Italian pronunciation tutorial
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A Guide to italian pronunciation
This tutorial needs still some correction.
The Italian alphabet is made up of 21 letters: 5 vowels and 16 consonants.
J, K, W, X, Y are used in various degree in italian, but should always
regarded as exceptions.
In this tutorial bold letters, when used, represents stressed syllables
or, when needed, the stressed vowel in diphthongs.
Let's begin with vowels: Italian vowels are always pronounced
with the minor exception of the I used in di/trigraphs. (see
below)
There are no glides.
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Vowels
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Simple Vowels
- a: is always a, like English 'Father'
- u: is u, like u in English 'rule', or
- if not stressed and followed or preceded by another vowel it becomes the semiconsonants ɰ (?) like w in 'was', whether the sillable is stressed or not.
- examples: uomo [ɰɔmo] (man), quasi [kɰazi] (almost), sangue [sangɰe] (blood), flauto [flaɰto] (flute)
- But in due [due] (two), suo [suo] (his/her) the u retains its vocalic value.
- examples: uomo [ɰɔmo] (man), quasi [kɰazi] (almost), sangue [sangɰe] (blood), flauto [flaɰto] (flute)
- if not stressed and followed or preceded by another vowel it becomes the semiconsonants ɰ (?) like w in 'was', whether the sillable is stressed or not.
- i: is i like i in English 'machine'
- If not stressed and followed or preceded by another vowel it becomes [j], like y in 'yes'.
- examples: piano [p'jano] (plane), viaggio [v'jaʤʤo] (trip), siamese [sja'meze] (Siamese)
- but in Dio ['dio] (God), via ['via] (route) it remains i
- examples: piano [p'jano] (plane), viaggio [v'jaʤʤo] (trip), siamese [sja'meze] (Siamese)
- in di/trigraphs ci, sci, gi, gli, gni +another vowel the i, if not stressed, is not pronounced (but if you pronounce it you will be understood).
see below for examples.
- If not stressed and followed or preceded by another vowel it becomes [j], like y in 'yes'.
- o: has two sounds,
- one open ɔ , like ou in English 'ought',
- examples: coro [kɔro] (choir), botte [bɔtte] (), ho [ɔ] ((I) have)
- and one closed o like 'o' in English 'note'.
- examples: sotto [sotto] (under(neath)), botte [botte], o [o] (or)
- See more in italian sounds o
- e: Similarly e has two values,
- one open ε near the 'a' in hat
- examples: lettera ['lεttera], letter, venti ['vεnti] (winds), è [ε] ((s/he) is)
- one closed e like e in 'met' one
- examples: benda ['benda], venti ['venti] (20), e [e] (and)
- See more in italian sounds e
- one open ε near the 'a' in hat
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Other letters that can have vocalic values
- j: Besides English value in words like jazz
- j is used with a semivocalic i value in some name or surnames:
- Jacopo (but also Iacopo) [jakopo], Ojetti [o'jεtti]
- Ajaccio [a'jaʧʧo], Jesi[jezi]
- It was anciently used for plurals of words ending in non-stressed -io:
- vario ['varjo], pl. varj [varji].
- vario ['varjo], pl. varj [varji].
- Some borrows from other languages:
- Jeti, Jodel.
- y: also y is used in some words with a semivocalic y value:
- yatch, yogourth (or yogurt)
- yatch, yogourth (or yogurt)
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Di/triptongs
When two or more vowels occur in a row, they are pronounced distinctly, even if
neither of them is stressed.
- in creavate [kreavate] (you created), abbaiavamo [abba'javamo] (we barked), all the vowels in ea and in aia are pronounced (with the i which becomes a semivocalic [j]).
- There are words with four or more consecutive vowels:
- muoiono [mɰɔjono] (they die)
- cuoiaio [kɰojajo] (a person which works with leather)
and more
More to add
--on diptongs vs iatus
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aa ee ii oo uu
There are some words with two equal letters in a row.
In any case they must be pronounced with a minimal glottal stop
between them, and never as a long one.
