Italian pronunciation for English speakers

Italian is written the way it sounds. Learn the rules and you can read almost anything aloud. A few sounds still need practice.

Double consonants

Double letters are longer, and they change the word. "Pala" means shovel. "Palla" means ball. Hold the consonant a beat longer when you see two. Practise "nonno" and "sete" against "sette".

The rolled r

Italian r is tapped or rolled with the tongue tip. A single r is one quick tap, as in "caro". Double rr is a longer roll, as in "carro". Practise the tap first.

Gli and gn

"gli" is a soft sound like the "lli" in "million", as in "famiglia". "gn" is like the "ny" in "canyon", as in "gnocchi". Both sit in one smooth sound.

C and g

Before e and i, c is "ch" as in "cena". G is "j" as in "gelato". Before a, o and u, they are hard: "casa", "gatto". Italian adds an h to keep the hard sound before e or i: "chi", "ghiaccio".

Pure vowels

Italian vowels are short and clean. Avoid gliding the o in "no" or the e in "sera".

How to practise

• Say pairs of words that differ by one letter.
• Record yourself and compare with a native speaker.
• Ask your partner to say a word slowly, then repeat it back.

A native speaker will catch what you miss. See how to find a language partner, or Italian on Nearly Fluent.