This lesson will provide you with the essential tools to read, speak, and write Italian at a basic level. From vowels to the consonants and syllables, you’ll discover the building blocks of Italian phonetics.

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The Italian Alphabet

Letter	Name in Italian	Pronunciation in English
A	A	ah
B	Bi	bee
C	Ci	chee
D	Di	dee
E	E	eh
F	Effe	eh-feh
G	Gi	gee
H	Acca	ahk-kah
I	I	ee
L	Elle	el-leh
M	Emme	em-meh
N	Enne	en-neh
O	O	oh
P	Pi	pea
Q	Cu	koo
R	Erre	ehr-reh
S	Esse	es-seh
T	Ti	tee
U	U	oo
V	Vi/Vu	vee/voo
Z	Zeta	zeh-tah

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Vowels and Their Sounds

Italian vowels are an important part of the language’s phonetic system. Each vowel has a clear, distinct sound, and some vowels can be pronounced in two different ways depending on their position in a word:

• Open E (è): Similar to the ‘e’ in “bet”. It’s a broader, more open vowel sound. (erba)
• Closed E (é): Similar to the ‘ay’ in “say,” but shorter and crisper. (bene)
• Open O (ò): Resembles the ‘o’ in “not” or “top”. It has a rounder, more expansive quality. (oca)
• Closed O (ó): Sounds like the ‘o’ in “go” or “sole”, which is tighter and more focused. (ombra)

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Consonants with Hard and Soft Sounds

Italian consonants share many similarities with English, but there are some important differences. Certain consonants in Italian have multiple pronunciations, depending on their position in a word and the surrounding letters. The most notable variations are the “hard” and “soft” sounds of some consonants:

Some Italian consonants have different pronunciations depending on the vowels that follow them. Here’s a table showing the hard and soft sounds of C, G, S, and Z:

Consonant	Sound	Examples	English Translation	Pronunciation
C	Hard (before A, O, U)	cane, cosa	dog, thing	KAH-neh, KOH-sah
	Soft (before E, I)	centro, ciao	center, hello	CHEN-troh, CHOW
G	Hard (before A, O, U)	gatto, gusto	cat, taste	GAT-toh, GOO-stoh
	Soft (before E, I)	gente, giorno	people, day	JEN-teh, JOR-noh
S	Hard	sole	sun	SOH-leh
	Soft	rosa	rose	ROH-zah
Z	Hard	pizza	pizza	PEET-tsah
	Soft	zero	zero	DZEH-roh

Note: The pronunciation of S and Z can vary depending on their position in a word and regional accents. The examples provided are general guidelines.

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Letter Combinations

Italian has special letter pairings that create unique sounds:

Combination	Examples	English Translation	Pronunciation
SCE	scena, scendere	scene, to descend	SHAY-nah, SHEN-deh-reh
SCI	sciare, lasciare	to ski, to leave	SHEE-ah-reh, lah-SHYAH-reh
GLI	foglia, figli	leaf, children	FOHL-yah, FEEL-yee
GN	montagna, agnello	mountain, lamb	mohn-TAHN-yah, ahn-NYEL-loh
CHE	che, perché	what/that, why/because	KEH, pehr-KEH
CHI	chiave, occhi	key, eyes	KYAH-veh, OHK-kee
GHE	ghetto, spaghetti	ghetto, spaghetti	GHEH-toh, spah-GHEH-tee
GHI	ghiaccio, funghi	ice, mushrooms	GHYAH-choh, FOON-ghee

Note: The ‘h’ in CHE, CHI, GHE, and GHI is silent, but it changes the pronunciation of ‘c’ and ‘g’ to hard sounds.

Also note: The ‘i’ is silent in the following combinations:

• cia, cie, cio, ciu
  • Example: ciao (hello)
  • Example: cielo (sky)
• scia, scie, scio, sciu
  • Example: sciarpa (scarf)
  • Example: scienza (science)

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Stress and Accentuation Rules

Understanding stress is crucial for proper Italian pronunciation:

• Most words stress the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable: ca-SA, stu-DEN-te
• Exceptions are marked with an accent: città (city), perché (why)
• Some short words have stress on the last syllable: caffè, papà

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Key Phonetic Rules

• Vowels: Always clear and distinct
  • Example: America
  • Example: Veloce (fast)
• Consonants: Generally consistent, with exceptions like C and G
  • Example: Casa (house)
  • Exception: Cena (dinner), Cane (dog)
• Double Consonants: Pronounced longer
  • Example: Nonna (grandmother) vs. Nona (ninth)
  • Example: Palla (ball) vs. Pala (shovel)
• H: Always silent, but affects the pronunciation of C and G
  • Example: Ho (I have)
  • Example: Chi (who)
  • Example: Ghiaccio (ice)

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Practicing Pronunciation

Double-check the spelling of these particular words, which can be tricky for English speakers. Listen and repeat.

1. Zanzara (mosquito)
2. Bagnino (lifeguard)
3. Fragola (strawberry)
4. Ombrello (umbrella)
5. Quaderno (notebook)
6. Gabbiano (seagull)
7. Lucciola (firefly)
8. Tovagliolo (napkin)
9. Scarabocchio (scribble)
10. Mozzicone (cigarette butt)

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Now, let’s apply what you’ve learned! Challenge yourself with these pronunciation exercises. Here’s how to make the most of this practice:

Only after you’ve attempted the pronunciation, listen to the correct audio to compare and refine your skills.

1. Pronunciation Challenge: Read these words aloud, focusing on correct vowel sounds and stress:
   • biblioteca, arrivederci, buongiorno, famiglia, gelato, zucchero, chiave
2. Stress Placement: Identify the stressed syllable in these words:
   • tavolo, domenica, università, veloce, importante, automobile, difficile, bellissimo
3. Sound Combinations: How would you pronounce these words?
   • cioccolato, montagna, scienza, coniglio, conoscere, fischio, ghiaccio, acqua
4. Sentence Practice: Try reading these sentences aloud:
   • Il paesaggio italiano è molto vario. (The Italian landscape is very diverse.)
   • La spiaggia è bella e l’acqua è fresca. (The beach is beautiful and the water is fresh.)
   • Ho bisogno di una chiave per aprire la porta. (I need a key to open the door.)

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Here’s a quiz to help you test your spelling and pronunciation skills on some challenging words.

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After the Zoom Class

Here is your assignment. After the lesson, answer the questions. Your teacher will correct what you write. You will receive a confirmation by email

“Please note: the assignment is available only to members.”