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Difference between revisions of "Language/Italian/Grammar/Italian-Alphabet"
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Italian language loves geminated consonants. In fact every single vowel sound (except /z/) exists in short version (as an English would pronounce) and in long version. When You see a word that is spelled with a double consonant (-BB-, -DD-, -FF- -ZZ- etc.) that consonants must be pronounced longer, with more effort. In IPA longer sounds are usually written adding ":" after the consonant sounds (see the pronunciation of letter F, S, M, N etc.) | Italian language loves geminated consonants. In fact every single vowel sound (except /z/) exists in short version (as an English would pronounce) and in long version. When You see a word that is spelled with a double consonant (-BB-, -DD-, -FF- -ZZ- etc.) that consonants must be pronounced longer, with more effort. In IPA longer sounds are usually written adding ":" after the consonant sounds (see the pronunciation of letter F, S, M, N etc.) | ||
Some words can mean different things if spelled and pronounced with short consonants or with long ones, so missing a long consonants could make the conversation a bit difficult. | |||
The general rule you may follow is: if you see a double consonant it must be pronounced longer | The general rule you may follow is: if you see a double consonant it must be pronounced longer. | ||
Anyway here are examples with all the letters and sounds: | Anyway here are some examples with all the letters and sounds: | ||
* RUBA /'ruba/ --> he/she/it stoles - GOBBA /'gob:a/ --> humpback | * RUBA /'ruba/ --> he/she/it stoles - GOBBA /'gob:a/ --> humpback | ||
* ROCA /'rɔka/ --> raspy (voice) - ROCCA /'rɔk:a/ --> little fortress | * ROCA /'rɔka/ --> raspy (voice) - ROCCA /'rɔk:a/ --> little fortress | ||
* VOCE /'votʃe/ --> voice - FACCIA /'fat:ʃa/ --> face | * VOCE /'votʃe/ --> voice - FACCIA /'fat:ʃa/ --> face | ||
* SEDERE /se'dere/ --> to | * SEDERE /se'dere/ --> to sit - ADDIO /ad'dio/ --> goodbye | ||
* AFA /'afa/ --> sultryness (heat and humidity) - STAFFA /'staf:a/ --> bracket | * AFA /'afa/ --> sultryness (heat and humidity) - STAFFA /'staf:a/ --> bracket | ||
* AGO /'ago/ --> needle - AGGUATO /ag'guato/ --> ambush | * AGO /'ago/ --> needle - AGGUATO /ag'guato/ --> ambush | ||
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* NONA /'nɔna/ --> ninth /(eminie singular) - NONNA /'nɔn:a/ --> grandma | * NONA /'nɔna/ --> ninth /(eminie singular) - NONNA /'nɔn:a/ --> grandma | ||
* APERTO /a'pɛrto/ --> open - PIOPPO /'pjɔp:o/ --> poplar | * APERTO /a'pɛrto/ --> open - PIOPPO /'pjɔp:o/ --> poplar | ||
*EQUO /' | *EQUO /'ɛkwo/ --> equal - SOQQUADRO /sok'kwadro/ --> mess | ||
*ERE /'ɛre/ --> eras - ERRE /'ɛr:e/ ..> R (letter "R") | |||
*DISEGNO /di'seɲo/ --> drawing - DISSE /'dis:e/ --> he/she/it said | |||
*LATO /'lato/ --> side - LATTE /'lat:e/ --> milk | |||
*ROVO /'rovo/ --> bush with thorns --> EVVIVA! /'ev'viva/ --> hurray! finally! | |||
As for letter Z, whether its pronunciation is /ts/ or /dz/ and whether it is written once or twice, the correct way to say it is always long, double: | |||
''- | * RAZIONE /rat'tsjone/ --> ration, portion - PAZZO /'pat:so/ --> mad, crazy | ||
* AZOTO /ad'dzoto --> nitrogen - AZZURRO /ad'dzur:o/ | |||
In Italian long consonants can be followed by half vowel sounds or consonants L or R, like in | |||
* SABBIA /'sab:ja/ --> sand | |||
* OCCHIO /'ɔk:jo/ --> eye | |||
* OCCLUDERE /ok'kludere/ --> to occlude, block, close | |||
* APPRESSO /ap'pres:o/ --> with oneself, close to oneself | |||
The Italian sounds /ɲ/, /ʎ/, and /ʃ/ are always double and long as well, so they must be pronounced with strength. | |||
* ASCIUTTO /a'ʃ:ut:o/ --> dry | |||
* IGNOTO /i'ɲ:ɔto/ --> unknown | |||
* FIGLIO /'fiʎ:o/ --> son | |||
You can find some rare words full of geminated consonants, there is no pysical limit: | |||
* APPALLOTTOLASSE /ap:al:ot:o'las:e/ --> he/she/it pelleted, balled, stuffed (in conjunctive mood) | |||
'''CONSONANT CLUSTERS CREATING DIFFERENT SOUNDS''' | '''CONSONANT CLUSTERS CREATING DIFFERENT SOUNDS''' | ||
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== CONCLUSIONS == | == CONCLUSIONS == | ||
