How to Pronounce Italian Words

Italian is a beautiful and elegant language that many find romantic and even musical. The key to speaking Italian like a native is knowing how to pronounce the vowels, consonants and combinations in the correct way to produce the desired sound. Although Italian uses the same alphabet as the English language, there are considerable differences in the way letters and combinations of letters are pronounced that can confuse anyone who is not familiar with the pronunciation rules.

Instructions

1. Pronounce vowels separately, even if they are next to each other in a word, unless there are three in a row. Pronounce "a" like "ah," "i" like 'ee," and "u" like "oo."

2. Say the vowels ''o" and "e" in either of two ways. "O" is pronounced either open as "ah" or closed such as "oh." "E" is pronounced like "eh" or like "ay."

3. Speak most consonants as you would in English, except "c," "g," "h," "r" and "z." Pronounce "c" as "ch" if it is before an "i" or "e" and otherwise like the English "c." Pronounce "g" like an English "j" if it is before an "i" or "e" and like an English "g" otherwise. Don't pronounce "h" at all, it is silent in Italian. Roll the "r" as you would in Spanish. Pronounce "z" like "ds" or "ts" in most Italian words.

4. Be careful with consonant combinations, which can be very different than English. Pronounce "ch" like "k" in English. Pronounce "gh" as "guh." Pronounce "gn" as "ny" such as in "banyan." Pronounce "sc" like "sh" if it is in front of an "i" or "e" and as "sk" otherwise. Also pronounce "sch" like "sk."

5. Pronounce three vowels in a row as a single sound, known as a tripthong. The "i" in a tripthong is usually silent if it is at the end of a word in Italian.

6. Accentuate any syllable that has an accent mark over it. Accent marks are often used in Italian and a word might have two different meanings that are spelled the same but with accent marks in different places.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to read along with an Italian radio show or CD to hear a native Italian speaking properly as you view the word as it it is written.

References

• Italian pronunciation guide
• Simple Italian pronunciation

Resources

• Pronouncing Italian Accent marks