- aa:
- aa can occour only in compound words:
- portaaghi ['pɔrta'aghi] (? how is the glottal stop in IPA?)
- if the second 'a' is not stressed, is normally not pronounced:
- portaatrezzi [pɔrtattreʦʦi]
- aa can occour only in compound words:
- uu
- Similar to a: I didn't find any compound word with two u.
- there's a Latin borrow: duumviro [du'umviro], and its derivatives
- oo
- there're many compound words with co-
- cooperativa [co'operativa], coordinata [co'ordinate]
- some compounds words
- radioonda [radjo'onda]
- zoo ['ʣɔɔ], alcool [alkol]
- there're many compound words with co-
- ee is more productive
- verbs in -eare, as creare, has many forms with ee:
- creerete [kreerete] (you will create), and others
- some names in -ea, which makes plurals in -ee
- laurea ['laɰrea], lauree ['laɰree], moschea [mos'kea] moschee [mos'kee]
- some words like
- veemenza [vee'menʦa]
- compound words,
- example: preesistente [pre'ezistente]
- verbs in -eare, as creare, has many forms with ee:
- ii
- there are many words that ends in -io, with the stress on i: in this case plural is -ii [ij]
- stantio [stan'tio] stantii [stantij], tremolio [tremo'lio], tremolii [tremolij], pio ['pio], pii ['pij]
- verbs in ire has "passato remoto" in -ii
- sentii [sen'tij] (I heard)
- verbs in -iare has many voices with -ii
- scii ['ʃij] (you ski)
- some compounds with this words:
- piissimo [pijssimo], sciistico ['ʃijstiko]
- compounds words, in this case the same rule given for 'a' holds
- semiinterrata, [seminter'rata], the second i is not stressed
- there are many words that ends in -io, with the stress on i: in this case plural is -ii [ij]
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Lenghtening of vowels
in the stressed sillable the vowel is pronounced a little longer (1.2 times???, is : right???) if the syllable is open.
- calo (ca-lo) ['ka:lo]
- callo (cal-lo) ['kallo]
- cani ['ka:ni]
- canti ['kanti]
This is easy to spot if you listen to the same couple of words pronounced by an Italian and, as an example, by a Spanish.
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Consonants
Consonants are also well and distinctly pronounced.
Most consonantic sounds have a tenue {tenue??}and a strong value (longer or, for momentaneous sounds, more intense).
The strengthening can happen
- between vowels: caro/carro [karo], [karro]
- between vowels with an intervening h, in the case of ch, gh: fiochi/fiocchi ['fjɔki], ['fjɔkki]
- between vowels with an intervening h, in the case of ch, gh: fiochi/fiocchi ['fjɔki], ['fjɔkki]
- between a preceding vowel and a following r or l aprendo/apprendo, occlusa, reclamo
- in some foreign words: bulldog, bulldozer
There are plenty of words which oppose(?) just for the presence of a
strong consonant. I'll put some example (when possible) in each
case
Sometimes there are no or few cases of opposition (see the b).
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Syntactical strenghtening
Consonants at the beginning of a words can (should) pronounced
double in some case: example
tra loro [tralloro].
This is typically disattended in northern Italy and used more than
should be done in the South.
see Italian rafforzamento sintattico
Let's begin with consonants that have only one (beside the
strengthened) sound.
- b is b, strengthened bb.
- Ebe (a name) [ebe], ebbe ['ɛbbe](he had)
- Saba (a surname)[saba] Sabba (? Witches feast)['sabba]
- ebbro (lighty drunk)['ebbro], Ebro ['ebro] (a river)
- A peculiarity of b is that a lot of words can be written with b or bb with a just regional/stilistic distinction: ubriaco/ubbriaco [ubrjako], [ubbrjako]. Obiettivo/Obbiettivo, abate/abbate.
- d d, strengthened dd.
- cade (he falls) [kade], cadde [kadde] (he fell), ride [ride] (s/he laughts) ridde [ridde](lotteries)
- f f, strengthened ff.
- tuffo [tufo] (tufa), tuffo [tuffo] (dive)
- m m strengthened mm.
- there's a constant opposition for the declension of the verb:
- in 1st plur present/1 plur simple past, 1st declension:
- mangiamo (we eat) ['manʣamo] mangiammo (we ate) [manʣammo]
- in 1st plural future indicative/ 1st pl. present conditional, all (regular) declensions
- ameremo [ameremo], ameremmo [amerɛmmo]; sentiremo, sentiremmo; leggeremo, leggeremmo (in these cases the E also changes its value)
- many other cases: cammini (walks, paths), camini (fireplaces/chimneys)
- there's a constant opposition for the declension of the verb:
- p p strengthened pp
- copia (copy), coppia (couple)
- copia (copy), coppia (couple)
- q k q is always pronounced as a k, and is always followed by a non-stressed u+vowel.
- there is no easy way to tell when you have to use q and when c. But if the u is stressed than you can be
sure that it's c: (cui (to whom), qui(here) - It strengthens as cq (there are no opposition couples...)
- Soqquadro (upside down) and beqquadro (a variant of the more used bequadro(♮, natural))
are the two only words with a double q.
- there is no easy way to tell when you have to use q and when c. But if the u is stressed than you can be
- r r, is always trilled. Its strengthening rr is trilled longer, but the sound is the same as in r.
- caro (dear/expensive) carro (cart)
- caro (dear/expensive) carro (cart)
- t t strengthened tt
- ditta (firm) dita (fingers)
- ditta (firm) dita (fingers)
- v v strengthened vv
- piove (it rains) piovve (it rained)
- piove (it rains) piovve (it rained)
- h is never pronounced: it is used
- after (s)c, g to give the velar sounds before e, i
- in four forms of present indicative of "avere" (to have)
- ho (I have)
- hai (you have)
- ha (he/she has)
- hanno (they have)
- ho (I have)
- in interjections
- oh, ah, eh
- ahi, ahimè, ahinoi, ohibò
- oh, ah, eh
- after (s)c, g to give the velar sounds before e, i
Consonants that can have more than one sound
- c can have three different sounds
- sce, sci: preceded by s and followed by e, or i is ʃ, like sh in English she.
- i is not pronounced if it is unstressed and followed by a vowel
- uscivano [uʃʃivano] (they were going out) the i is pronounced because it's alone
- sciava [ʃiava] (he was skying) the i is pronounced because it's stressed
- lasciare [laʃʃare] (to leave) the i is not pronounced. (even if the syllable it is in is the one stressed)
- sci/sce should always be strengthened between vowels (ascia=[aʃʃa] (axe)), even across words boundaries: io scio (I ski)) [ioʃʃio].
- In some regional pronounciation sc is not doubled between vowels.
- Otherwise it is always weak, there is no ssc or scsc
- i is not pronounced if it is unstressed and followed by a vowel
- ce, ci: if c is followed by i/e (but not preceded by s), it is ʧ like ch in English chip.
- the same observation on the 'i' made for sci holds
- cinese [ʧi'neze] (Chinese) i alone, pronounced
- farmacia [farma'ʧia] (apothecary) i pronounced because it is stressed
- facciamo [faʧʧamo] (we do) i is not pronounced
- cinese [ʧi'neze] (Chinese) i alone, pronounced
- the same observation on the 'i' made for sci holds
- strengthened value is cci /cce:
- bracci (arms, not of a man), braci (?)
- c is otherwise (followed by anything that is not e or i) k
- to have a [k] before e/i ch is used:
- [ke] or [kε]: che
- [ki]: chi
- [ske] or [skε]: sche
- [ski]: schi
- to have a [k] before e/i ch is used:
- c strengtens to cc, ch to cch.
- examples: fichi (figues), ficchi (you put into)
- secare (to secate), seccare (to dry)
- examples: fichi (figues), ficchi (you put into)
- sce, sci: preceded by s and followed by e, or i is ʃ, like sh in English she.
