{"id":59870,"date":"2026-05-13T08:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T23:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=59870"},"modified":"2026-05-13T14:39:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:39:23","slug":"italian-alphabet-letters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-alphabet-letters\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Alphabet: How to Say All 26 Letters (A1 Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A receptionist in a Pisa hotel asks you to spell your surname over the phone. A pharmacist in Verona needs your prescription code letter by letter. A bank clerk in Genova wants your IBAN read aloud. In all three moments, knowing the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong> by name (not by sound) makes the difference between a smooth exchange and a long, confused pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide walks through the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong> for the A1 learner: the 21 letters that are properly Italian, the 5 foreign letters that show up in modern Italian, how to pronounce each letter name, and the small spelling trick Italians use over the phone (city names instead of letters). By the end you will be able to spell your name in Italian without hesitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-toc-alpha\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-toc-head-alpha gb-headline-text\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">&#x1F446;&#x1F3FB;<br>Jump to sections<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#one-liner\">The italian alphabet in one line<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#21-letters\">The 21 Italian letters and their names<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#5-foreign\">The 5 foreign letters (J K W X Y)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#gender\">Are letters masculine or feminine?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#spelling-trick\">Spelling over the phone: city names<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#double\">Saying double letters<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#accents\">Accents and special marks<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common pronunciation mistakes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#history\">Why only 21 native letters<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#when-needed\">When you will actually need it<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#dialogue\">Dialogue: spelling at the pharmacy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-one-liner-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"one-liner\">The italian alphabet in one line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong> has 21 native letters, plus 5 foreign ones that appear in modern Italian for borrowed words. The 21 native letters are A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V Z. The five extras are J K W X Y. Total: 26 letters, the same Roman set you know from English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference from English is not the shape of the letters but their names. <em>A<\/em> is not &#8220;ay&#8221; but <em>a<\/em> (open vowel). <em>G<\/em> is not &#8220;jee&#8221; but <em>gi<\/em> (sounds like English &#8220;jee&#8221; but shorter). <em>H<\/em> is not &#8220;aitch&#8221; but <em>acca<\/em>. Once you know the Italian names, spelling out loud becomes natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-21-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"21-letters\">The 21 Italian letters and their names<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the full list of the 21 native letters of the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong>, each with its name written out so you can pronounce it. The vowels (a, e, i, o, u) keep the same sound as the letter name. The consonants follow simple patterns: most end in <em>e<\/em> (effe, elle, emme, enne, erre, esse) or in <em>i<\/em> (bi, ci, di, gi, pi, ti, vi, zi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Letter<\/th><th>Italian name<\/th><th>Sounds like<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>A<\/td><td><em>a<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;ah&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>B<\/td><td><em>bi<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;bee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>C<\/td><td><em>ci<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;chee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>D<\/td><td><em>di<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;dee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>E<\/td><td><em>e<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;eh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>F<\/td><td><em>effe<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;EFF-feh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>G<\/td><td><em>gi<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;jee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>H<\/td><td><em>acca<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;AHK-kah&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>I<\/td><td><em>i<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;ee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>L<\/td><td><em>elle<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;ELL-leh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>M<\/td><td><em>emme<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;EMM-meh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>N<\/td><td><em>enne<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;ENN-neh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>O<\/td><td><em>o<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;oh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>P<\/td><td><em>pi<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;pee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Q<\/td><td><em>cu<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;koo&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>R<\/td><td><em>erre<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;ERR-reh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>S<\/td><td><em>esse<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;ESS-seh&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>T<\/td><td><em>ti<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;tee&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>U<\/td><td><em>u<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;oo&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>V<\/td><td><em>vi<\/em> or <em>vu<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;vee&#8221; or &#8220;voo&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Z<\/td><td><em>zeta<\/em><\/td><td>&#8220;DZEH-tah&#8221;<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Two letters have alternative names that are both standard. V is <em>vi<\/em> in most of Italy but <em>vu<\/em> in some regions and in older speakers; both are correct. Z is <em>zeta<\/em>, pronounced with a clear initial \/dz\/ sound, not the English &#8220;zee&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-alpha-1\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-task:<\/strong> Spell each word using the Italian letter names. Say each letter out loud before checking.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CASA<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>LIBRO<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>ANNO<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>NIENTE<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>GIORNO<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>1. CASA = <em>ci, a, esse, a<\/em><br>\n2. LIBRO = <em>elle, i, bi, erre, o<\/em><br>\n3. ANNO = <em>a, doppia enne, o<\/em><br>\n4. NIENTE = <em>enne, i, e, enne, ti, e<\/em><br>\n5. GIORNO = <em>gi, i, o, erre, enne, o<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-5-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"5-foreign\">The 5 foreign letters: J, K, W, X, Y<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Until the twentieth century the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong> had only 21 letters. The other five (J K W X Y) were considered foreign and used only for words borrowed from English, German, French, or other languages. Today they are fully accepted, but they keep their special &#8220;foreign&#8221; names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Letter<\/th><th>Italian name<\/th><th>Common in words like<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>J<\/td><td><em>i lunga<\/em> (long i) or <em>jay<\/em><\/td><td>jeans, jolly, junior<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>K<\/td><td><em>cappa<\/em><\/td><td>karate, kiwi, koala<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>W<\/td><td><em>doppia vu<\/em> (double v) or <em>vu doppia<\/em><\/td><td>web, weekend, whisky<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>X<\/td><td><em>ics<\/em><\/td><td>xilofono, taxi, fax<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Y<\/td><td><em>ipsilon<\/em> or <em>i greca<\/em> (Greek i)<\/td><td>yogurt, yacht, hobby<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>The names <em>i lunga<\/em>, <em>i greca<\/em>, <em>ipsilon<\/em> are not difficult, but they trip up English speakers who expect &#8220;jay&#8221;, &#8220;wye&#8221;, &#8220;ex&#8221;. When a hotel receptionist asks you to spell an English name with J, Y, or W, knowing the Italian names saves the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-gender-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"gender\">Are letters masculine or feminine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian gender applies even to letters. Native speakers normally use feminine: <em>la a<\/em>, <em>la b<\/em>, <em>la c<\/em>, <em>una elle<\/em>, <em>una emme<\/em>. The feminine is the default because the implicit noun is <em>lettera<\/em>: <em>la lettera a<\/em>, <em>la lettera elle<\/em>. This is true for all 26 letters of the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>La b di Bologna.<\/em> (The b as in Bologna.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Quante c ci sono in \u00abaccademia\u00bb?<\/em> (How many c&#8217;s are there in &#8220;accademia&#8221;?)<\/li>\n<li><em>La elle finale non si pronuncia.<\/em> (The final l is not pronounced.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some grammarians used to allow masculine (<em>il a<\/em>, <em>il b<\/em>) but modern usage is overwhelmingly feminine. If you treat all letters as feminine, you will sound natural every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-trick-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"spelling-trick\">Spelling over the phone: the city-name trick<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When the line is bad or the name unusual, Italians switch to a spelling alphabet using city names. Just like English speakers say &#8220;B as in Boy&#8221;, Italians say <em>B come Bologna<\/em>. The system uses Italian cities and is universally understood from Cagliari to Trento. Knowing the standard list lets you spell anything clearly even on a noisy mobile connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Letter<\/th><th>City name<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>A<\/td><td>Ancona<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>B<\/td><td>Bologna<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>C<\/td><td>Como<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>D<\/td><td>Domodossola<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>E<\/td><td>Empoli<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>F<\/td><td>Firenze<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>G<\/td><td>Genova<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>H<\/td><td>Hotel (no Italian city starts with H)<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>I<\/td><td>Imola<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>L<\/td><td>Livorno<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>M<\/td><td>Milano<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>N<\/td><td>Napoli<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>O<\/td><td>Otranto<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>P<\/td><td>Palermo<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Q<\/td><td>Quarto (or Qu\u00e9bec)<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>R<\/td><td>Roma<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>S<\/td><td>Savona<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>T<\/td><td>Torino<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>U<\/td><td>Udine<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>V<\/td><td>Venezia<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Z<\/td><td>Zara<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>To spell your name, say each letter followed by <em>come<\/em> + city. For example, &#8220;Carlo&#8221; becomes <em>Como come Como, Ancona, erre come radio, Livorno, Otranto<\/em>. Practice with your own surname two or three times before you need it for real. It will feel awkward the first time and natural the third. The city-name habit is so ingrained in Italian phone culture that even teenagers texting use it when they switch to voice for a complicated word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>A few practical notes. Some cities are interchangeable: Ancona and Avellino both work for A, but Ancona is the standard. For H, since no Italian city starts with H, speakers say <em>Hotel<\/em> or simply <em>acca<\/em>. For K, since Italian has no native city with K, the standard fallback is the international word <em>Kursaal<\/em> or just <em>cappa<\/em>. For W, J, X, Y the speaker improvises with international words (Washington, jeans, xilofono, yacht) or pronounces the letter name directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-double-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"double\">Saying double letters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian has many double consonants (<em>tutto<\/em>, <em>bello<\/em>, <em>nonno<\/em>). When you spell a word with a double letter, just say <em>doppia<\/em> + the letter name. <em>Tutto<\/em> is <em>ti, u, doppia ti, o<\/em>. <em>Bello<\/em> is <em>bi, e, doppia elle, o<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also say the letter twice in a row (<em>pi, i, zeta, zeta, a<\/em>) and it is understood, but the <em>doppia<\/em> shortcut is faster and more idiomatic. Italians use it constantly when dictating addresses, surnames, or codes over the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-accents-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"accents\">Accents and special marks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian uses two accents on vowels: <em>acuto<\/em> (acute, sloping right) and <em>grave<\/em> (grave, sloping left). They appear most often on the final syllable: <em>citt\u00e0<\/em>, <em>perch\u00e9<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9<\/em>, <em>gi\u00e0<\/em>, <em>caff\u00e8<\/em>. When you spell a word with an accent, say the vowel name followed by <em>con accento<\/em> + <em>grave<\/em> or <em>acuto<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>citt\u00e0<\/em>: <em>ci, i, doppia ti, a con accento grave<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>perch\u00e9<\/em>: <em>pi, e, erre, ci, acca, e con accento acuto<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>caff\u00e8<\/em>: <em>ci, a, doppia effe, e con accento grave<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The apostrophe is called <em>apostrofo<\/em>. When you dictate a word like <em>l&#8217;amico<\/em>, you say <em>elle, apostrofo, a, emme, i, ci, o<\/em>. Simple but easy to forget, especially when your name contains an apostrophe like O&#8217;Connor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-mistakes-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"mistakes\">Common pronunciation mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>English speakers tend to fall into the same three traps when first learning the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saying English letter names.<\/strong> Calling A &#8220;ay&#8221; instead of <em>a<\/em>, or G &#8220;jee&#8221; instead of <em>gi<\/em>, or H &#8220;aitch&#8221; instead of <em>acca<\/em>. The fix is simply practice. Sing the Italian alphabet song twice and the names lock in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Confusing C and G.<\/strong> Italian <em>ci<\/em> sounds close to English &#8220;chee&#8221; but is shorter and crisper. Italian <em>gi<\/em> sounds like English &#8220;jee&#8221;. When you spell on the phone, the difference matters: <em>casa<\/em> (house) starts with <em>ci<\/em>, <em>gara<\/em> (race) with <em>gi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Forgetting the foreign letter names.<\/strong> J is <em>i lunga<\/em>, Y is <em>ipsilon<\/em> or <em>i greca<\/em>, W is <em>doppia vu<\/em>. English speakers default to &#8220;jay&#8221;, &#8220;why&#8221;, &#8220;double-yoo&#8221;. Italians will understand you but the exchange feels foreign. Use the Italian names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-history-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"history\">Why the italian alphabet has only 21 native letters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 21-letter base of the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong> reflects what Latin had at the end of the empire. Classical Latin used a 23-letter set; medieval scribes dropped K (replaced by C) and merged I and J, U and V. By the time Italian became a written language in the thirteenth century, only 21 letters remained in active use, and that became the canonical inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The five &#8220;foreign&#8221; letters returned in the twentieth century through borrowed words. <em>Jeans<\/em> brought back J. <em>Yogurt<\/em> reinstated Y. <em>Karate<\/em>, <em>web<\/em>, and <em>taxi<\/em> added K, W, and X to common usage. Italian dictionaries now list all 26 letters as part of the modern alphabet, but native speakers still feel the older 21 as the &#8220;real&#8221; Italian set. A child learning to read in elementary school chants 21 letters, not 26. The foreign five appear in a separate column at the back of the schoolbook, labeled &#8220;lettere straniere&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>The historical preference shows up in surprising places. Italian crossword puzzles never use J, K, W, X, Y in their grids. Italian Scrabble has only 21 letter tiles (plus blank). Italian phone keyboards, when set to Italian autocorrect, prioritise the 21 native letters in suggestions. The 26-letter set is official, but the 21-letter set is cultural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>For learners, the practical takeaway is simple: learn all 26 names, because foreign words and names are everywhere in modern life. Banking codes, software interfaces, scientific terms, international surnames: all rely on the full set. But know that the 5 foreign letters carry a slightly &#8220;outside&#8221; flavour and that native speakers may pronounce them with a small hesitation, as if reaching for a less-used drawer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This distinction explains why the foreign letters have unusual names. J is <em>i lunga<\/em> (long i) because medieval scribes drew it as a long version of I. Y is <em>i greca<\/em> (Greek i) because it entered Latin from Greek vocabulary. W is <em>doppia vu<\/em> (double v) because that is literally what it looks like. The names are the historical fingerprints of how each letter arrived in Italian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-when-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"when-needed\">When you will actually need the italian alphabet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Learners often dismiss the alphabet as a beginner ritual and move on. Then a real situation arrives and the names matter. Five typical moments where the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong> rescues you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hotel check-in.<\/strong> The receptionist asks you to spell your surname. Without the letter names, you point at your passport. With them, the exchange takes ten seconds.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pharmacy prescription.<\/strong> The pharmacist needs your name to retrieve the prescription. Italian pharmacies still rely on alphabetical filing in many small towns.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bank or post office.<\/strong> You dictate your IBAN, your tax code, your address. Numbers are easy; the letters in the middle (IT for Italia, plus the bank code) trip you up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Online customer service.<\/strong> The agent on the phone asks for an order code or a reference number that mixes letters and digits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Doctor&#8217;s office.<\/strong> The medical receptionist confirms your name and date of birth before the visit. Spelling cleanly avoids ten minutes of confusion at the front desk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Practice once a week. Spell your full name out loud, with the city-name trick, until it becomes automatic. Then spell your email address: the at-sign is <em>chiocciola<\/em> (literally &#8220;snail&#8221;), the dot is <em>punto<\/em>, the underscore is <em>trattino basso<\/em>, the hyphen is <em>trattino<\/em>. <em>marco.bianchi@gmail.com<\/em> becomes <em>emme-ancona-erre-como-otranto punto bi-imola-ancona-napoli-como-hotel-imola chiocciola gi-emme-ancona-imola-elle punto ci-otranto-emme<\/em>. Slower the first time, faster every time after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>One small tip from experience: when you spell a non-Italian name, pause briefly between each letter and city, and watch the listener&#8217;s face. If they nod, continue. If they tilt their head, repeat the last letter. Italians are patient with foreign spellers but they appreciate the speaker who modulates pace. Speed comes with practice, but accuracy is what saves the conversation the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-alpha-2\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Final mini-task:<\/strong> Spell each name using the city-name trick. Write or say the full city sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ANNA<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>LUCA<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>SOFIA<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>BIANCO<\/strong> (surname)<\/li>\n<li><strong>FONTANA<\/strong> (surname)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>1. ANNA = Ancona, Napoli, Napoli, Ancona<br>\n2. LUCA = Livorno, Udine, Como, Ancona<br>\n3. SOFIA = Savona, Otranto, Firenze, Imola, Ancona<br>\n4. BIANCO = Bologna, Imola, Ancona, Napoli, Como, Otranto<br>\n5. FONTANA = Firenze, Otranto, Napoli, Torino, Ancona, Napoli, Ancona<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/headline {\"uniqueId\":\"h2-cheat-a\",\"anchor\":\"cheat-sheet\",\"blockVersion\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-cheat-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Italian alphabet at a glance<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/headline -->\n\n<!-- wp:table -->\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Question<\/th><th>Answer<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>How many letters?<\/td><td>21 native + 5 foreign = 26 total<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Which 5 are foreign?<\/td><td>J, K, W, X, Y<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Gender of letters?<\/td><td>Feminine (la a, la b, una elle)<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>How to say J?<\/td><td><em>i lunga<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>How to say Y?<\/td><td><em>ipsilon<\/em> or <em>i greca<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>How to spell double letters?<\/td><td><em>doppia<\/em> + letter name (doppia zeta)<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Phone spelling system?<\/td><td>Letter + <em>come<\/em> + city name (B come Bologna)<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- \/wp:table -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/headline {\"uniqueId\":\"h2-dialogue-a\",\"anchor\":\"dialogue\",\"blockVersion\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-dialogue-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"dialogue\">Dialogue: spelling at the pharmacy in Verona<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/headline -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Anna is a tourist in Verona. She needs to pick up a prescription but the pharmacist Tommaso cannot find her surname in the computer system. She spells her surname using the city-name trick.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/container {\"uniqueId\":\"dlg-alpha\",\"isDynamic\":true,\"blockVersion\":4,\"useInnerContainer\":true,\"spacing\":{\"paddingTop\":\"25px\",\"paddingRight\":\"25px\",\"paddingBottom\":\"25px\",\"paddingLeft\":\"25px\",\"marginTop\":\"28px\",\"marginBottom\":\"28px\"},\"borders\":{\"borderTopWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderTopStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderTopColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderRightWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderRightStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderRightColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderBottomWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderBottomStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderBottomColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderLeftWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderLeftStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderLeftColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderTopLeftRadius\":\"10px\",\"borderTopRightRadius\":\"10px\",\"borderBottomLeftRadius\":\"10px\",\"borderBottomRightRadius\":\"10px\"}} -->\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> <em>Non trovo il suo cognome. Me lo pu\u00f2 ripetere, lettera per lettera?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Anna:<\/strong> <em>Certo. A come Ancona, N come Napoli, N come Napoli, A come Ancona.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> <em>Anna. E il cognome?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Anna:<\/strong> <em>V come Venezia, O come Otranto, doppia S come Savona.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> <em>Voss. Con la V iniziale. Eccolo qui.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Anna:<\/strong> <em>S\u00ec. Una domanda: perch\u00e9 H come hotel? Non c&#8217;\u00e8 una citt\u00e0 italiana?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> <em>Esatto: in Italia nessuna citt\u00e0 inizia con H, quindi usiamo \u00abhotel\u00bb o diciamo direttamente \u00abacca\u00bb.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Anna:<\/strong> <em>Capisco. E per Y o J?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Tommaso:<\/strong> <em>Diciamo \u00abipsilon\u00bb o \u00abi greca\u00bb per Y, \u00abi lunga\u00bb per J. Nessuna citt\u00e0 italiana le ha come iniziale.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Three things to notice. Anna uses the city-name trick fluently for both her first and last name. Tommaso confirms each letter aloud as he types, which is standard polite practice when taking down a name in Italian. The conversation also flags the H exception: Italy has no city starting with H, so speakers fall back on the international word <em>hotel<\/em>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/headline {\"uniqueId\":\"h2-faq-a\",\"anchor\":\"faq\",\"blockVersion\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-faq-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"faq\">FAQ on the italian alphabet<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/headline -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Six questions A1 learners ask when they first meet the <strong>italian alphabet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:rank-math\/faq-block {\"questions\":[{\"id\":\"faq-1\",\"title\":\"How many letters does the italian alphabet have, 21 or 26?\",\"content\":\"There is genuine debate. Traditionally 21 native letters, excluding J K W X Y. In modern Italian all 26 letters are used because of borrowed words, so dictionaries list 26. Schoolchildren still learn 21 first, then the 5 'foreign' letters.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-2\",\"title\":\"Are letters of the italian alphabet masculine or feminine?\",\"content\":\"Feminine. La a, la b, la c, una elle, una emme. The implicit noun is lettera (la lettera a). Some older texts allowed masculine, but modern usage is overwhelmingly feminine for all 26 letters.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-3\",\"title\":\"How do you say J, K, W, X, Y in Italian?\",\"content\":\"J = i lunga (long i), K = cappa, W = doppia vu (double v), X = ics, Y = ipsilon or i greca (Greek i). These are the official Italian names for the five 'foreign' letters.