Use of E and I. Questions about the use of E and I

You may have already noticed that each region of Brazil has singularities, isn't it? We are all Brazilians, which does not mean that we are equal, as that would be impossible, given our cultural richness. Differences are found in several aspects, including the way Brazilians speak.

Each state has its own linguistic identity, so some expressions that are easily understood in one place can be a real mystery in another. Among the differences are the accents, some of the most interesting regional peculiarities. This “melody” of speech may end up changing the pronunciation of some words, so we will discuss the use of E and I in Brazilian Portuguese.

But why talk about E and I? Because many people, influenced by speech, end up making spelling mistakes. For example, in Rio de Janeiro and also in other cities, people say /futibol/, transforming the E into I. In Minas Gerais, milk is /milk/, hot is /quenti/, tooth is /denti/ and so on. We're not saying that people “speak wrong” because in speech there is no right or wrong, since all linguistic variations are important. However, although each region has its own accent, it is important that the spelling of the words is one. To put an end to doubts about the use of E and I in written mode, pay attention to the explanation:

Rules for using E and I

• Write with E:

a) The singular present tense of the subjunctive of the verbs ending in "-OAR" and "-UAR":

Bless: bless, bless, bless;
Crown: crown, crown, crown;
Accentuate: accentuate, accentuate, accentuate;

Perpetuate: perpetuate, perpetuate, perpetuate;
Continue: continue, continue, continue;

b) Nouns and adjectives related to nouns in "-EIA":

Whale (whale) – lamp (candeia);
Correame (from strap) – trachean (from trachea);

c) Nasal diphthongs:

Dogs, bread, mother, clerks, Germans, pawns, balloons, guardians, hosts, etc.

• Write with I:
  a) The 2nd and 3rd person singular of the present indicative of verbs in “-UIR”:
  Build: build, build.

  Enjoy: enjoy, enjoy.

  Contribute: you contribute, contribute.

  b) The verb CREATE and cognate words:

  child, creator, create, created, create, we create;

  c) Verbs in "-EAR" receive an "i" in rhizotonic forms:

  Walking: walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk;

  Brake: brake, brake, brake, brake;

  Fear: fear, fear, fear, fear.

  d) The verbs MEDIATE (INTERMEDIATE), ANXIOUS, REMEDY, FIRE and HATE receive an “and” in the rhizotonic forms:

  Intermediate: Intermediate, Intermediate, Intermediate.
  crave: crave, crave, crave, crave, crave, crave;

  Remedy: remedy, remedy, remedy.
  Hate: hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate;

  Fire: fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire.

It is essential that we know how to distinguish those words in which the E pronunciation is unstressed, that is, when the E has an I sound. Although we sometimes pronounce the unstressed E as I, it doesn't mean that the spelling of the word follows our accent. It is true that it is not always easy to learn all the spelling rules, most of the time we know the spelling of a certain word thanks to our visual memory. It happens that, frequently, our visual memory fails, and in these moments we can consult our little rules about the use of E and I, so as not to mess up the written texts. Good studies!

By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters