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<div class="pg_page_title">Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet</div>


== Introduction to Italian Alphabet ==
__TOC__
 
In order to learn Italian, it is essential to first familiarize ourselves with the Italian alphabet. The Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters, 5 vowels and 16 consonants, and is very similar to the English alphabet. However, with different pronunciation and some additional letters, it is important to carefully learn the Italian alphabet before moving forward in learning the Italian language. In this section, we will cover the Italian alphabet pronunciation and the proper use of each letter.
 
=== Italian Vowels and Consonants ===


First and foremost, let's take a look at the Italian vowels:
Italian's alphabet contains 21 letters (5 vowels and 16 consonants). The letters J, K, W, X, and Y are only used in foreign words, and in scientific or technical terms of foreign origin. Nowadays it is common to use the English alphabet instead of the Italian one.


{| class="wikitable"
! Italian !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| A, a || /a/ || father
|-
| E, e || /ɛ/ || bed
|-
| I, i || /i/ || fleece
|-
| O, o || /ɔ/ || hot
|-
| U, u || /u/ || moon
|}


In general, vowel sounds in Italian are clear and pronounced without any stress, meaning they receive approximately equal length and intensity in pronunciation. Additionally, Italian grammar rules dictate that vowels do not usually occur together, which can make pronunciation distinct and clear.
<span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: [[Language/Italian/Grammar/Conditional-Subjunctive|Conditional Subjunctive]] & [[Language/Italian/Grammar/Definite-Articles|Definite Articles]].</span>
== Italian Alphabet ==


Next, let's move on to the Italian consonants:
The Italian alphabet includes the following 26 letters:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Italian !! Pronunciation !! English
! Italian !! Name of the letter /IPA/
|-  
!Pronunciation in words /IPA/!! Comparison with other languages
| B, b || /b/ || baby
|-
|-
| A || /a/  
| C, c || /k/ before A, O and U /tʃ/ before E and I || cat/church
|/a/|| like in Castellano "pAdre"; the English 'a' has many pronunciations according to what letters come before or after it: the closest sound to the Italian one could be the /ʌ/ sound in "cUp".
|-  
|-
| D, d || /d/ || dog
| B || /bi/  
|-
|/b/|| like in English "Brave"
| F, f || /f/ || fan
|-
|-  
| C || /tʃi/  
| G, g || /g/ before A, O and U /dʒ/ before E and I || goat/gin
|/tʃ/ or /k/|| like in English "CHurCH" (/tʃ/) before 'e' or 'i'; like in English "Car" (/k/) before 'a', 'o', 'u' or any other consonant. See letter 'h' and 'i' for more details
|-
|-
| H, h* || /h/ || hat
| D || /di/  
|-
|/d/|| like in English "Dog"
| L, l || /l/ || leg
|-
|-
| E || /e/ or /ɛ/  
| M, m || /m/ || man
|/e/ or /ɛ/|| like in English "red" (/ɛ/) or in Castellano "buEno" (/e/).
|-
| N, n || /n/ || not
|-
| P, p || /p/ || pen
|-  
| Q, q** || /k/ || quick
|-
| R, r || /r/ || Spanish rolled "r"
|-  
| S, s || /s/ || sit
|-
| T, t || /t/ || top
|-
| V, v || /v/ || vine
|-
| Z, z || /dz/ || zoo
|}


*H is always silent in Italian, but it may be "aspirate" in some borrowed words.


**The letter Q is always followed by the letter U in Italian.
In Italian pronouncing /e/ or /ɛ/ is not as import as in French: choosing one sound or the other does not compromise the communication. In fact every Italian uses them according to regional inflections: even if this letter may be pronounced in two ways by most Italians, it is always considered as a single vowel
|-
| F || /'ɛf:e/
|/f/|| like in English "Fish"
|-
| G || /dʒi/
|/dʒ/ or /g/|| like in English "Gem" (/dʒ/) before 'e' or 'i'; like in English "Gum" (/g/) before 'a', 'o', 'u' or any other consonant. See letter 'h' and 'i' for more details
|-
| H || /ˈak:a/
|/-/ (silent)|| is always silent like in Castellano


As evidenced by the table, some Italian consonant sounds are similar to English while others are quite different. Consonants in Italian are pronounced precisely, with the sound clear and evident, and the stress being on the second-to-last syllable of the word.


