Chapter 1 – The Italian Alphabet

For those who speak English as their mother tongue, the Italian language offers exciting challenges on how well you can articulate new sounds and accents. Before jumping into common phrases and sentences, learning this language requires beginners to understand first the basics of pronouncing Italian words.

The Italian Alphabet

The best way to start mastering a new language is by familiarizing yourself first with its foundation. The Italian alphabet—or alfabeto Italiano (ahl-fah-beh -toh ee-tahl-lee-ah -noh)—is essential to beginners since learning how to pronounce each letter would allow you to exercise your mouth and tongue accordingly, and give you a working knowledge on how to properly string them up into words and phrases.

At first glance, primary difference between the Italian and the standard English alphabet can be observed in the exclusion of five letters in the Italian language: j, k, w, x, & y. This means that there are only 21 letters in the official Italian alphabet. The table below shows the correct Italian pronunciation of each letter.

In the modern times, certain Italian words and phrases have been borrowed and adapted from other languages. Because of this, it is important for you to learn to how to pronounce the following letters too, so that you would be better prepared when you encounter Italian loanwords.

Letter	Pronunciation
j (long “i”)	ee-loon-gah
k (kappa)	kahp-pah
w (double “v”)	dohp-pee-ah vooh
x (ics)	eeks
y (Greek “i”)	ee greh-kah

Continue practicing the pronunciation of each letter until your mouth and tongue would feel comfortable with the motions each letter entails. Once you have reached this state, you can now proceed with learning how to pronounce the vowels and consonants in relation with the other letters adjacent to them.

Vowels

Between the vowels and consonants of the Italian alphabet, the vowels tend to pose a greater challenge to English-speakers. Though they sound similar to some versions of their English counterparts, the relationship between the written letter and pronunciation of an Italian vowel does not follow the standard rules applied to the English language.

To illustrate these distinctions, the following sections explain how to properly pronounce each of the Italian vowels.

1. Vowel “a”

Unlike in the English language, the Italian “a” has only one official pronunciation: “ah”. To personally observe how this sounds like, try saying the word “father”—the sound of “a” in this word sounds exactly like how the Italians pronounce this vowel.

Practice saying the following Italian words to better grasp the correct pronunciation of the Italian “a”.

• “albero” (ahl -beh-roh) – meaning “tree”
• “mano” (mah -noh) – meaning “hand”

2. Vowel “e”

There are two ways to pronounce this vowel in Italian. In case of a short “e” sound, the proper pronunciation for this vowel is similar to the how you say the word “bet” or “elephant”. On the other hand, the closest sound that is like the long “e” sound can be observed in the French word “gourmet”.

Typically, the short version is used when the vowel appears in the initial part of the word. Usage of the long “e” sound, however, varies depending on the speaker. Many say the long version when the vowel appears near or at the end of the word. There is no hard rule that must be followed, so feel free to choose the pronunciation that you are comfortable with.

Read out loud the following words to practice the right ways of pronouncing this vowel:

• “bere” (beh -reh) – meaning “to drink”
• “capello" (kah-pehl -loh) – meaning “hair”

3. Vowel “i”

The best demonstration of the proper pronunciation for the Italian vowel “i" is the way the English word “see” is pronounced. It should like it is being drawn out of your lips as you say the vowel out loud.

For instance:

• “bimbo” (beem -boh) – meaning “young boy”
• “vita” (vee -tah) – meaning “life”

4. Vowel “o”

Depending on the region they belong to, Italians pronounce the vowel “o” in either an open or closed manner. You are pronouncing in an open manner when the way you say this vowel similarly to how you say the English word “not”. On the other hand, your pronunciation is closed when you sound off this vowel like how you do with the word “fort”.

Once more, the choice lies on which method the speaker is more comfortable with. Try saying the following words in an open manner, and then in a closed manner to see for yourself which would fit you better.

• “dolce” (dohl -cheh) – meaning “sweet”
• “piccolo" (peek-koh-loh) – meaning “small”

5. Vowel “u”

In the Italian language, the vowel “u” is pronounced only in one way. It sounds exactly like the “u”-sound in the word “zoo”.

