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<div class="pg_page_title">Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet</div>
__TOC__
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.
<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 ==
The Italian alphabet includes the following 26 letters:
{| class="wikitable"
! 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:


== Introduction ==
- HO -> I have -- O -> or


Benvenuti! Welcome to the "Italian Grammar - Introduction to Italian Language > Italian Alphabet" lesson. In this lesson, we'll introduce you to the beautiful Italian language by focusing on its alphabet. You'll learn how to pronounce Italian words correctly and become familiar with some common Italian expressions.
- HAI -> you have -- AI -> "to the" (preposition plus definitive article)


With over 85 million speakers worldwide, Italian is a popular and fascinating language to learn. Whether you're planning to travel to Italy, communicate with Italian speakers, or study Italian literature and arts, this lesson is a great place to start.
- HA -> he/she/it has -- A -> "to" (preposition)


Let's jump in and start exploring the Italian alphabet!
- HANNO -> they have -- ANNO -> year


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


=== History of the Italian alphabet ===


Before we dive into the Italian alphabet, let's take a quick look at its history. The Italian alphabet developed from the Latin alphabet, which was used by the ancient Romans. Over the centuries, the Italian alphabet underwent some modifications, including the addition of some sounds and the removal of others.
'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:


Today, the Italian alphabet comprises 21 letters, and its pronunciation is relatively straightforward compared to other languages. So, let's learn how to pronounce them!
- CA -> read /ka/ -- CIA -> read //tʃa/ (it's pronounced /'tʃao/ and not /'tʃjao/)


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


=== Single letters and sounds ===
- CU -> read /ku/ -- CIU -> read //tʃu/


Italian has 21 letters, five vowels and 16 consonants, and they all have specific sounds. Each letter has a distinct pronunciation, and it's indispensable to learn them accurately to speak Italian fluently.
- GA -> read /ga/ -- GIA -> read /dʒa/


For instance, "A" in Italian sounds "ah," "E" sounds like "eh," "I" like "ee," "O" like "oh," and "U" like "oo."  Learning to differentiate the pronunciation of each letter is the foundation to improve your speaking skills and comprehension.
- GO -> read /go/ -- GIO -> read /dʒo/


In this section, we'll explore each of the 21 letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds, using real Italian words and phrases as examples. We'll also introduce you to some Italian expressions and essential vocabulary.
- GU -> read gu/ -- GIU -> read /dʒu/




=== Double letters and digraphs ===
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:


In Italian, there are five double letters: "cc," "dd," "gg," "mm," and "nn." Double letters represent a distinct sound that distinguishes it from the single letter. Additionally, Italian has a few digraphs, which are two letters together that produce a particular sound. For instance, "ch" sounds like the English "k," and "gh" a guttural "g."
- CIE -> read as CE


In this section, we'll examine the double letters and digraphs and their associated sounds, using real Italian words to demonstrate how to pronounce them correctly.
- GIE -> read as GE


- SCIE -> read as SCE (/ʃe/)


=== Special characters and accents ===


Italian, like many other Romance languages, employs accent marks over certain vowels, which modify the vowel's pronunciation. These accents include "à," "è," "ì," "ò," "ù" and change the emphasis or stress of the words. In addition, there are a few other special characters in Italian, such as the apostrophe and punctuation marks.
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 this section, we'll explore the different accent marks and special characters used in Italian and how they affect the pronunciation of words.


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:


=== Common words and phrases ===
- QUALE -> read /'kwale -- VACUA -> read /'vakwa/


Now that you've mastered the Italian alphabet's sounds and pronunciation, we'll introduce you to some common Italian words and phrases. You'll practice your Italian pronunciation while learning some helpful Italian expressions for everyday conversations.
- QUESTO -> read /'kwesto/ -- INNOCUE -> read /i'n:ɔkwe/


In this section, we'll cover greetings, introductions, and responses. We'll also include some food, drinks, and transportation vocabulary to get you started with Italian conversation.
- 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")


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


Congratulations! You've completed the Introduction to the Italian Alphabet lesson. You've learned the history and sounds of the Italian alphabet, how to pronounce double letters and digraphs, and the accent marks and special characters that modify Italian words' pronunciation. Moreover, you've familiarized with some common Italian expressions and basic vocabulary.


