The sounds of Italian β
Italian pronunciation is remarkably consistent and beautiful. What you see is what you say β letters are pronounced the same way in almost every word. This phonetic transparency makes Italian one of the most accessible European languages for learners. The musical quality of Italian comes from its open vowels and rhythmic consonants. Once you master the basic sounds, you can pronounce any Italian word correctly.
The alphabet β
Italian uses only 21 letters of the Latin alphabet. The letters J, K, W, X, and Y appear only in foreign loanwords. This simplified alphabet, combined with consistent pronunciation rules, means Italian spelling is straightforward once you learn the patterns:
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| πβA | a | like "a" in "father" |
| πβB | bi | like English "b" |
| πβC | ci | "k" before a/o/u; "ch" before e/i |
| πβD | di | like English "d" |
| πβE | e | "ay" or "eh" |
| πβF | effe | like English "f" |
| πβG | gi | "g" before a/o/u; "j" before e/i |
| πβH | acca | always silent |
| πβI | i | like "ee" in "see" |
| πβL | elle | like English "l" |
| πβM | emme | like English "m" |
| πβN | enne | like English "n" |
| πβO | o | "oh" or "aw" |
| πβP | pi | like English "p" |
| πβQ | cu | like "k" (always with "u") |
| πβR | erre | rolled/trilled |
| πβS | esse | "s" or "z" between vowels |
| πβT | ti | like English "t" |
| πβU | u | like "oo" in "moon" |
| πβV | vu | like English "v" |
| πβZ | zeta | "ts" or "dz" |
Vowels β
Italian has seven vowel sounds:
| Sound | Letter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /a/ | a | πβcasa (house) |
| /e/ (closed) | e | πβsera (evening) |
| /Ι/ (open) | e | πβbello (beautiful) |
| /i/ | i | πβvino (wine) |
| /o/ (closed) | o | πβsole (sun) |
| /Ι/ (open) | o | πβporta (door) |
| /u/ | u | πβluna (moon) |
Every vowel is pronounced clearly; there are no silent vowels.
Key consonant combinations β
| Combination | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ch | "k" | πβche (what) |
| gh | hard "g" | πβspaghetti |
| ci + vowel | "ch" | πβciao (hello) |
| gi + vowel | "j" | πβgiorno (day) |
| sc + e/i | "sh" | πβpesce (fish) |
| sc + a/o/u | "sk" | πβscuola (school) |
| gn | "ny" | πβgnocchi |
| gli | "ly" | πβfiglio (son) |
Double consonants β
Double consonants are pronounced longer and stronger:
- πβpala (shovel) vs πβpalla (ball)
- πβnono (ninth) vs πβnonno (grandfather)
- πβcaro (dear) vs πβcarro (cart)
Stress β
Most Italian words are stressed on the second-to-last syllable:
- πβca-sa (house)
- πβa-mi-co (friend)
- πβbel-lis-si-mo (very beautiful)
Accent marks indicate stress on other syllables:
- πβcit-tΓ (city)
- πβper-chΓ© (why)
Practice words β
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| πβCiao | Hello/Bye | CHOW |
| πβGrazie | Thank you | GRAT-tsyeh |
| πβPrego | Please/You're welcome | PREH-go |
| πβBuongiorno | Good morning | bwon-JOR-no |
| πβArrivederci | Goodbye | ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee |