0.4.1 Pronunciation Tips Flashcards
What is the Italian alphabet?
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, z
The Italian alphabet only has 21 letters. It doesn’t include J, K, W, X, or Y.
Say the five vowels in Italian.
- a [ɑ]
- e [e̞]
- i [i]
- o [ō]
- u [u]
What syllable should I stress in Italian?
Usually, the second-last syllable.
In every word, we say one of the vowels more heavily than the others. This is called “stress”.
For example, in the word “emphasis” in English, we stress the first syllable. (Try saying it with emphasis on the second or third syllables! It will sound strange.)
In Italian, most words emphasize the second last syllable. So we say:
- spaGHETti
- laSAgne
- raviOli
If you encounter a street name or a word you don’t know, place stress on the second last syllable. You’ll be right 99% of the time!
In Italian, what consonants following the letter C give it a hard sound (like a “K”)?
A, O, and U give the letter C a hard sound.
The letter C can make two different sounds in Italian. You can hear them both in the word:
cucina
Before the vowels A, O, or U, the letter C makes a hard K sound.
casa
come
cugini
Before the letters I or E, the letter C makes a soft CH sound.
cibo
cena
In Italian, what consonants following the letter C give it a soft sound (like a “CH” in English)?
I and E give the letter C a soft sound.
The letter C can make two different sounds in Italian. You can hear them both in the word:
cucina
Before the letters I or E, the letter C makes a soft CH sound.
cibo
cena
Before the vowels A, O, or U, the letter C makes a hard K sound.
casa
come
cugini
In Italian, what consonants following the letter G give it a hard sound (like in the English word “go”)?
A, O, and U give the letter G a hard sound like the G in “go”.
garantire
governo
guida
guarantee = garantire
government = governo
guide/drive = guida
In Italian, what consonants following the letter G give it a soft sound (like in the English word “gym”)?
I and E give the letter G a soft sound like the G in “gym”.
generale
giorno
general = generale
In Italian, what happens when you place the letter H after C or G?
It makes them the hard C or G sound, no matter what vowel comes afterwards.
If you see CH, you use the hard K like the “k” in “karaoke”.
che
chiamo
If you see GH, you use the hard G like the “g” in “gate”.
ghetto
ghiaccio
ghetto = ghetto
ice = ghiaccio
In Italian, how do you pronounce the letter Z?
In Italian, the letter Z is not like the English Z (as in “zoo”). It is closer to a TS. It’s more like the consonants in the word “its”.
Check out these examples:
zona
zaino
zucchero
zone = zona
backpack = zaino
sugar = zucchero
In Italian, how do you pronounce the letters GL?
This is a special sound in Italian that is similar to the letter L.
It’s not GL as you’d say it in English (as in “glide”).
Stretch your mouth wide like a flat grin, and make a sound like the letter L but with your tongue flat.
Check out these examples:
aglio
taglia
tovaglia
garlic = aglio
cut = taglia
tablecloth = tovaglia
In Italian, how do you pronounce the letters GN?
This is a special sound in Italian.
It’s not GN as you’d say it in English (as in “agnostic”).
It sounds a bit like the double consonant a child might make when mocking someone: “Nyah, nyah!”
Check out these examples:
gnocchi
cognome
lasagne
gnocchi = gnocchi
last name = cognome
lasagne = lasagne
Pronounce these place names in Italian:
Firenze
Roma
Napoli
Milano
Toscana
Sicilia
Venezia
Firenze
Roma
Napoli
Milano
Toscana
Sicilia
Venezia
Florence = Firenze
Rome = Roma
Naples = Napoli
Milan = Milano
Tuscany = Toscana
Sicily = Sicilia
Venice = Venezia