In the next sections of this lesson, we'll continue to explore the Italian language, including nouns and articles, regular verbs in the present tense, adjectives and adverbs, and irregular verbs. So, get ready for more exciting language learning!
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
=== History of the Italian alphabet ===
|-
| 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.
|}


The Italian alphabet has a fascinating history that dates back to the Roman Empire. The Latin alphabet was used by the Romans, and it was based on the Etruscan alphabet, which was derived from the Greek alphabet. Over time, as the Roman Empire expanded, the Latin alphabet became more widespread and standardised.


The Latin alphabet was introduced to Italy when the Romans conquered the Italian peninsula in the 3rd century BC. The alphabet continued to evolve as Italy developed its culture, and some letters were added, removed, or modified to better represent the Italian language's unique sounds.
'''CLUSTERS OF LETTERS INSIDE THE SAME SYLLABLE'''


Some notable changes to the Latin alphabet over time include the addition of the letter 'J' and 'V,' which were both absent in the original Latin alphabet. 'J' was introduced in medieval times to represent the consonant sound /j/ in the middle of words, while 'V' was added to represent the vowel sound /w/.
Some sounds do not have a specific letter, but a cluster of letters


Another significant change was the addition of the letter 'K,' which was borrowed from the Greek alphabet and used mainly in words of Greek origin. However, its usage declined over time, and it was eventually displaced by 'C.'
'''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.)


One of the most significant changes to the Italian alphabet occurred during the Italian language's standardisation in the 16th century when the letters 'Y,' 'X,' and 'W' were removed from the alphabet. These letters were not commonly used in Italian words, so Italy's linguistic academy opted to remove them altogether.
'''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


Today, the Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters, and it's used not only in Italy but also in other countries that use Italian as an official language, such as Switzerland and San Marino. Understanding the history and evolution of the Italian alphabet can help you appreciate the language more fully and understand its origins.
'''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.)


Let's move on to the next section, where we'll explore each letter of the Italian alphabet and its corresponding sounds.
== Accents and Diacritics ==
=== Single letters and sounds ===


In Italian, each letter of the alphabet has a unique sound, and it's essential to learn each sound to be able to speak Italian correctly. There are five vowels and sixteen consonants in the Italian alphabet. Let's examine each one and its corresponding sound:
'''ACCENTS'''


- A - sounds like "ah." Example: "casa" (house)
Every language uses accents for different purposes and in different ways.  
- B - sounds like "bee." Example: "bicchiere" (cup)
- C - before "e" or "i," it sounds like "ch" in "cheer," otherwise "k." Example: "cane" (dog) or "ciao" (hello)
- D - sounds like "dee." Example: "donna" (woman)
- E - sounds like "eh." Example: "vecchio" (old)
- F - sounds like "effe." Example: "festa" (party)
- G - before "e" or "i" sounds like "j" in "jam," otherwise "g" like in "go." Example: "gatto" (cat) or "gola" (throat)
- H - always silent in Italian.
- I - sounds like "ee." Example: "città" (city)
- L - sounds like "elle." Example: "foglia" (leaf)
- M - sounds like "emme." Example: "mare" (sea)
- N - sounds like "enne." Example: "notte" (night)
- O - sounds like "oh." Example: "volo" (flight)
- P - sounds like "pee." Example: "palla" (ball)
- Q - always followed by "u," and together they sound like "kw." Example: "qui" (here)
- R - sounds like a trilled "r." Example: "rosa" (rose)
- S - sounds like "esse." Example: "sole" (sun)
- T - sounds like "tee." Example: "tavola" (table)
- U - sounds like "oo." Example: "buono" (good)
- V - sounds like "vee." Example: "vino" (wine)
- Z - sounds like "zeta." Example: "zucchero" (sugar)


It's important to note that Italian pronunciation is somewhat rigid compared to other languages. Each letter has a nearly fixed pronunciation, so you need to develop a good understanding of the sounds associated with each letter. So, practice, practice, practice!
Nowadays the Italian language uses two accents which are placed only above vowels.  


In the next section, we'll explore double letters and digraphs in Italian and their associated sounds.
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.  
=== Double letters and digraphs ===


In Italian, there are five double letters and several digraphs, and they each have their unique pronunciation.
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.  


