In this article you will learn the Italian alphabet and how to read the Italian alphabet. In addition, you will improve your Italian pronunciation by learning the basic rules of Italian pronunciation.
Italian Alphabet – How to Pronounce Italian Letters?
The Italian alphabet is a 21-letter alphabet consisting of 5 vowels and 16 consonants.
| Letter | Pronunciation | Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | a | n | enne |
| b | bi | o | o |
| c | ci | p | pi |
| d | di | q | qu |
| e | e | r | erre |
| f | effe | s | esse |
| g | gi | t | ti |
| h | acca | u | u |
| i | i | v | vu |
| l | elle | z | zeta |
| m | emme |
In addition to the 21 letters, 5 more letters from foreign languages are used in Italian, but these letters are not included in the Italian alphabet.
| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| j | i lunga |
| k | cappa |
| w | vu dopia |
| x | iks |
| y | ipsilon |
Italian Alphabet – How to pronounce Italian Words?
Italian is a language that is read as it is written with some exceptions. These exceptions are formed according to the letters after the letters c, g, s, z, h. Words without these letters are read as they are written. Let’s take a look at the examples below.
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Uno | Uno | One |
| Numero | Numero | Number |
| Bravo | Bıravo | Well done |
| Donna | Donna | Woman |
| Lavorare | Lavorare | To work |
| Lungo | Lungo | Long |
| Madre | Madre | Mother |
| Tavolo | Tavolo | Table |
| Lettera | Lettera | Letter |
| Nome | Nome | Name |
How To Pronounce The Letter C In The Italian Alphabet?
The letter C is pronounced in two different ways.
1 – Pronounced as K.
When the letters “a”, “o” “u” or “h” come after the letter C, the letter “C” sounds “K“.
| Rule | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ca = ka | amica | amika | friend (female) |
| co = ko | amico | amiko | friend (male) |
| cu = ku | cura | kura | care |
| ch = k | che | ke | what |
2 – Pronounced as CH.
In cases where the letters “e” or “i” come after the letter C, the letter “C” gives the sound “CH“.
| Rule | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ce = che | cento | chento | one hundred (100) |
| ci = chi | cinema | chinema | cinema |
- cio : cho
- cia: cha
- ciu pronounced as chu. The letter i is not pronounced.
- che: ke
- chi is pronounced as ki. The letter h is not pronounced.
How To Pronounce The Letter H In The Italian Alphabet?
The letter h is not pronounced in Italian.
| Sentence | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ho un libro | O un libro | I have a book |
| Hanno un gatto | Anno un gatto | They have a cat |
| Quanto anni ha? | kuanto anni a? | How old is he/she? |
How To Pronounce The Letter G In The Italian Alphabet?
The letter G is pronounced in two different ways.
1 – Pronounced as G as in general
In cases where the letters “e” or “i” come after the letter G, the letter “G” gives the sound “G” as in general
| Rule | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ge | gelato | gelato | ice cream |
| gi | magico | magiko | magic |
2 – Pronounced as G as in gun
In cases where the letters “a“, “o“, “u” or “h” come after the letter G, the letter “G” gives the sound “G” as in gun.
| Rule | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ga | gatto | gatto | cat |
| go | gonna | gonna | skirt |
| gu | guardare | guardare | to look, watch |
| gh = g | ghiaccio | ghiaccio | ice |
- gio: go
- gia: ga
- giu pronounced as gu. The letter i is not pronounced.
- ghe: ge
- ghi pronounced as gi. The letter h is not pronounced.
How To Pronounce The Letter S In The Italian Alphabet?
The letter S is pronounced in two different ways.
1 – Pronounced as S.
- If the letter S is at the beginning of the sentence followed by a vowel;
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sale | sale | salt |
| sette | sette | seven |
| sole | sole | sun |
| subito | subito | immediately |
- If the consonants ”f, p, q, t” come after the letter S;
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sfida | sfida | challenge |
| spesso | spesso | often |
| squalo | squalo | shark |
| stare | stare | to stay |
2 – Pronounced as Z.
If the letter S is followed by other consonants;
| Word | Pronunciation | Anlamı |
|---|---|---|
| slitta | zlitta | sledge |
| snello | znello | slim |
| svenire | zvenire | to faint |
| smettere | zmettere | to stop |
If the letter S is between two vowels;
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| casa | kaza | house |
| usare | uzare | to use |
How to Read the Letters SC in the Italian Alphabet
The letter group SC is pronounced in two different ways.
1 – Pronounced as SH.
In cases where the letters “e” or “i” come after the letter Sc, it gives the sound of “sh“.
2- It is pronounced as SK.
In cases where the letters “a“, “o“, “u” or “h” come after the Sc sound group, it gives the “SK” sound.
| Rule | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| sca = ska | scarpe | skarpe | shoes |
| sco = sko | scoprire | skoprire | to discover |
| scu = sku | scusa | skuza | excuse me |
| sch = sk | schiena | skiena | back |
- scia: şa
- scio: şo
- Sciu is pronounced as shu. The letter i is not pronounced.
- sche: ske
- Schi is pronounced as ski. The letter h is not pronounced.
How to Pronounce the Letters GN in the Italian Alphabet?
In cases where the letter “n” follows the letter “g“, the letter group “gn” is pronounced as “ny“.
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| gnocchi | nyocchi | potato dumplings |
| insegnante | insenyante | teacher |
| spegnere | spenyere | to put out |
How to Pronounce the Letters GL in the Italian Alphabet?
In cases where the vowel ”i” is immediately followed by the letter group “gl”, the letter group “gl” is pronounced as “ly”.
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| gli | lyi | him |
| famiglia | familya | family |
| figlia | filya | daughter |
How To Pronounce The Letter Z In The Italian Alphabet?
The letter “Z” is pronounced as “z” if it is at the beginning of the word, and “ts” if it is in the middle of the word. The “zz” sound in the middle of the word is also pronounced as “ts” in the same way.
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| zio | zio | uncle |
| venezia | venetsia | Venice |
| pizza | pitsa | pizza |
Here are the Italian pronunciation rules in general terms. It may sound difficult, but believe me, Italian is a language that is both easy and very enjoyable to pronounce. You’ll be surprised how your pronunciation improves with practice!
You can find other articles about learning Italian here.
Check here for tips and tactics on other languages!
Good luck!
