Pronunciation Examples
VOWELS
a-a as in father [a] abito (abito)
e-ay as in pay but without the glide [e] eguale (egwale)
i-ee as in meet [i] or before a vowel, like y in yes [j] impresa (impreza)
o-o as in go but without the glide [o] oca (oka)
u-oo as in moon [u] or before a vowel, like w in water [w] usare (uzare), uo
vo (wovo)
CONSONANTS
b-b as in bag [b] bacca (bakka)
c-before a, o, or u like k in key [k] or before i without a vowel after it l
ike ch in cheese and the i is not silent [t?i] or before i with a vowel afte
r it like ch in cheese and the i is silent [t?] cabina (kabina), cinque (t?i
nkwe), ciuco (t?uko)
ch-k as in key [k] chimico (kimiko)
d-d as in dog [d] danno (danno)
f-f as in fair [f] facchino (fakkino)
g-before a, o, or u like g in go [g] or before i without a vowel after it li
ke j in joke and the i is not silent [d?] or before i with a vowel after it
like j in joke and the i is silent [d?] galera (galera), ginocchio (d?inokk
jo), giallo (d?allo)
gh-g as in go [g] ghianda (gjanda)
gli-like the Portuguese lh, the "official" Spanish ll, or the lli in million
[?] chiglia (ki?a)
gn-like the Spanish ? or the ni in onion [?] Spagna (spa?a)
l-l as in log [l] lo (lo)
m-m as in money [m] madre (madre)
n-n as in no [n] nascere (na?ere)
p-p as in pay [p] pacco (pakko)
q-k as in key [k] quadro (kwadro)
r-at the beginning of a word, it is a rolled r, like Spanish rr [r] or elsew
here, like the Spanish r or t in city [r] ragno (ra?o), ora (ora)
rr-a rolled r, like Spanish rr [r] errore (erore)
s-between vowels or before a voiced consonant at the beginning of a word, li
ke z in zip [z] or like s in sip [s] rosa (roza), sbaglio (zba?o), sabbia (sabja)
sc-before a, o, or u like sk in ski [sk] or before i without a vowel after i
t like sh in ship, and the i is not silent [?] or before i with a vowel afte
r it like sh in ship. and the i is silent [?] scala (skala), scintilla (?int illa), sciocco (?okko)
ss-s as in sip [s] essere (esere)
t-t as in tea [t] tacere (tat?ere)
v-v as in vampire [v] vacca (vakka)
z-at the beginning of a word, like ds as in beds [dz] or elsewhere, ts as in
cats [ts] zero (dzero), azione (atsjone)
Notes: The accented vowels (à, è, ì, ò, ù) indicate irregular stress. T
he doubled consonants are pronounced twice (like pen-knife).