Galician sounds are similar to Portuguese, but nasalization is not nearly as pervasive. The letter x, pronounced sh in both languages, is used in many Galician words where Portuguese uses j or g.
b
like 'b' in "bed": bico ('kiss').
c + e, i
like 's' in "supper" (western Galicia) or 'th' in "think" (eastern Galicia): cedo ('early').
c + a, o, u
like 'k' in "key": can ('dog').
d
like 'd' in "day": data ('date').
f
like 'ph' in "phone": ferro ('iron').
g
like 'g' in "gone". In western Galicia, g is sometimes aspirated, like 'h' in "house": xogo ('game'). If followed by e or i, g must be written with a silent u: xoguete ('toy'), preguiza ('laziness'). If followed by a pronunciated u and then by e or i, that u bears a diaeresis: bilingüe ('bilingual'), Güiana ('Guyana').
h
silent: harmonía ('harmony').
l
like 'l' in "love": lúa ('moon').
m
like 'm' in "month": amarelo ('yellow').
n
like 'n' in "nice": nai ('mother'). Like 'ng' in "song" if it's at the end of a word: non ('no').
ñ
like 'ny' in "canyon": xuño ('June').
p
like 'p' in "party": pai ('father').
q
like 'q' in "unique". Q is almost always followed by a silent u and then by e or i: queixo ('cheese'/'chin'), arquivo ('archive').
r
trill with the tip of the tongue, like in Spanish or Italian: terra ('earth', 'land', 'ground').
s
like 's' in "supper": persoa ('person').
t
like 't' in "top": ter ('to have').
v
like 'b' in "bed": novo ('new').
x
like 'sh' in "shoe": imaxe ('image'), axuda ('help'), xaneiro ('January'), viaxar ('to travel'), lóxico ('logical'), xanela ('window'), cervexa ('beer'), xeral ('general'). Like 'x' in "example" (only in some words): taxi ('taxi'), explorar ('to explore'), texto ('text'), excursión ('trip'), etc.
z
like 's' in "supper" (western Galicia) or 'th' in "think" (eastern Galicia): prezo ('price'). Z is never followed by e or i.
