lets give it a try: ELA: The letter E is with an open sound, like the "e" in met (sounds like /éla/). On the other hand, ELE has a closed sound, like "e" in blend, and it sounds like /êlee/. got it?

I recently described the é sound in ELA (é-lah) as the a in battle (American English), and the ê sound in ELE (ê-lee) as the first "e" in benefit. Or something like that. =)

This is how Brazilian Portuguese speakers easily tell them apart--by the sound of the first "e" in ele or ela.

usually in latin foreign languages the "a" at the end is feminine and the "e/o" at the end is masculine. It takes practice and time. once you are exposed to the language enough you will be able to distinguish the feminine words and the masculine ones

It shows us which vowel to emphasize. =]

• Eu bebo = I drink
• Ele/Ela bebe = He/She/It drinks

You need to learn the conjugations for person + number. The one that aligns with "Ele/Ela" (the 3rd person singular) is the one you should use for "drinks" (obviously) and you should use "drink" with the rest.

You should probably get acquainted with a conjugation website: http://www.conjugacao-de-verbos.com/verbo/beber.php