In addition to the standard Italian alphabet, some words borrowed from foreign languages use additional letters like J, K, W, X, and Y. These additional letters are less commonly used and only appear in a small number of Italian words or names.
In Italian it is used to maintain sounds /k/ and /g/ before soft vowels 'e' and 'i'. In fact:


=== Italian Handwriting ===
- CE -> read /tʃe/ -- CHE -> read /ke/


Handwriting in Italian is just as important as pronunciation. It is important to be able to read and write Italian letters correctly, and to understand how they are connected in words. In Italian handwriting, lowercase letters are typically written with rounded shapes and connected together, resembling cursive writing.
- CI -> read /tʃi/ -- CHI -> read /ki/


For example:
- GE -> read /dʒe/ -- GHE -> read /ge/


* "a" is written connected to the letter before and after it, with a rounded shape at the top.
- GI -> read /dʒi/ -- GHI -> read /gi/
* "l" has a rounded shape at the top and is connected to the letter after it, but not to the letter before it.
* "m" has a rounded shape at the top and is connected to the letter before and after it.
* "n" is similar to "m", but with a pointed corner on the top left side.
* "p" has a rounded shape at the top and bottom, and is connected to the letter after it.
* "s" has a rounded shape and is connected to the letter before and after it, with a pointed tail on the right side.


Learning Italian handwriting takes practice, but it is essential to be able to read and write in order to communicate effectively in Italian.


In summary, learning the Italian alphabet is the first step on the journey to learning Italian. From understanding how to pronounce vowels and consonants to mastering the Italian handwriting, a solid foundation is needed before moving on to more complex Italian grammar rules. In the next sections, we will explore the basics of Italian nouns and articles, as well as the present tense of regular verbs.
Letter 'h' is also used in front of some persons of the verb "to have" conjugated in present indicative to distinguish them from homophone words:


Let's continue the journey together! 🇮🇹💪
- HO -> I have -- O -> or
=== Italian Vowels and Consonants ===


Italian vowels and consonants are a fundamental part of the Italian language, and learning their pronunciation is essential to speak and understand Italian properly. In this section, we'll dive deeper into Italian vowels and consonants, including their pronunciation and usage in Italian words.
- HAI -> you have -- AI -> "to the" (preposition plus definitive article)


=== Italian Vowels ===
- HA -> he/she/it has -- A -> "to" (preposition)


Italian has five vowels: A, E, I, O, and U. In Italian pronunciation, vowels are pronounced with a clear, open sound, and they're pronounced the same way regardless of their position in the word. Unlike English, Italian vowels are always pronounced in the same way, without any exceptions or variations.
- HANNO -> they have -- ANNO -> year


Here's how to pronounce Italian vowels:
|-
| I || /i/
|/i/, /j/, /-/ (silent)|| like in English "mEEt".


* "A" - pronounced like "a" in "ah".
* "E" - pronounced like "e" in "bed".
* "I" - pronounced like "ee" in "feet".
* "O" - pronounced like " aw" in "saw".
* "U" - pronounced like "oo" in "boot".


One thing to note about Italian vowels is that they are often used to determine the correct stress or accentuation of Italian words. Italian words are usually stressed on the second-to-last syllable, which means that the stressed syllable is preceded by one or more unstressed syllables. The vowel in the stressed syllable is usually a vowel; but there are some exceptions where the stress falls on a consonant.
'i' is also used to maintain sounds /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ before hard vowels 'a', 'o', 'u' as long as they are considered inside the same syllable. In these cases 'i' is silent. In fact:


=== Italian Consonants ===
- CA -> read /ka/ -- CIA -> read //tʃa/ (it's pronounced /'tʃao/ and not /'tʃjao/)


Italian consonants have a specific pronunciation that is usually different from English consonants. It's important to learn and practice the correct pronunciation of Italian consonants to speak and understand the language properly.
- CO -> read /ko/ -- CIO -> read //tʃo/


Here's how to pronounce Italian consonants:
- CU -> read /ku/ -- CIU -> read //tʃu/


* "B" - pronounced like "b" in "baby".
- GA -> read /ga/ -- GIA -> read /dʒa/
* "C" - pronounced like "k" before the vowels "a, o, u"; and like "ch" before the vowels "e, i".
* "D" - pronounced like "d" in "dog".
* "F" - pronounced like "f" in "fan".
* "G" - pronounced like "g" before the vowels "a, o, u"; and like "j" before the vowels "e, i".
* "H" - always silent, it's only used in some borrowed words or names.
* "L" - pronounced like "l" in "leg".
* "M" - pronounced like "m" in "man".
* "N" - pronounced like "n" in "not".
* "P" - pronounced like "p" in "pen".
* "Q" - always followed by the letter "u" in Italian, and pronounced like "kw".
* "R" - pronounced in a rolled and trilled way, similar to the Spanish “r” sound.
* "S" - pronounced like "s" in "sit".
* "T" - pronounced like "t" in "top".
* "V" - pronounced like "v" in "vine".
* "Z" - pronounced like "dz" in "zoo".


