language, while these meanings are expressed by different words in the other: Portuguese corresponds to both Spanish 'to create' and 'to raise'. Spanish (a noun that can mean either 'dream' or 'sleep') corresponds to both Portuguese 'dream' and 'sleep' (the former from Latin and the latter from , which merged into the same word in Spanish).

False friends Significant pairs of cognates have a broader or narrower meaning in one language than in the other, are disused, or their meanings are entirely different. On this basis they are termed "false friends": Spanish Portuguese English cola (< Lat. ) fila; bicha; linha (< Fr. file; < Lat. ; < Lat. ) queue, filecauda; rabo (< Lat. ; < Lat. )tail vaso (< Lat. )

copo (< Lat. ) glass, cup copo (< Lat. )

floco (< Lat. ) flake competencia (< Lat. )

concorrência, competição (< Lat. ) competition despido (< Lat. )

demissão (< Lat. ), despedimento dismissal, firing oso (< Lat. )

urso (< Lat. ) bear pez (< Lat. )

peixe (< Lat. < Indo-European ) fish polvo (< Lat. )

pó (< Lat. ) dust tienda (< Lat. )

loja; negócio; butique; estabelecimento; depósito (< Fr. loge < Frankish ; < Lat. ; < Fr. boutique < Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. ) shop, business, depot ganancia (< Gothic )

ganho, lucro, interesse, rendimento, proveito, vencimento, acréscimo (< Frankish ; < Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. + ; < Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. + suffix -imo) profit, gain, interest inversión (< Lat. )

investimento (< Lat. ) investment embarazada (< Port. embaraçada)

grávida (< Lat. + )

pregnant estafa (< Ital. staffa)

calote, fraude, burla (< Fr. culotte; < Lat.; < probably Lat. )

swindle, fraud, trickery exquisito (< Lat. )

refinado; esmerado (< Lat. ; < Lat. )

exquisite molestia (< Lat. )

incómodo, inconveniência, maçada, distúrbio (< Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. + Port. -ada; < Lat. )

inconvenience, disturbance fechar (v) (< Lat. )

datar (v) (< Lat. ) to date (v) servicios (< Lat. )

lavabo, lavatório, toilette, toalete, WC, sanitário (< Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Fr. toilette; < Eng. water closet; < Lat. )

toilet, WC, lavatory perro (probably < onomatopoeic perr)

cão (< Lat. ), cachorro (< Lat. + Basque -orro)

dog berro (< Celt. )

agrião (< Gr. )

watercress aceite (< Ar. az-zayt)

óleo (< Lat. )

oil oficina (< Lat. < < + )

escritório, gabinete, atelier, agência, cartório, bureau/birô, departamento, workshop, oficina de reparação automóvel, garagem auto-mecânica (< Lat. ; < Fr. cabinet; < Fr. atelier; < Ital. agenzia; < Lat. + suffix ; < Fr. atelier; < Lat. ; < Lat. + Gr ; < Eng. workshop; < Fr. garage + Gr. αὐτο + Lat. )

office, workshop firma (< Lat. )

assinatura (< Lat. )

signature presunto (< Lat. )

presumível, suspeito, provável (< Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. )

presumed, suspect risco (< Lat. )

falésia (< Fr. falaise)

cliff topo (< Lat. )

toupeira (< Lat. + Port. -eira)

mole, moleskin

Portuguese Spanish English cola (< Lat. )

pegamento, cola (< Lat. , < Lat. ) glue vaso (< Lat. ) maceta, tiesto (< Hisp.-Ar. maceta, maybe < Ital. mazzetto; < Lat. )

vase, flowerpot floco (< Lat. )

copo (< Lat. ) flake competência (< Lat. )

aptitud, capacidad (< Lat. ) competence, competency despido (< Lat. )

desnudo (< Lat. + ) naked osso (< Lat. )

hueso (< Lat. ) bone pez (< Lat. )

brea (< Fr. brayer) pitch, resin polvo (< Gr. )

pulpo (< Gr. ) octopus tenda (< Lat. )

tienda, lona, toldo (< Lat. ; < Fr. Olonne; < Fr. taud < Old Germ. tialz) tent, marquee ganância (< Gothic )

codicia, avaricia, afán (< Lat. ; < Lat. ; probably < Lat. ) greed, avarice, covetousness inversão (< Lat. )

inversión (< Lat. ) inversion embaraçada (< Lat. + O.Port. baraça, of uncertain origin)

avergonzada (< Lat. )

embarrassed estafa (< Ital. staffa)

agotamiento, fatiga, extenuación (< Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. )

exhaustion, tiredness, wear out esquisito (< Lat. )

raro, extraño, peculiar (< Lat. ; < Lat. ; < Lat. )

odd, strange, peculiar moléstia (< Lat. )

enfermedad, achaque, plaga, peste (< Lat. ; < Ar. šakā; < Lat. ; < Lat. )

disease, plague serviço (< Lat. )

servicio (< Lat. )

service perro (origin uncertain, maybe < Sp. perro)

oxidado (< Greek + Lat. suffix )

rusty berro (< Lat. )

chillido, berrido (< Lat. ; < Lat. )

screech, shriek aceite (< Lat. )

aceptado (< Lat. )

accepted oficina (< Lat. < )

taller; taller de coches; taller mecánico de autos (< Old Fr. astelier; < Old Fr. estalier + Lat. ; < Old Fr. astelier + Lat. + Gr. αὐτο)

auto repair centre, repair garage, workshop firma (< Lat. )

empresa; compañía; sociedad, negocio (< Lat. )

business, firm, company, corporation, enterprise, venture, establishment, group, house fechar (v) (< Lat. )

cerrar (v) (< Lat. )

to close, to lock (v) presunto (< Lat. )

jamón (< Fr. jambon)

ham, prosciutto risco (< Lat. )

riesgo (< Arabic rizq or maybe Italian rischio)

risk, line topo (< Gr. )

cumbre (< Lat. or )

top

Semantic change Many pairs of cognates have come to have different meanings due to semantic change. These false friends include the following: Spanish diseñar means 'to design' in Spanish, while its Portuguese cognate desenhar means 'to draw'. Similarly, Spanish dibujo for 'drawing', with an archaic Portuguese equivalent debuxo meaning 'sketch' and was displaced by rascunho; in turn the cf. Spanish rasguño means 'scratch' (compare "scratchpad", i.e. notebook, in English). Spanish largo (rare/archaic luengo) means 'long', while ancho means 'wide'. In Portuguese largo (rare/archaic ancho) means 'wide' and longo like in English 'long'. Spanish extrañar can mean 'to find strange' or 'to miss'. Portuguese estranhar means 'to find strange', or to lock horns. Spanish raro can mean 'rare' or 'strange'. In Portuguese, it just means 'rare'. Spanish aún can mean 'yet/still' and todavía can mean both 'yet/still' or 'however/nevertheless'. Portuguese todavia means 'however/nevertheless'. In Portuguese, 'yet/still' is ainda. Spanish (estar) embarazada means '(to be) pregnant'. Portuguese (estar) embaraçada means '(to be) embarrassed' or '(to be) entangled'.Curiously, the Portuguese term is the origin of both the Spanish and, via French, the English term, according to Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, 2004. It is formed of em ('in', as a prefix), baraço (an old term for 'rope') and suffix -ada (which is the feminine form of a verbal ending equivalent to "-ed"), according to its entry in Houaiss Dictionary. However, Spanish does have the term embarazoso/a meaning 'embarrassing'. 'Pregnant' in Portuguese is grávida (cognate of less user word in Spanish). The Portuguese prenhe and Spanish preñada are used mainly for pregnant animals but rarely for women, in both languages Spanish exquisito means 'exquisite/sophisticated'. Portuguese esquisito means 'strange/weird'. Experto means 'expert' Spanish. In Portuguese its homophone esperto means 'smart/intelligent/clever'. In Portuguese you may also find perito, especialista, or exímio, which have the same in Spanish (Sp. eximio is spelled without the accent mark). Spanish escoba is 'broom'. Portuguese escova is 'brush' (Portuguese uses 'vassoura' for 'broom'). However, in some varieties of Spanish, escobilla or escobeta means 'toilet brush'. Spanish apellido 'surname' is apelido in European Portuguese, and sobrenome in both Brazilian and European Portuguese (but Portuguese usually say apelido). Spanish sobrenombre/apodo 'nickname' is apelido/alcunha/codinome in Brazilian Portuguese, and alcunha in European Portuguese. Spanish rojo is 'red'. Portuguese roxo is 'purple'. 'Red' in Portuguese is vermelho (cognate with Spanish bermejo and bermellón, which mean 'vermilion' or 'cinnabar'). In European Portuguese the word encarnado (literally in the flesh) is also used as synonym of 'red' even though vermelho is more frequent. Spanish rubio means 'blond hair'. Portuguese ruivo or ruço means 'red hair'. Spanish apenas means 'hardly'. Portuguese apenas is 'only'. Thus the Spanish phrase él apenas pudo dormir means 'he could not even/hardly sleep', or 'he was just barely able to sleep', whereas the Portuguese phrase ele pôde apenas dormir means 'all he could do was sleep'. Spanish vaso means 'drinking glass (tumbler)', while Portuguese vaso means flower pot or toilet (from vaso sanitário). A 'drinking glass' in Portuguese is copo, while Spanish copa is a wine glass. A wine glass in Portuguese is copo, taça is a champagne glass or dessert cup (i.e. chocolate mousse or ice cream) while Spanish taza is a 'coffee cup or teacup'; Spanish taza also refers to a toilet bowl. 'Coffee cup' in Portuguese is xícara de café/chávena, while Spanish jícara is 'bowl' or 'gourd.' Spanish (and European Portuguese) cachorro means puppy, while in Brazilian Portuguese, it can refer to a dog of any age.

Frequent function words