Here are some words that you can practice on to familiarize yourself with this vowel:

• “frutta” (frooht-tah) – meaning “fruit”
• “tu” (tooh) – meaning “you”

6. Combined vowels

There are many Italian words that feature two different vowels one right after the other. When you encounter such words, pronounce them by combining the sounds each of the vowels typically require when spoken on their own.

Here are the most common vowel combinations found in the Italian language.

• “ai”
  • Example: “dai” (dahy) – meaning “you give”
  • Sounds like the word “ice”

• “au”
  • Example: “auto” (ahw -toh) – meaning “car”
  • Sounds like the word “out”
• “ei”
  • Example: “lei” (ley) – meaning “she”
  • Sounds like the word “aid”
• “io”
  • Example: “cioccolata” (chok-koh-lah -tah) – meaning “chocolate”
  • Sounds like the word “choke”
• “oi”
  • Example: “noi” (noy) – meaning “we”
  • Sounds like the word “ointment”

Consonants

The Italian alphabet features many consonants found in the standard English alphabet. Nearly half of these consonants are pronounced in the same manner as their English counterparts. The other half, on the hand, requires special rules and conditions to be followed when spoken out loud.

To start your mastery of the Italian consonants, here are the consonants that have the similar pronunciations with English consonants. Observe how identical the sounds and motions that your mouth and facial muscles would produce as you read out loud the following Italian words.

7. Consonant “b”
   • “bambino” (bahm -bee-noh) – meaning “little boy”
8. Consonant “d”
   • “dare” (dah -reh) – meaning “to give”
9. Consonant “f”
   • “fare" (fah -reh) – meaning “to make”
10. Consonant “l”
    • “luna” (loo -nah) – meaning “moon”
11. Consonant “m”
    • “madre” (mah -dreh) – meaning “mother”
12. Consonant “n”
    • “nota” (noh -tah) – meaning “note”
13. Consonant “p”
    • “padre” (pah -dreh) – meaning “father”
14. Consonant “t”
    • “treno” (treh- noh) – meaning “train”
15. Consonant “v”
    • “vino” (vee -noh) – meaning “wine”

Among the consonants given above, only the letter “t” has a special condition that must be followed when it is doubled right one after the other. In such cases, you have to exaggerate the “t” sounds, as if you are verbally highlighting the presence of the additional letter “t” in that word. For example:

• “attraversare” (aht-trah -vehr-sah-reh) – “to cross”

Now that you have acquainted yourself with the Italian consonants that have identical sounds as that of English consonants, you can now proceed with the next batch of consonants. Each set specifies the special rules that you must keep in mind when mastering the proper pronunciations of Italian words.

16. Consonant “c”

Depending on the letter that follows it, the Italian “c” can be pronounced in two different manners:

• Soft “c”

If the consonant “c” is followed by either the vowels “e” or “i”, you must pronounce it in the same manner as the way you say the “ch” part of the English word “church”.

For example:

• “centro” (chehn -troh) – meaning “center”
• “certo” (chehr -toh) – meaning “certainly”
• “cibo” (chee -boh) – meaning “food”

A “ch” sound can only be produced if the consonant “c” is followed by an “a”, “o”, or “u” when vowel “i" is present between the said letters.

For example:

• “ciao (chawh) – “hello” or “goodbye”
• “ciuccio” (chooh -choh) – “pacifier for babies”

Since the vowel “i" only serves as a signal for you to change your pronunciation accordingly, you do not have to pronounce this letter as if it is a separate syllable.

• Hard “c”

When “c” is followed by the letters “a”, “o”, “u” or any other consonant pronounce the Italian “c” with a “k” sound.

For example:

• “casa” (kah -sah) – meaning “house”
• “colpa” (kohl -pah) – meaning “feelings of guilt”
• “cuore” (kwoh-reh) – meaning “heart”

Take note, however, that a hard “c” pronunciation can also be produced for syllables or words containing the consonant “c” followed by “e” or “i", as long as the letter “h” is in between the said letters.

For example:

• “che” (keh) – meaning “what”
• “chiave” (kyah -veh) – meaning “key”

17. Consonant “g”

Much like the letter “c”, the consonant “g” can be pronounced using either a soft sound or a hard sound.