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-4\",\"title\":\"How do you spell a name over the phone in Italian?\",\"content\":\"Italians use a city-name spelling alphabet: A come Ancona, B come Bologna, C come Como. The system is universally understood. For letters without an Italian city (H, K, W, X, Y) speakers fall back on international words: H come hotel, K come kiwi or kappa.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-5\",\"title\":\"How do you say double letters when spelling?\",\"content\":\"Say doppia + the letter name. Anno is spelled a, doppia enne, o. Tutto is ti, u, doppia ti, o. You can also repeat the letter twice (enne, enne) but the doppia shortcut is faster and more idiomatic.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-6\",\"title\":\"How do you read accents and apostrophes aloud?\",\"content\":\"The grave accent (`) is called accento grave, the acute accent (u00b4) is accento acuto. When dictating cittu00e0 you say: ci, i, doppia ti, a con accento grave. The apostrophe is apostrofo: l'amico = elle, apostrofo, a, emme, i, ci, o.\",\"visible\":true}]} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-faq-block\"><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How many letters does the italian alphabet have, 21 or 26?<\/h3><div class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>There is genuine debate. Traditionally 21 native letters, excluding J K W X Y. In modern Italian all 26 letters are used because of borrowed words, so dictionaries list 26. Schoolchildren still learn 21 first, then the 5 &#8216;foreign&#8217; letters.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Are letters of the italian alphabet masculine or feminine?<\/h3><div class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Feminine. La a, la b, la c, una elle, una emme. The implicit noun is lettera (la lettera a). Some older texts allowed masculine, but modern usage is overwhelmingly feminine for all 26 letters.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How do you say J, K, W, X, Y in Italian?<\/h3><div class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>J = i lunga (long i), K = cappa, W = doppia vu (double v), X = ics, Y = ipsilon or i greca (Greek i). These are the official Italian names for the five &#8216;foreign&#8217; letters.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How do you spell a name over the phone in Italian?<\/h3><div class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Italians use a city-name spelling alphabet: A come Ancona, B come Bologna, C come Como. The system is universally understood. For letters without an Italian city (H, K, W, X, Y) speakers fall back on international words: H come hotel, K come kiwi or kappa.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How do you say double letters when spelling?<\/h3><div class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Say doppia + the letter name. Anno is spelled a, doppia enne, o. Tutto is ti, u, doppia ti, o. You can also repeat the letter twice (enne, enne) but the doppia shortcut is faster and more idiomatic.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rank-math-faq-item\"><h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How do you read accents and apostrophes aloud?<\/h3><div class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>The grave accent (`) is called accento grave, the acute accent (\u00b4) is accento acuto. When dictating citt\u00e0 you say: ci, i, doppia ti, a con accento grave. The apostrophe is apostrofo: l&#8217;amico = elle, apostrofo, a, emme, i, ci, o.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:rank-math\/faq-block -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/headline {\"uniqueId\":\"h2-related-a\",\"anchor\":\"related\",\"blockVersion\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-related-a gb-headline-text\" id=\"related\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/headline -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"className\":\"wp-block-list\"} -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-double-consonants-nono-nonno\/\">italian double consonants<\/a><\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-possession-di\/\">italian possession with di<\/a><\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-double-consonants-nono-nonno\/\">italian double consonants<\/a><\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/alfabeto_(Enciclopedia-dell%27Italiano)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Treccani entry on the Italian alphabet<\/a><\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/it.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alfabeto_italiano\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikipedia Italia page<\/a><\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A receptionist in a Pisa hotel asks you to spell your surname over the phone. A pharmacist in Verona needs your prescription code letter by letter. A bank clerk in Genova wants your IBAN read aloud. In all three moments, knowing the italian alphabet by name (not by sound) makes the difference between a smooth &#8230; <a title=\"Italian Alphabet: How to Say All 26 Letters (A1 Guide)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-alphabet-letters\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italian Alphabet: How to Say All 26 Letters (A1 Guide)\">Read more \u226b<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1863,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a1","category-lingua","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59870"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59870\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59905,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59870\/revisions\/59905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}