In Italian, all consonants except h can be doubled. Double consonants (i consonanti doppie) are pronounced much more forcefully than single consonants. With double f, l, m, n, r, s, and v, the sound is prolonged. with double b, c, d, g, p, and t, the stop is stronger than for the single consonant. Double z is pronounced almost the same as single z. Double s is always unvoiced.

Double consonant examples:

Italian	English
babbo	dad
fetta	slice
evviva	hurrah
bistecca	beefsteak
mamma	mama
albicocca	apricot
bello	beautiful
filetto	filet
anno	year
assai	a lot
basso	short
ragazzo	boy
ferro	iron
pennello	paint brush
espresso	espresso coffee
tavolozza	palette
spaghetti	spaghetti
cavalletto	easel

Most Italian words end in a vowel.

Diphthongs (i dittonghi) are two vowels fused to emit a single sound. A diphthong is formed when an unstressed i or u combines with another vowel (a, e, o) or when the two vowels combine with each other, in which case either the i or u may remain unstressed. In diphthongs, unstressed i and u become semivowels approximating in sound the English consonants y and w, respectively.

Diphthong examples:

Italian	English
ieri	yesterday
buono	good
fiore	flower
chiuso	closed
invidia	envy
più	more

Tripthongs also exist. These are sequences of three vowels with a single sound, usually a diphthong followed by an unstressed i.

Italian	English
tuoi	yours
miei	mine
buoi	oxen
pigliai	I took

Italian has numerous words that contain sequences of vowels. The following words are not triphthongs (which are
infrequent), but sequences of a vowel and a diphthong.

Italian	English
noia	boredom
febbraio	February
baia	bay
fioraio	florist

Each of the words below has a sequence of two diphthongs:

Italian	English
ghiaia	gravel
muoio	I die
acquaio	sink
gioiello	jewel