• Soft “g”

When the consonant “g” is followed immediately by the vowels “e” or “i", you have to pronounce it in the same way as you say the English word “gentle”.

For example:

• “gelosia” (jeh-loh-zee -ah) – meaning “jealousy”
• “giorno” (johr -noh) – meaning “day”

The soft “g” sound may also be obtained in words containing the consonant “g” followed by the vowels “a”, “o”, or “u” if and only if the letter “i" has been inserted between the said letters. In such cases, the “i" does not have to be sounded out since it only indicates the shift in the pronunciation rules for such instances.

For example:

• “giacca” (jahk -kah) – meaning “jacket”
• “gioco” (joh -koh) – meaning “game”
• “giudice” (jooh -dee-cheh) – meaning “judge”

• Hard “g”

When followed by the letters “a”, “o”, “u”, or other consonants, you have to pronounce the consonant “g” like how you sound out this letter in the English word “good”.

For example:

• “gamba” (gahm -bah) – meaning “leg”
• “gomma” (gohm -mah) – meaning “rubber”
• “guerra" (gwehr-rah) – meaning “war”

If a hard “g” is pronounced for words that contain the consonant “g” followed by the vowels “e” or “i", then it means that the letter “h” is in the middle of the given letters.

For example:

• “funghi” (fuhn-geeh) – meaning “fungi”
• “ghirlanda” (geer-lahn -dah) – meaning “wreath”
• “spaghetti” (spah-geht -tee) – meaning “string pasta”

18. Consonant “h”

Aside from Italian loan words, such as hobby and hostess, the consonant “h” is always silent regardless of the place it holds in a given word. However, it has a powerful effect on the pronunciation of the letters that precede it, namely words that contain the consonants “c” or “g” whenever they are followed by the vowels “e” or “i".

Among words without the letter “h” in between the said combination of letters, a soft soft is needed to pronounce the given word properly. However, with the addition of “h” in the middle of “c” or “g” and “e” or “i", the soft pronunciation would then have to be changed to a harder sound in order, thereby reflecting the presence of the letter “h” in that given word.

For example:

• “chiesa” (kyeh -zah) – meaning “church”
• “ghiaccio” (gyahch -choh) – meaning “ice”

19. Consonant “q”

In the Italian language, you would never find the letter “q” without the vowel “u” immediately following it. Since “q” has a similar pronunciation as the letter “k”, the combination of “q” and “u” is pronounced as “kw”. This would vary depending on the next vowel that would follow “qu”.

For example:

• “quadro" (kwah -droh) – meaning “picture”
• “questo” (kwehs -toh) – meaning “this”

20. Consonant “r”

If you are a fluent English speaker, you are likely pronouncing the letter “r” with your tongue rolled in the back of your mouth. Italian speakers, on the other hand, are required to say their “r” with a trill at the alveolar ridge—or fleshy part near the back portion of the upper front teeth.

Since this would not come naturally for most people, you have to practice producing this sound in order to properly pronounce Italian words with the consonant “r” in them.

Here are some words that you can read out loud for practice:

• “per favore” (pehr fah-voh -reh) – meaning “please”
• “prego” (preh -goh) – meaning “you are welcome” or “welcome”

21. Consonant “s”

The Italian “s” can be pronounced either like the English “s” or the English “z”. There is no specific rule that indicates which word structure would require a particular sound. Therefore, correct pronunciation of words containing the consonant “s” depends on how familiar you are with those Italian words.

To start with, here are words that are pronounced like the English “s”:

• “pasta” (pahs -tah) – meaning “pasta dish” or “pasta noodles”
• “solo” (soh -loh) – meaning “single” or “only”

For comparison, here are Italian words that contain the letter “s”, but are pronounced like the English “z”:

• “chiesa" (kyeh -zah) – meaning “church”
• “gelosia” (jeh-loh-zee -ah) – meaning “jealousy”
• “rosa” (roh -zah) – meaning “rose”

22. Consonant “z”

Pronunciation of the Italian “z” depends on whether the word contains only a single “z” or a double “z”.

In case that only one “z” is present in a particular word, the consonant should be pronounced with a “dz” sound. This sounds similar with the way you pronounce the English word “zero”, but with an added “d” sound at the beginning of the word.