One thing to remember about Italian consonants is that the Italian language has some double consonants (such as "pp", "tt", "cc", etc.). When reading or pronouncing these consonants, each consonant is pronounced separately and with emphasis, which is why they're referred to as "geminate" consonants.
- GO -> read /go/ -- GIO -> read /dʒo/


- GU -> read gu/ -- GIU -> read /dʒu/


In conclusion, mastering Italian vowels and consonants is essential to learn and communicate in Italian fluently. Take the time to practice their pronunciation and remember that the Italian language has specific rules that dictate how to pronounce vowels and consonants for optimal communication in the language. In the next section, we'll go over Italian handwriting and how to properly write the Italian letters.


Let's keep going! 🇮🇹💪
In Italian some words require a silent 'i' in syllables CIE, GIE or SCIE, even if vowel 'e' is already soft by itself. In fact you may find:
=== Italian Handwriting ===


Italian handwriting is an essential skill for anyone learning the Italian language, as it enables them to recognize and read Italian handwriting accurately. Italian handwriting is usually written with connected letters that resemble cursive writing, and there are specific rules for how to write each letter.
- CIE -> read as CE


In this section, we'll go over Italian handwriting and how to write each letter. We'll also touch on how to recognize Italian handwritten words.
- GIE -> read as GE


== Writing Italian Letters ==
- SCIE -> read as SCE (/ʃe/)


When writing Italian letters, each letter has a unique shape and should be written in a specific way. Some letters connect to the letters before and after it, while others are only partially connected.


Here's a brief guide on how to write the Italian letters:
When 'i' comes before another vowel and is inside tha same syllable (apart from the case mentioned above!) it is pronounced 'j' like in English "Yesterday"
 
* "A" - begins with a stroke down from the top, curving to the left and bottom, then other stroke from the top to right and bottom.
* "B" - begins with a stroke down from the top, then two loops that connect to a tail.
* "C" - starts with a curve down and to the right, ending in a loop that’s connected to next letters such as “i” or “e”.
* "D" - similar to "B", but with a straight tail and no loop.
* "E" - begins with a stroke down from the top, followed by a loop to the right and across to the left.
* "F" - a simple and straight letter, written with a vertical stroke down from the top, with a shorter horizontal stroke across the body.
* "G" - starts with a curve to the right from the top, followed by a loop clockwise to the left and then a tail facing in the opposite direction.
* "H" - always written alone, and usually without a loop.
* "I" - starts with a vertical stroke down from the top, intersected by a shorter horizontal stroke across the body.
* "J" - used mostly in borrowed words, resembling a cross-shaped “i”.
* "K
 
== Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet ==
 
Italian is a beautiful language that is spoken by millions around the world. Before you can start learning anything, it’s important to understand the Italian alphabet. This lesson will teach you how to pronounce each letter in the Italian alphabet and give you some examples of words you can use to practice.
 
=== Italian Alphabet ===
 
The Italian alphabet has 21 letters. The letters J, K, W, X and Y are not considered part of the standard Italian alphabet, although they may appear in borrowed words such as ‘weekend’. The table below shows each letter in the Italian alphabet along with its pronunciation.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Italian Alphabet
! Letter !! Pronunciation
|-
|-
| A || a (ah)
|J
|/dʒej/ or /i 'luŋga/
|/j/ or /dʒ/
|only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
|-
|-
| B || bi (bee)
|K
|/'kap:a/
|/k/
|only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
|-
|-
| C || ci (chee)
| L || /'ɛl:e/
|/l/|| like in English "Lion"
|-
|-
| D || di (dee)
| M || /'ɛm:e/
|/m/|| like 'in English "Mouse"
|-
|-
| E || e (eh)
| N || /'ɛn:e/
|/n/, /ŋ/ or /ɱ/|| like in English "Nice"; it changes to /ŋ/ before sounds /k/ or /g/ and to /ɱ/ before sounds /f/ or /v/. These should natural allophones of sound /n/ for most languages.
|-
|-
| F || effe (eff-eh)
| O || /ɔ/ or /o/
|/ɔ/ or /o/|| like in English "mOre" /o/ or in English /lOt/ /ɔ/
 
