| Currently Spanish is ranked around the second or | | | | from then on it'll seem like the easiest, most |
| third most spoken language in the word, it is | | | | natural thing in the world. |
| estimated that approximately 425 million people | | | | Fortunately each difference poses a benefit as |
| speak it daily, it is also the most popular foreign | | | | well as a disadvantage. For example, the difficult |
| language for English speakers to learn. However, | | | | pronunciation of Portuguese words means that |
| another language, Portuguese, is extremely similar | | | | although they are extremely similar to Spanish, |
| to Spanish – more so than Italian or | | | | and are often spelled almost the same, it is near |
| French, even Catalan.. So much so that they have | | | | impossible to accidentally mix the words between |
| often been described as different variants of the | | | | the two languages as the pronunciation is so |
| same language, as opposed to two separate | | | | different. |
| languages. | | | | Another beneficial difference between the two is |
| Technically it is impossible to measure how similar | | | | the days of the week, this poses a problem for |
| Portuguese and Spanish are, as each language is | | | | most learners who want to learn Spanish and |
| continually changing. However, anybody with a | | | | French/Italian as the days of the week are very |
| basic knowledge of Spanish will find that they are | | | | similar, yet different enough for them not to have |
| capable of understanding a small level of written | | | | a meaning in the opposite language. This problem |
| Portuguese, and with very little practice they can | | | | doesn't exist between Portuguese and Spanish as |
| pick up the pronunciation of the language. | | | | the Portuguese days of the week follow a |
| However, there are also some differences | | | | completely different pattern. |
| between the languages, otherwise they wouldn't | | | | I have labeled just a few of the similarities and |
| be independently classified. The biggest difference | | | | differences between Spanish and Portuguese |
| between the two is the pronunciation, where | | | | – there are, of course, many, many more |
| Spanish has the easiest pronunciation of all the | | | | of them. But each time there is a difference |
| Latin languages, Portuguese has by far the most | | | | there is a similarity. The days of the week and |
| difficult. As you start learning Portuguese you will | | | | the pronunciation differences being perfect |
| instantly find that the pronunciation is not only | | | | examples. Therefore I strongly advise that you |
| difficult, but it is also unnatural. However, it only | | | | use your Spanish knowledge to begin learning |
| takes a few weeks of practice to adjust to it and | | | | Portuguese. |