For example:

• “zero” (dzeh -roh) – meaning “zero”

When this consonant is doubled, the pronunciation becomes sharper, thus producing a “ts” sound instead.

For example:

• “ragazzo” (rah-gaht -tsoh) – meaning “boy”
• “tazza” (taht -tsah) – meaning “mug” or “cup”

However, take note that if a single “z” is immediately followed by the vowel “i", the correct pronunciation is the sharper “ts” sound.

For example:

• “nazione” (nah-tsyoh -neh) – meaning “nation”

23. Double consonants

When a consonant is doubled in an Italian word, you either have to pronounce each instance of that letter or increase the length of the sound that a single instance of that consonant normally requires. This is important since doubling the consonants in the Italian language indicates a change in the meaning of a given word. Therefore, in order to speak fluently in Italian, you have to learn how to pronounce correctly the double consonants.

For beginners, the main challenge in pronouncing this is the lack of pause between the consonants that have been doubled. One technique that you can apply is the practice of pronouncing the consonant ahead of the syllable that it appears in.

For example:

• “bello” (behl -loh) – meaning “beautiful”
• “ciuccio” (chooh -choh) – meaning “pacifier for babies”
• “occhio” (ohk -kyoh) – meaning “eye”
• “spaghetti” (spah-geht -tee) – meaning “string pasta”
• “spiaggia” (spyahj-jah) – meaning “beach”

To demonstrate the effect of double consonants on the meaning of the word, here are a couple of examples exhibiting this principle of the Italian language:

• nono/nonno
  • “nono” (noh -n0h) – meaning “ninth”
  • “nonno” (nohn -noh) – meaning “grandfather”

• capello/cappello
  • “capello" (kah-pehl -loh) – meaning “hair”
  • “cappello” (kahp-pehl -loh) – meaning “hat”

24. Consonant clusters

Learning how to pronounce consonant clusters is an essential skill in mastering Italian. Consonant clusters require special sounds that are not immediately apparent when you are merely reading out the word without familiarizing yourself with the correct pronunciation.

Keep in mind the following rules on consonant clusters, and practice reading the sample words below:

• Consonant cluster “gn”

The pronunciation of this cluster sounds exactly how you pronounce the Spanish letter “ñ” (enye), such as in the word “señora” (seh-nyoh -rah), which means “madam” or “miss”.

Here are some Italian words that feature the consonant cluster “gn” for you to practice on:

• “gnocchi” (nyohk -kee) – meaning “small dumplings”

• Consonant cluster “gl”

You can pronounce this consonant cluster using the back of your throat. It sounds exactly like how you say the English word “million”, therefore making the consonant “g” silent in this case.

For example:

• “famiglia” (fah-meeh -lyah) – meaning “family”

• Consonant cluster “sc”

This consonant cluster follows the same rules as the ones applied to the Italian “c”.

If the cluster comes before the letters “a”, “o”, “u”, or “h”, you have to pronounce the word with hard “c” sound, much like how you say the English word “scooter”.

• “scala” (skah -lah) – meaning “scale”
• “sconto” (skohn -toh) – meaning “discount”
• “scuola” (skwoh -lah) – meaning “school”

When followed by the vowels “e” or “i", the consonant cluster “sc” should be pronounced with a “sh” sound, as in the ending sound of the English word “cash”.

Practice on the following words to master the pronunciation of this consonant cluster:

• “scena” (sheh -nah) – meaning “scene”
• “scesa” (sheh -sah) – meaning “descent”
• “scimmia” (sheem -mee-ah)- meaning “monkey”

Exercise

Answer the following questions to assess your knowledge about the Italian vowels and consonants.

1. How many letters are there in the Italian alphabet?

1. 20 letters
2. 21 letters
3. 22 letters
4. 23 letters

2. Which of the following words are pronounced with a soft “c”?

1. casa
2. che
3. ciao
4. colpa

3. Which of the following consonants is not included in the official Italian alphabet?

1. j
2. q
3. v
4. z

4. Which combination produces a hard “g” sound”?

A. “ge”

B. “gi”

C. “ghe”

D. “gia”

5. Which of the following letters is always silent in the Italian language?

A. b

B. d

C. f

D. h

Answer Key:

1. B
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. D