Let's first examine the double consonants:
They are used:  


- CC - sounds like a hard "k." Example: "cicca" (stub)
- to distinguish homophone words that have a different grammar role (like in Castellano or French); '''mandatory for correct spelling'''
- DD - sounds like "d." Example: "suddetto" (aforementioned)
- GG - sounds like a hard "g." Example: "aggiornamento" (updating)
- MM - sounds like "m." Example: "sommergere" (inundate)
- NN - sounds like "n." Example: "connessione" (connection)


The double consonants represent a distinct sound that distinguishes it not from the single letter but from a different consonant that would have a different meaning in the Italian language. For instance, "fatto" means "fact," whereas "fato" means "fate."
* 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)


Now let's move on to the digraphs, which are two letters that, when combined, represent a specific sound:
- to mark the stress of a plurisyllabic word when it falls on the very last letter; '''mandatory for correct spelling'''


- CH - sounds like the English "k." Example: "chiesa" (church)
* VERITÀ -> stress on 'a'
- GH - sounds like a guttural "g." Example: "ghiaccio" (ice)
* PERÒ -> stress on 'o'
- GL - sounds like a "lee" with the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Example: "globo" (globe)
* VIRTÙ -> stress on 'u'
- GN - sounds like "ny" or "gne." Example: "gnocchi" (gnocchi)
* COMPÌ -> stress on 'i'
- SC - before "e" or "i," it sounds like a soft "sh," and otherwise like a hard "k." Example: "scena" (scene) or "scoiattolo" (squirrel)


Digraphs can also change the meaning of a word. For example, "
- 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"


== Italian Grammar - Italian Alphabet ==


Italian grammar is of utmost importance in learning and understanding the Italian language. The Italian alphabet is the foundation of the Italian language, just as the English alphabet is to the English language. The Italian alphabet is comprised of 21 letters with five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 16 consonants.


In this lesson, you will learn the basics of the Italian alphabet, including the pronunciation and writing of each letter.  
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).


=== Italian Alphabet ===


The Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters:
'''APOSTROPHE'''


* A a
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.
* B b
* C c
* D d
* E e
* F f
* G g
* H h
* I i
* L l
* M m
* N n
* O o
* P p
* Q q
* R r
* S s
* T t
* U u
* V v
* Z z


The Italian alphabet is similar to the English alphabet, with a few differences in the pronunciation of some letters. For example, the letter "c" is pronounced as "ch" in the word "ciao" and the letter "h" is always silent.
L'AQUILA -> "L' " stands for "LA" in front of words beginning with a vowel


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


Each letter in the Italian alphabet has a specific pronunciation. Here is a quick guide to the pronunciation of each letter:
UN PO' -> PO' stands for "POCO": this is a very common Italian expression which can be translated as "a little, a bit"


* A is pronounced "ah" as in "mamma"
TUTT'ALTRO -> TUTT' stands for "TUTTO"
* B is pronounced "bee" as in "bella"
* C is pronounced "chee" as in "ciao"
* D is pronounced "dee" as in "dolce"
* E is pronounced "eh" as in "sesso"
* F is pronounced "effe" as in "festa"
* G is pronounced "gee" as in "gatto"
* H is silent and is never pronounced
* I is pronounced "ee" as in "pizza"
* L is pronounced "elle" as in "bello"
* M is pronounced "emme" as in "amore"
* N is pronounced "enne" as in "nonna"
* O is pronounced "oh" as in "come"
* P is pronounced "pee" as in "pasta"
* Q is pronounced "ku" as in "quando"
* R is pronounced "erre" as in "rosso"
* S is pronounced "esse" as in "casa"
* T is pronounced "tee" as in "treno"
* U is pronounced "oo" as in "luna"
* V is pronounced "vee" as in "vino"
* Z is pronounced "zeta" as in "zucchero"


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


In conclusion, the Italian alphabet is the foundation of the Italian language. It is important to learn and understand the pronunciation and writing of each letter. With practice and dedication, mastering the Italian alphabet will lead to a better understanding of the Italian language.
== 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 ==
<span class='maj'></span>
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_alphabet Italian alphabet]
==Sources==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language Italian language]
* [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, pronunciation, Italian language, Italian grammar, Italian letters.
|keywords=Italian, Alphabet, Pronunciation, Diacritics, Accents, Italian Language
|description=Learn the basics of the Italian alphabet, including the pronunciation and writing of each letter in this Italian grammar lesson.
|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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