 
In Italian pronouncing /o/ or /ɔ/ is not as import as in other monosyllabic languages: choosing one sound or the other does not compromise the communication. In fact every Italian uses them according to regional inflections: even if this letter may be pronounced in two ways by most Italians, it is always considered as a single vowel
|-
|-
| G || gi (jee)
| P || /pi/
|/p/|| like in English "Pen"
|-
|-
| H || acca (ah-k-kah)
| Q || /ku/
|/k/|| like in English "Quit" /k/. It is only used when followed by U+VOWEL (-QUA- /kwa/, -QUE /kwe/-, -QUI /kwi//-, -QUO- /kwo/) inside the same syllable.
Letter 'q' is quite tricky in Italian: in fact it has the same sound as letter 'c' when found in the same position inside a word. Notice how the syllables with letter 'q' or 'c' in the following words have the same pronunciation but different spelling:
 
- QUALE -> read /'kwale -- VACUA -> read /'vakwa/
 
- QUESTO -> read /'kwesto/ -- INNOCUE -> read /i'n:ɔkwe/
 
- QUINDI -> read /'kwindi/ -- TACCUINO -Z read /ta'k:wino/
 
- QUOTA  -> read /'kwɔta/ -- CUORE -> read /'kwɔre
|-
|-
| I || i (ee)
| R || /'ɛr:e/
|/r/ or /ɾ/|| like in Castellano "Rosa". Italian 'r' is pronounced with a rolling sound made by rapidly flipping the end of the tongue up and down against the roof of the mouth); It may be softer like /ɾ/ between vowels or at the beginning of a word (like Americans usually pronounce 't' between vowels, for example in "iT is" /ɪɾɪz/)
|-
|-
| L || elle (el-lay)
| S || /'ɛs:e/
|/s/ or /z/|| like in English "Sun" /s/ or in English "boyS" /z/. Unlike Castellano, Italian 's' has two pronunciations.
- /s/ before dull consonant sounds (/sk/, /sp/, /st/, /sf/ or at the beginning of a word when followed by a vowel (exactly like in English "Silence")
 
- /z/ before vibrant consontant sounds (/zg/,/zb/, /zd/, /zv/, /zl/, /zm/, /zn/)  or between two vowels (/aza/, /uzo/, /ezu/ etc.)
 
 
These are just general rules: according to regional inflections you may hear different ways Italians pronunce this letter, but choosing one sound or the other does not compromise the communication
|-
|-
| M || emme (em-may)
| T || /ti/
|/t/|| like in Castellano "Tener"; the English 't' is usually followed by an expiration at the beginnig of a word when followed by a vowel (like in the word "time") which does not exist in Italian
|-
|-
| N || enne (en-nay)
| U || /u/
|/u/ or /w/|| like in English "cOOl"; letter 'u' can be found as a half consonant or half vowel sound when followed by another vowel inside the same syllable, in which case it is pronounced /w/ like in English "What"
|-
|-
| O || o (oh)
| V || /vi/ or /vu/
|/v/|| like in English "Very"
|-
|-
| P || pi (pee)
|W
|/vu 'dop:ja/
|/w/ or /v/
|only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
|-
|-
| Q || cu (coo)
|X
|/iks/
|/ks/
|only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
|-
|-
| R || erre (air-ray)
|Y
|/'ipsilon/
|/j/ or /i/
|only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
|-
|-
| S || esse (ess-eh)
| Z || /'dzɛta/
|-
|/dz/ or /ts/|| like in English "geTS" or like a fast pronounciation of the English "reD Zone";
| T || ti (tee)
The Italian 'z' is quite tricky: the correct pronunciation should be learnt by heart since there is no rule at all that could teach you when to say /ts/ and when to say /dz/. In fact every Italian, according to their regional inflection choose to use one sound or the other for each word: this does not compromise our communication anyway.
|-
| U || u (oo)
|-
| V || vu (voo)
|-
| Z || zeta (zeh-tah)
|}
|}


Now that you know how to pronounce each letter, here are some examples of words to practice with:


- Ciao (hello)
'''CLUSTERS OF LETTERS INSIDE THE SAME SYLLABLE'''
- Bello (beautiful)
 
- Pizza (pizza)
Some sounds do not have a specific letter, but a cluster of letters
- Grazie (thank you)
- Amore (love)
- Nove (nine)
- Zero (zero)
- Buona (good)
- Rosso (red)
- Sole (sun)


Practice saying these words out loud, carefully pronouncing each letter.
'''GN''': this cluster is always followed by a vowel and must be pronounced /ɲ/ (GNA /ɲa/, GNE /ɲe/, GNI /ɲi/, GNO /ɲo/, GNU /ɲu/). This cluster is prounced as /gn/ only in some technical or scientific terms. Notice that in rare cases syllable GNA must be spelled GNIA even if letter I is silent. (example: DISEGNIAMO, REGNIAMO etc.)


