Correct pronunciation of letters and words in Italian

Correct pronunciation of Italian letters and words

Italian is a romantic language with a distinct and rich pronunciation. Learning the correct pronunciation of letters and words is crucial to mastering the language. Here are some tips to help you get started:

The vowels

In Italian, each vowel has a unique pronunciation and does not change regardless of its placement in the word. The vowels are pronounced as follows:

• A is always pronounced like the 'a' in "father".
• E has two pronunciations: it can sound like the 'e' in "bed" (short) or the 'ay' in "day" (long).
• I is pronounced like the 'ee' in "see".
• O also has two pronunciations: it can sound like the 'o' in "pot" (short) or like the 'o' in "bone" (long).
• U is pronounced like the 'oo' in "boot".

The consonants

Most consonants in Italian are pronounced like in English, but there are some exceptions:

• C is pronounced like 'k' before 'a', 'o', 'u' and consonants (as in "cat"). Before 'e' and 'i', it is pronounced as 'ch' (as in "church").
• G is pronounced as in "get" before 'a', 'o', 'u' and consonants. Before 'e' and 'i', it's pronounced like 'j' in "jam".
• H is always silent in Italian. No sound.
• R is always rolled up, similar to the 'r' in Spanish.
• Z can be pronounced as 'ts' (as in "bits") or as 'dz' (as in "adze").

Doubling consonants

In Italian, if a consonant is doubled, you must place extra emphasis on that letter when pronouncing it. For example, the word 'palla' (ball) should be pronounced with a long, distinct 'l'.

The letter combinations

There are some letter combinations in Italian that have a unique pronunciation:

• CH is always pronounced as 'k'.
• GH is always pronounced like a 'g' in "get".
• GN is pronounced like the 'ny' in "canyon".
• SC is pronounced like 'sh' in "she" before 'e' and 'i', and like 'sk' in "skip" before 'a', 'o' and 'u'.

When learning Italian, constant practice of correctly pronouncing letters and words will help you become more fluent and confident in the language. Good fun!

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5Basic Italian Vocabulary: Greetings and Common Expressions

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