Click on each picture to listen to the sound of the letter and the word starting with that letter.
The Italian alphabet has 21 letters.
A, E, I, O, U are called "vowels". The others are called "consonants".
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21 lettere dell'alfabeto italiano
Esercizio 1
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, z
Pronuncia le lettere dell'alfabeto italiano qui sopra. 1. C'è una differenza di pronuncia fra l'audio di CyberItalian e la tua voce registrata? 2. Puoi rendere la tua pronuncia simile a quella di CyberItalian? |
Pronounce the letters of the Italian alphabet above. 1. Is there a difference in pronunciation between the CyberItalian audio and your recorded voice? 2. Can you make your pronunciation similar to CyberItalian's? |
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Lettere addizionali nell'alfabeto italiano
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Click on each picture.
These are additional letters in the Italian alphabet (rarely used in Italian):
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Esercizio 2
j, k, w, x, y (ypsilon)
Pronuncia le lettere straniere dell'alfabeto italiano qui sopra. 1. C'è una differenza di pronuncia fra l'audio di CyberItalian e la tua voce registrata? 2. Puoi rendere la tua pronuncia simile a quella di CyberItalian? |
Pronounce the letters of the Italian alphabet above. 1. Is there a difference in pronunciation between the CyberItalian audio and your recorded voice? 2. Can you make your pronunciation similar to CyberItalian's? |
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Suoni speciali
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Click on each picture.
These are consonants combined with a vowel or with another consonant. They have a special sound:
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Esercizio 3
chi (chiesa), ci (ciao), ghi (ghianda), gi (giro, giostra), gli (aglio), gn (gnocchi), sci (sciare, scienza)
Pronuncia i suoni speciali delle parole italiane qui sopra. 1. C'è una differenza di pronuncia fra l'audio di CyberItalian e la tua voce registrata? 2. Puoi rendere la tua pronuncia simile a quella di CyberItalian? |
Pronounce the special sounds of the Italian words above. 1. Is there a difference in pronunciation between the CyberItalian audio and your recorded voice? 2. Can you make your pronunciation similar to CyberItalian's? |
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Pronuncia
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Italian words end with a vowel (except words of foreign origin - e.g. sport, film, yogurt...):
- armadio (wardrobe, closet)
- lampada (lamp)
The vowels and the diphtongs (combination of vowels) are clearly articulated:
- noioso, noiosa (boring)
- piede (foot)
Most Italian words have the stress on the next-to-last syllable:
- burattino (puppet)
- lavorare (to work)
However, there are many exceptions to this rule and, since the stress is not indicated by a written accent, the only way to learn the correct pronunciation is by listening, memorizing and practicing:
- leggere (to read)
- frigorifero (refridgerator)
Some words have the stress on the final vowel; they require a written accent:
- caffè (coffee)
- attività (activity)
In a sentence, the stress usually falls on the last word, and the pitch of the voice drops at the end of the sentence:
- Pinocchio è italiano. (Pinocchio is Italian.)
A question is expressed with a rising intonation:
- Pinocchio è italiano? (Is Pinocchio Italian?)
Esercizio 4
armadio, lampada, noioso, noiosa, piede, burattino, lavorare, leggere, attività, Pinocchio è italiano.
Pronuncia le parole e le frasi italiane qui sopra. 1. C'è una differenza di pronuncia fra l'audio di CyberItalian e la tua voce registrata? 2. Puoi rendere la tua pronuncia simile a quella di CyberItalian? |
Pronounce the Italian words and phrases above. 1. Is there a difference in pronunciation between the CyberItalian audio and your recorded voice? 2. Can you make your pronunciation similar to CyberItalian's? |
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Consonanti doppie
Double consonants must be pronounced. When you pronounce a double consonant, just extend the sound while holding the breath for a moment:
- ballare (to dance)
- ginnastica (gymnastics)
Double consonants are very important because they differentiate words. E.g. "rosa" (pink) "rossa" (red).
Certain words have a double consonant only for the "sake of the music" (you know Italian language is very musical). This happens usually when:
- two words combine (e.g. chi + sa = chissà). Some of these words are: sebbene, fabbisogno, seppure, dammi, fammi, dimmi...
- words start with "sopra, contro": soprattutto, sopralluogo, soprannome, sopravvivere, contraddire...
- words start with the prepositions "a, da, fra, su": allo, addosso, davvero, dapprima, frattanto...
- words start with the conjunctions "e, o, né": eppure, oppure, nemmeno, neppure...
- ...
Words that do NOT require a double consonant are:
- ending with "zione" (azione, meditazione, lezione...)
- starting with "intra" (intravedere, intramuscolo...)
Of course, we always have exceptions. If you are not sure if an Italian word has a double consonant, check the dictionary and use our pronunciation guide.
Esercizio 5
ballare, ginnastica
Pronuncia le parole con la doppia consonante, "ballare" e "ginnastica", qui sopra. 1. C'è una differenza di pronuncia fra l'audio di CyberItalian e la tua voce registrata? 2. Puoi rendere la tua pronuncia simile a quella di CyberItalian? |
Pronounce the double consonant words, "ballare" and "ginnastica", above. 1. Is there a difference in pronunciation between the CyberItalian audio and your recorded voice? 2. Can you make your pronunciation similar to CyberItalian's? |
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