== Sources ==
'''GLI''': this cluster is always followed by vowel 'I' alone or 'I + other vowels' and must be pronounced /ʎ/ (GLIA (ʎa), GLIE (ʎe), GLI (ʎi) GLIO (ʎo), GLIU (ʎu). This cluster is pronounced as /gl/ almost only in technical or scientific terms


* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_alphabet Italian alphabet]
'''SCI/SCE''': 'SC' plus soft vowels 'E' and 'I' is pronounced /ʃ/; to reproduce sound /ʃ/ before other vowels, letter 'I' must always be used (SCIA /ʃa/, SCE /ʃe/, SCI /ʃi/, SCIO /ʃo/ SCIU /ʃu/); notice that syllable SCE must sometimes be spelled SCIE even if its pronunciation does not change. (example: SCIENZA, SCIENZIATO, SCIENTIFICO etc.)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language Italian language]


== Accents and Diacritics ==
'''ACCENTS'''
Every language uses accents for different purposes and in different ways.
Nowadays the Italian language uses two accents which are placed only above vowels.
One is the '''acute accent''' which may be found only on É and Ó and the other one is the '''grave accent''' which may be found on any vowel À È Ì Ò Ù.
As you can see, only E and O admit two types of accent: you should pick the grave accents on these vowels only when they are pronounced open /ɛ/ or /ɔ/, while you should use the acute accent when they are pronounced closed /e/ or /o/. For the other vowels only the grave accents is the correct one.
They are used:
- to distinguish homophone words that have a different grammar role (like in Castellano or French); '''mandatory for correct spelling'''
* LA -> feminine singular article -- LÀ -> adverb "there"
* SI -> pronoun for "itself, himself, herself" -- SÌ -> "yes"
* NE -> pronoun that means "of this, that, these, those" -- NÉ -> "nor, neither"
* DA -> preposition "from" -- DÀ -> he/she/it gives (verb)
*E -> "and" -- È -> it, she, he is (verb)
- to mark the stress of a plurisyllabic word when it falls on the very last letter; '''mandatory for correct spelling'''
* VERITÀ -> stress on 'a'
* PERÒ -> stress on 'o'
* VIRTÙ -> stress on 'u'
* COMPÌ -> stress on 'i'
- marking the stress of a monosyllabic word when it contains I + VOWEL and the stress falls on this very last vowel: in these cases you know you must not pronounce the vowels as a hiatus; '''mandatory for correct spelling'''
* GIÀ -> the stress shows that the word is monosyllabic and that is pronounced /dʒa/ and not /'dʒia/ with a hiatus
* PIÙ -> the stress shows that the word is monosyllaboc and that is pronounced /pju/ and not /'piu/ with a hiatus
* GIÙ -> pronounced /dʒu/ and not /'dʒiu/
- to distinguish homograph words that only differs for the stress; '''NON''' '''mandatory for correct spelling'''
* ÀNCORA -> "anchor" -- ANCÓRA -> "one more time" or "again"
* PRÌNCIPI -> "princes" -- PRINCÌPI -> "principles"
In Italian the circumflex accent and the umlaut accent were used once but nowadays they are never used by Italians (with some very rare exceptions).
'''APOSTROPHE'''
The Italian language uses the apostrophe like French or English. It usually stands at the end of a word when some of the final letters are dropped for phonetic reasons.
L'AQUILA -> "L' " stands for "LA" in front of words beginning with a vowel
UN'OCA -> UN' stands for "UNA" in front of words beginning with a vowel
UN PO' -> PO' stands for "POCO": this is a very common Italian expression which can be translated as "a little, a bit"
TUTT'ALTRO -> TUTT' stands for "TUTTO"
C'È -> C' stands for "CI": This expression means "there is"
== Conclusion ==
Learning the Italian alphabet is an important and necessary first step in becoming proficient in Italian. The good news is that the Italian alphabet has a lot in common with English, which means that some letters are pronounced the same in both languages. While the accent marks and diacritics might seem challenging, once you understand their use and meaning, they will become second nature. In next lessons, we'll learn about nouns and articles, which will be the next step in communicating effectively in Italian. Have fun learning!
<span class='maj'></span>
==Sources==
* [https://www.thinkinitalian.com/the-italian-alphabet/ The Italian alphabet]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language Italian language - Wikipedia]
* [https://www.learnita.net/italian-grammar-alphabet/ Italian Grammar lesson 1 - Alphabet]
*https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/accento-grafico_(Enciclopedia-dell'Italiano)/
<span link>Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: [[Language/Italian/Grammar/Accent-mark-to-distinguish-a-word|Accent mark to distinguish a word]] & [[Language/Italian/Grammar/Imperfect-Tense|Imperfect Tense]].</span>
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet
|title=Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet
|keywords=Italian, Alphabet, Language, Italian language, Italian alphabet, Italian letters, Italian pronunciation
|keywords=Italian, Alphabet, Pronunciation, Diacritics, Accents, Italian Language
|description=Learn how to pronounce each letter in the Italian alphabet and practice with some examples of words in Italian language.
|description=Learning the Italian alphabet is a crucial element in becoming proficient in Italian. This lesson will teach you everything you need to know, including pronunciation, accents, and diacritics.
}}
}}
==Videos==
===Learn the Italian Alphabet: letters and sounds (Italian Pronunciation ...===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF1nqgmXwew</youtube>
===L'ALFABETO ITALIANO - Italian Alphabet & Phonetics - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1P50kb9G74</youtube>
===Spelling the ITALIAN ALPHABET with CITY NAMES - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEUgx9-Qx4Q</youtube>
===Learn Italian Alphabets Pronunciation With Examples - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMTEqtgBzZc</youtube>