- g has many different sounds
- ge,gi is ʤ
- same observation once more on the i
- girare [ʤi'rare] (to turn), i alone, pronounced
- magia [maʤia] (magic) i stressed, pronounced
- mangiare [manʤare] (to eat) i not pronounced
- same observation once more on the i
- it strengtens to ggi/gge
- regina (queen) reggina (of Reggio Calabria, feminine)
- gli is pronounced ʎ
- as the case of sci/sce, is always strengthened between wovels
- agli =garlics [aʎʎi]
- agli =garlics [aʎʎi]
- note that gle is [gle] (inglese, sigle)
- sometimes also gli is [gli]: negligenza [negliʤenʦa], glissare [glissare], glicine [gliʧine] , geroglifico [ʤeroglifico]
- I can't find words with a stressed i in gli followed by a vowel... I don't think there are...
- gn is always ɲ like ny in canyon;
- sometimes gn if followed by a 'i' and then a vowel: in this case the same rule holds
- significato [siɲifikato] (meaning) i alone, pronounced
- compagnia [kompa'ɲia](company) i stressed, pronounced
- bagniamo (we wet) [baɲmo] i non pronounced
- significato [siɲifikato] (meaning) i alone, pronounced
- between wovels gn is pronounced strengthened, as for sci and gli
- examples: bagno [baɲɲo]]
- sometimes gn if followed by a 'i' and then a vowel: in this case the same rule holds
- In any other case g is g, like English g in go
- to represent [g] before e/i h is used:
- [ge]/[gε]:ghe ghi
- [ge]/[gε]:ghe ghi
- g strengthens to gg, ghe/ghi to gghe, gghi
- leggo (I read), lego (Lego, the brick game); segga (I/you/s/he sit, subjunctive), sega (a saw)
- I cannot find words which differ for gh/ggh, I give different ones: ****sogghigno (grin), vaghi (vague,pl).
- to represent [g] before e/i h is used:
- ge,gi is ʤ
- l (see under g for gli) is otherwise l like l in limit
- pala (shovel) palla (ball)
- n (see under g for gn) is otherwise n like net
- canne (canes)/ cane (dog)
- canne (canes)/ cane (dog)
- s (see under c for sci/sce) has 2 different sounds
- z like z in zero, there's no strengthening
- s which strengthens
- casa (house) / cassa (box)
- ss is always [ss]
- whether s is [s] or [z] is not easy to tell. It is another regional issue.
- see Italian pronunciation s
- z z has a worse behaviour than s. it has two sounds
- ʦ, like ts in nuts.
- vizio, mazza
- ʣ like dz in adze
- azoto, organizzare.
- azoto, organizzare.
- notice:
- mezzo (fully wet) [meʦʦo]
- mezzo (1/2, half) [meʣʣo]
- Between vowels both sounds are often pronounced strengthened but written simple:
- vizio ([viʦʦio]), azoto [aoto]
- vizio ([viʦʦio]), azoto [aoto]
- see Italian pronunciation z
- ʦ, like ts in nuts.
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Other consonants
j,k,w,x,y normally have the sounds of the foreign language from which the word come.
- k k is always k, there are some words fully accepted in Italian as
- Koala, Kodak, Kimono (but also chimono)
- x x is always [ks].
- xilofono [ksilofono], taxi [taksi], maxi [maksi]
- w follows the sound of original language (or what is supposed to be)
- wafer is [vafer]
- week-end is [uichen(d)]
- clown is [klaun]
- kiwi is [ki i]
- j
- judo is [ʤudo]
- jugoslavia is [jugoz'lavja]
- y is normally [j]
- playboy
- sexy
- rugby
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Stress
In italian words stress can fall on any syllable from the last going back up to the fifth from the last
- città on the last
- mattino on the second from end
- attimo ,the 3rd
- passamelo, the 4th
- recitamelo, the 5th
But the accent mark is shown only in the first case.
See Italian stress
for more information
