Learning the correct pronunciation from the beginning is vital as it helps build confidence when speaking and prevents formation of bad habits that can be hard to correct later.
For optimal learning, combine pronunciation practice with listening to Italian music, as it exposes you to the natural rhythm and melody of the language. Many Italian sounds have subtleties that require practice to master, and songs are an excellent way to internalize correct pronunciation and intonation.
Italian has five primary vowels: A, E, I, O, U, combining for a total of 7 sounds (as compared to 15 vowel sounds in English).
Below are examples along with English words producing similar sounds and tips about mouth and tongue positioning.
A | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
amore | ah-mo-reh | father |
casa | kah-zah | car |
gatto | gah-ttoh | hot |
The Italian A is very open, similar to the a in father.
- Mouth: wide open
- Tongue: low, towards the front of the mouth
- Lips: not rounded, relaxed
The vowel E can have two separate sounds, open and closed.
E (open) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
bene | beh-neh | bet |
tempo | tehm-poh | red |
dentro | dehn-troh | pen |
The open E is pronounced like the e in the English word bet or red.
- Mouth: more open (relative to closed E)
- Tongue: lower in the mouth
- Lips: not rounded, relaxed
E (closed) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
sete | seh-teh | say |
mese | meh-zeh | grey |
piede | pyeh-deh | cake |
The closed E is pronounced like the a in the English word say or gray.
- Mouth: moderately open (less than for open E)
- Tongue: slightly higher in the mouth
- Lips: not rounded, slightly spread
I | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
vino | vee-no | ski |
libro | lee-bro | bee |
vivere | vee-ve-reh | pizza |
The Italian I makes a long e sound, similar to the ee in the English word see.
- Mouth: relatively closed, with only a small opening
- Tongue: higher, towards front of the mouth
- Lips: relaxed, not rounded
The vowel O can also have two separate sounds, open and closed. The differences are quite subtle, and may take time and exposure to master.
O (open) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
sole | soh-leh | off |
porta | por-tah | saw |
corto | kor-toh | bought |
The open O is pronounced like the o in the English word off.
- Mouth: more open (relative to closed O)
- Tongue: slightly lower in the mouth
- Lips: rounded
O (closed) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
nome | no-meh | home |
motore | mo-to-reh | obey |
volo | vo-loh | more |
The closed O is pronounced somewhat like the o in the English word go, though shorter and more clipped.
- Mouth: moderately open
- Tongue: higher in the mouth
- Lips: rounded
U | ||
|---|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced | Sound |
uno | oo-no | food |
luna | loo-na | too |
lungo | loon-go | boot |
The Italian U makes the oo sound as in the English word food.
- Mouth: relatively closed
- Tongue: high, towards the back of the mouth
- Lips: ounded and protruded
Italian vowels are often combined to make longer sounds. Below is a list of some common examples:
Vowel Combinations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | Example | Sound |
ai | mai | eye |
au | auto | cow |
ei | lei | say |
eu | neutro | eh + oo |
ia | piano | yacht |
ie | miele | yesterday |
io | fiore | yours |
iu | più | few |
oi | poi | toy |
ua | quando | wand |
ue | questo | wet |
ui | qui | we |
uo | uomo | quote |
uoi | vuoi | buoy |
uai | guai | why |
Many Italian consonants have similary pronunciation as in English, making a clear, crisp sound. We list those below, but we begin with some differences.
Double consonants in words like fatto are pronounced longer than their single counterparts.
For example, in fatto , hold the t sound longer than usual. It should feel nearly like a pause, though not completely.
Make a clear break between the vowel before the double consonant and the double consonant itself. For example, in bello, there is a distinct separation between the e and the first l.
Double Consonants | |
|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced |
addio | ad-DEE-o |
affare | af-FAH-re |
leggere | LED-je-re |
mamma | MAM-ma |
rosso | ROS-so |
A few common consonant combinations produce unique sounds.
Consonant Clusters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Letters | Example | Sound |
gli | figlio | million |
gn | signora | onion |
gh | spaghetti | go |
ch | che | kite |
sv | svegliarsi | slightly softer z + v |
The Italian R can be challenging to pronounce. Here are a couple of tips to help practice.
- Tongue: Place the tip of your tongue just behind your upper front teeth, where there is a small ridge.
- Airflow: Blow air over your tongue so that it vibrates against the ridge. This creates a rapid sound. It’s like when you say the English word "butter" quickly and emphasize the "tt" sound.
A single r and a double rr are pronounced differently. A single r is softer and shorter, while a double rr is longer and more pronounced. Pronouncing these correctly is vital as it can change the meaning of the word.
R | |
|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced |
caro | KA-ro |
carro | KAR-ro |
ora | O-ra |
arrivo | ar-REE-vo |
parla | PAR-la |
Some consonants can make two distinct sounds, a soft and a hard sound. Below are examples to demonstrate:
c (soft sound) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | Example | Sound |
i | cinema | cheap |
e | cena | check |
c (hard sound) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | Example | Sound |
a | casa | kat |
o | cosa | cold |
u | cucina | cool |
h | che | keg |
g (soft sound) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | Example | Sound |
i | giro | jeep |
e | gente | general |
g (hard sound) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | Example | Sound |
a | gatto | got |
o | gomma | gone |
u | gusto | good |
h | funghi | geese |
sc (soft sound) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | Example | Sound |
i | sciare | sheet |
e | scena | chef |
sc (hard sound) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | Example | Sound |
a | scatola | ska |
o | scopa | unesco |
u | scuro | scooter |
S can make two sounds: one similar to s in see, and another similar to z in rose. The spelling rules here can get convoluted and somewhat inconsistent, but just becoming aware of the differences can help.
Here are some examples to demonstrate:
s (like See) | |
|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced |
sole | SO-le |
sapere | sa-Pe-re |
scarpa | SKAR-pa |
speciale | spe-CHA-le |
silenzio | see-LEN-tsyo |
s (like Rose) | |
|---|---|
| Example | Sound |
casa | KA-za |
sbaglio | ZBA-lyo |
rosa | RO-za |
casino | ka-ZEE-no |
visita | vee-ZEE-ta |
Z can also make two sounds: one similar to ts in cats, and another similar to dz in kids.
Here are some examples to demonstrate:
z (like Cats) | |
|---|---|
| Example | Pronounced |
pizza | PEET-tsa |
grazie | GRA-tsye |
spezia | SPE-tsya |
senza | SEN-tsa |
vizio | VEET-syo |
z (like Kids) | |
|---|---|
| Example | Sound |
zero | DZE-ro |
zaino | DZAI-no |
zio | DZEE-o |
azienda | a-DZYE-nda |
azzurro | ad-DZUR-ro |
Many Italian consonants make the same sounds as English. Below are consonants with the simplest pronunciation.
Basic Consonants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Letter | Example | Pronounced |
B | bene | bat |
D | dare | dog |
F | fiore | fish |
H | hanno | anno h is silent |
L | luna | love |
M | mano | mother |
N | naso | nice |
P | pane | pen |
Q | quando q always followed by u | quest |
T | topo | top |
V | vita | vase |