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Revision as of 22:33, 19 May 2024

Next Lesson — Nouns and Articles ▶️


Italian-polyglot-club.jpg
Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet

Italian's alphabet contains 21 letters (5 vowels and 16 consonants). The letters J, K, W, X, and Y are only used in foreign words, and in scientific or technical terms of foreign origin. Nowadays it is common to use the English alphabet instead of the Italian one.


Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Conditional Subjunctive & Definite Articles.

Italian Alphabet

The Italian alphabet includes the following 26 letters:

Italian Name of the letter /IPA/ Pronunciation in words /IPA/ Comparison with other languages
A /a/ /a/ like in Castellano "pAdre"; the English 'a' has many pronunciations according to what letters come before or after it: the closest sound to the Italian one could be the /ʌ/ sound in "cUp".
B /bi/ /b/ like in English "Brave"
C /tʃi/ /tʃ/ or /k/ like in English "CHurCH" (/tʃ/) before 'e' or 'i'; like in English "Car" (/k/) before 'a', 'o', 'u' or any other consonant. See letter 'h' and 'i' for more details
D /di/ /d/ like in English "Dog"
E /e/ or /ɛ/ /e/ or /ɛ/ like in English "red" (/ɛ/) or in Castellano "buEno" (/e/).


In Italian pronouncing /e/ or /ɛ/ is not as import as in French: choosing one sound or the other does not compromise the communication. In fact every Italian uses them according to regional inflections: even if this letter may be pronounced in two ways by most Italians, it is always considered as a single vowel

F /'ɛf:e/ /f/ like in English "Fish"
G /dʒi/ /dʒ/ or /g/ like in English "Gem" (/dʒ/) before 'e' or 'i'; like in English "Gum" (/g/) before 'a', 'o', 'u' or any other consonant. See letter 'h' and 'i' for more details
H /ˈak:a/ /-/ (silent) is always silent like in Castellano


In Italian it is used to maintain sounds /k/ and /g/ before soft vowels 'e' and 'i'. In fact:

- CE -> read /tʃe/ -- CHE -> read /ke/

- CI -> read /tʃi/ -- CHI -> read /ki/

- GE -> read /dʒe/ -- GHE -> read /ge/

- GI -> read /dʒi/ -- GHI -> read /gi/


Letter 'h' is also used in front of some persons of the verb "to have" conjugated in present indicative to distinguish them from homophone words:

- HO -> I have -- O -> or

- HAI -> you have -- AI -> "to the" (preposition plus definitive article)

- HA -> he/she/it has -- A -> "to" (preposition)

- HANNO -> they have -- ANNO -> year

I /i/ /i/, /j/, /-/ (silent) like in English "mEEt".


'i' is also used to maintain sounds /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ before hard vowels 'a', 'o', 'u' as long as they are considered inside the same syllable. In these cases 'i' is silent. In fact:

- CA -> read /ka/ -- CIA -> read //tʃa/ (it's pronounced /'tʃao/ and not /'tʃjao/)

- CO -> read /ko/ -- CIO -> read //tʃo/

- CU -> read /ku/ -- CIU -> read //tʃu/

- GA -> read /ga/ -- GIA -> read /dʒa/

- GO -> read /go/ -- GIO -> read /dʒo/

- GU -> read gu/ -- GIU -> read /dʒu/


In Italian some words require a silent 'i' in syllables CIE, GIE or SCIE, even if vowel 'e' is already soft by itself. In fact you may find:

- CIE -> read as CE

- GIE -> read as GE

- SCIE -> read as SCE (/ʃe/)