Even if most Italians say that "you pronounce Italian exactly as you wirte it and viceversa", this isn't always true. Compared to other languages, like English or French, the spelling is more corrispondent to how | Even if most Italians say that "you pronounce Italian exactly as you wirte it and viceversa", this isn't always true. Compared to other languages, like English or French, the spelling is more corrispondent to how the pronounciation is, but compared to others, like Finnish for example, Italian is less consistent. For example: | ||
* we have 3 letters | * we have 3 letters that are pronounced /k/, C, K, Q | ||
* letter I is sometimes silent for different reasons | * letter I is sometimes silent for different reasons | ||
* letter H is always silent but must be used anyway in some words and for some sounds that don't have a specific letter | * letter H is always silent but must be used anyway in some words and for some sounds that don't have a specific letter | ||
* stress cannot be guessed so easily, especially if your motherlanguage shares the same word but it is pronounced differently (compare English '''A'''-PRIL and Italian A-'''PRI'''-LE) | * stress cannot be guessed so easily, especially if your motherlanguage shares the same word but it is pronounced differently (compare English '''A'''-PRIL and Italian A-'''PRI'''-LE) | ||
* S, Z, E and O have two prouncinations that change from city to city and from region to region according to dialect inflections | * S, Z, E and O have two prouncinations that change from city to city and from region to region according to dialect inflections | ||
* Correct pronounced Italian (meaning Italian spoken without any dialect inflection) exists but it is an artifical | * Correct pronounced Italian (meaning Italian spoken without any dialect inflection) exists but it is an artifical language spoken only by television presentators, radio speakers, voice actors, while common people, including every single Italian teacher, has a regional inflection, which can make the spelling harder sometimes | ||
However Italian people love to talk, usually try to understand a foreigner even if their pronounciation is bad and this will allow You to be submerged by the language. | However Italian people love to talk, usually try to understand a foreigner even if their pronounciation is bad and this will allow You to be submerged by the language. | ||
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* Italian is a language that must be written and studied on books, not only spoken with friends: you should practice logical analysis now and then, because the Italian syntax is quite different from the English one and can be quite tricky sometimes | * Italian is a language that must be written and studied on books, not only spoken with friends: you should practice logical analysis now and then, because the Italian syntax is quite different from the English one and can be quite tricky sometimes | ||
* pronouncing words out loud is a must: in Italian every single vowel (except the silent "I" according to the rules I explained in this file) must be pronounced clearly whether | * pronouncing words out loud is a must: in Italian every single vowel (except the silent "I" according to the rules I explained in this file) must be pronounced clearly whether it is stressed or not; no vowel can become silent apart from "I" | ||
* Listening to movies or animated cartoons in Italian is another activity you should definitely do: to polish your pronunciation and to take a breath from heavy regional accents you may | * Listening to movies or animated cartoons in Italian is another activity you should definitely do: to polish your pronunciation and to take a breath from heavy regional accents you may listen to, watch a movie! Italian has a great tradition in voiceacting and almost every single movie and animated cartoon is doubled. You can easily have examples of correct pronunciation and translation (most of the times) about a Netflix show or a film you love. This will help you learning even better. | ||
Have fun! | |||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
* [https://www.thinkinitalian.com/the-italian-alphabet/ The Italian alphabet] | * [https://www.thinkinitalian.com/the-italian-alphabet/ The Italian alphabet] | ||