When 'i' comes before another vowel and is inside tha same syllable (apart from the case mentioned above!) it is pronounced 'j' like in English "Yesterday"

J /dʒej/ or /i 'luŋga/ /j/ or /dʒ/ only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
K /'kap:a/ /k/ only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
L /'ɛl:e/ /l/ like in English "Lion"
M /'ɛm:e/ /m/ like 'in English "Mouse"
N /'ɛn:e/ /n/, /ŋ/ or /ɱ/ like in English "Nice"; it changes to /ŋ/ before sounds /k/ or /g/ and to /ɱ/ before sounds /f/ or /v/. These should natural allophones of sound /n/ for most languages.
O /ɔ/ or /o/ /ɔ/ or /o/ like in English "mOre" /o/ or in English /lOt/ /ɔ/


In Italian pronouncing /o/ or /ɔ/ is not as import as in other monosyllabic languages: choosing one sound or the other does not compromise the communication. In fact every Italian uses them according to regional inflections: even if this letter may be pronounced in two ways by most Italians, it is always considered as a single vowel

P /pi/ /p/ like in English "Pen"
Q /ku/ /k/ like in English "Quit" /k/. It is only used when followed by U+VOWEL (-QUA- /kwa/, -QUE /kwe/-, -QUI /kwi//-, -QUO- /kwo/) inside the same syllable.

Letter 'q' is quite tricky in Italian: in fact it has the same sound as letter 'c' when found in the same position inside a word. Notice how the syllables with letter 'q' or 'c' in the following words have the same pronunciation but different spelling:

- QUALE -> read /'kwale -- VACUA -> read /'vakwa/

- QUESTO -> read /'kwesto/ -- INNOCUE -> read /i'n:ɔkwe/

- QUINDI -> read /'kwindi/ -- TACCUINO -Z read /ta'k:wino/

- QUOTA -> read /'kwɔta/ -- CUORE -> read /'kwɔre

R /'ɛr:e/ /r/ or /ɾ/ like in Castellano "Rosa". Italian 'r' is pronounced with a rolling sound made by rapidly flipping the end of the tongue up and down against the roof of the mouth); It may be softer like /ɾ/ between vowels or at the beginning of a word (like Americans usually pronounce 't' between vowels, for example in "iT is" /ɪɾɪz/)
S /'ɛs:e/ /s/ or /z/ like in English "Sun" /s/ or in English "boyS" /z/. Unlike Castellano, Italian 's' has two pronunciations.

- /s/ before dull consonant sounds (/sk/, /sp/, /st/, /sf/ or at the beginning of a word when followed by a vowel (exactly like in English "Silence")

- /z/ before vibrant consontant sounds (/zg/,/zb/, /zd/, /zv/, /zl/, /zm/, /zn/) or between two vowels (/aza/, /uzo/, /ezu/ etc.)


These are just general rules: according to regional inflections you may hear different ways Italians pronunce this letter, but choosing one sound or the other does not compromise the communication

T /ti/ /t/ like in Castellano "Tener"; the English 't' is usually followed by an expiration at the beginnig of a word when followed by a vowel (like in the word "time") which does not exist in Italian
U /u/ /u/ or /w/ like in English "cOOl"; letter 'u' can be found as a half consonant or half vowel sound when followed by another vowel inside the same syllable, in which case it is pronounced /w/ like in English "What"
V /vi/ or /vu/ /v/ like in English "Very"
W /vu 'dop:ja/ /w/ or /v/ only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
X /iks/ /ks/ only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
Y /'ipsilon/ /j/ or /i/ only in foreign words, mostly pronounced as in the native language
Z /'dzɛta/ /dz/ or /ts/ like in English "geTS" or like a fast pronounciation of the English "reD Zone";

The Italian 'z' is quite tricky: the correct pronunciation should be learnt by heart since there is no rule at all that could teach you when to say /ts/ and when to say /dz/. In fact every Italian, according to their regional inflection choose to use one sound or the other for each word: this does not compromise our communication anyway.


CLUSTERS OF LETTERS INSIDE THE SAME SYLLABLE

Some sounds do not have a specific letter, but a cluster of letters

GN: this cluster is always followed by a vowel and must be pronounced /ɲ/ (GNA /ɲa/, GNE /ɲe/, GNI /ɲi/, GNO /ɲo/, GNU /ɲu/). This cluster is prounced as /gn/ only in some technical or scientific terms. Notice that in rare cases syllable GNA must be spelled GNIA even if letter I is silent. (example: DISEGNIAMO, REGNIAMO etc.)

GLI: this cluster is always followed by vowel 'I' alone or 'I + other vowels' and must be pronounced /ʎ/ (GLIA (ʎa), GLIE (ʎe), GLI (ʎi) GLIO (ʎo), GLIU (ʎu). This cluster is pronounced as /gl/ almost only in technical or scientific terms

SCI/SCE: 'SC' plus soft vowels 'E' and 'I' is pronounced /ʃ/; to reproduce sound /ʃ/ before other vowels, letter 'I' must always be used (SCIA /ʃa/, SCE /ʃe/, SCI /ʃi/, SCIO /ʃo/ SCIU /ʃu/); notice that syllable SCE must sometimes be spelled SCIE even if its pronunciation does not change. (example: SCIENZA, SCIENZIATO, SCIENTIFICO etc.)

Accents and Diacritics

ACCENTS

Every language uses accents for different purposes and in different ways.

Nowadays the Italian language uses two accents which are placed only above vowels.

One is the acute accent which may be found only on É and Ó and the other one is the grave accent which may be found on any vowel À È Ì Ò Ù.

As you can see, only E and O admit two types of accent: you should pick the grave accents on these vowels only when they are pronounced open /ɛ/ or /ɔ/, while you should use the acute accent when they are pronounced closed /e/ or /o/. For the other vowels only the grave accents is the correct one.

They are used:

- to distinguish homophone words that have a different grammar role (like in Castellano or French); mandatory for correct spelling

  • LA -> feminine singular article -- LÀ -> adverb "there"
  • SI -> pronoun for "itself, himself, herself" -- SÌ -> "yes"
  • NE -> pronoun that means "of this, that, these, those" -- NÉ -> "nor, neither"
  • DA -> preposition "from" -- DÀ -> he/she/it gives (verb)
  • E -> "and" -- È -> it, she, he is (verb)

- to mark the stress of a plurisyllabic word when it falls on the very last letter; mandatory for correct spelling

  • VERITÀ -> stress on 'a'
  • PERÒ -> stress on 'o'
  • VIRTÙ -> stress on 'u'
  • COMPÌ -> stress on 'i'

- marking the stress of a monosyllabic word when it contains I + VOWEL and the stress falls on this very last vowel: in these cases you know you must not pronounce the vowels as a hiatus; mandatory for correct spelling

  • GIÀ -> the stress shows that the word is monosyllabic and that is pronounced /dʒa/ and not /'dʒia/ with a hiatus
  • PIÙ -> the stress shows that the word is monosyllaboc and that is pronounced /pju/ and not /'piu/ with a hiatus
  • GIÙ -> pronounced /dʒu/ and not /'dʒiu/

- to distinguish homograph words that only differs for the stress; NON mandatory for correct spelling

  • ÀNCORA -> "anchor" -- ANCÓRA -> "one more time" or "again"
  • PRÌNCIPI -> "princes" -- PRINCÌPI -> "principles"


In Italian the circumflex accent and the umlaut accent were used once but nowadays they are never used by Italians (with some very rare exceptions).


APOSTROPHE

The Italian language uses the apostrophe like French or English. It usually stands at the end of a word when some of the final letters are dropped for phonetic reasons.

L'AQUILA -> "L' " stands for "LA" in front of words beginning with a vowel

UN'OCA -> UN' stands for "UNA" in front of words beginning with a vowel

UN PO' -> PO' stands for "POCO": this is a very common Italian expression which can be translated as "a little, a bit"

TUTT'ALTRO -> TUTT' stands for "TUTTO"

C'È -> C' stands for "CI": This expression means "there is"

Conclusion

Learning the Italian alphabet is an important and necessary first step in becoming proficient in Italian. The good news is that the Italian alphabet has a lot in common with English, which means that some letters are pronounced the same in both languages. While the accent marks and diacritics might seem challenging, once you understand their use and meaning, they will become second nature. In next lessons, we'll learn about nouns and articles, which will be the next step in communicating effectively in Italian. Have fun learning!

Sources


Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Accent mark to distinguish a word & Imperfect Tense.


Videos

Learn the Italian Alphabet: letters and sounds (Italian Pronunciation ...

L'ALFABETO ITALIANO - Italian Alphabet & Phonetics - YouTube

Spelling the ITALIAN ALPHABET with CITY NAMES - YouTube

Learn Italian Alphabets Pronunciation With Examples - YouTube


Table of Contents - Italian Course - 0 to A1

Introduction to Italian Language


Daily Life Expressions


Italian Culture and Tradition


Past and Future Tenses


Social and Work Life


Italian Literature and Cinema


Subjunctive and Imperative Moods


Science and Technology


Italian Politics and Society


Compound Tenses


Arts and Design


Italian Language and Dialects


Next Lesson — Nouns and Articles ▶️

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