ITALIAN PRONUNCIATION
"Italian: a beautiful language to speak and listen to; musical, fluid and emotionally-expressive". For Italians, their words are not merely tools to convey basic messages, but sophisticated descriptions of emotional states. Everywhere you go in Italy you'll hear Italians talking, arguing, complaining, chattering; a vehicle of communication that is strikingly different to the more minimal style of speech in the Anglo-Saxon world. English-speakers are often considered cold or withdrawn by Italians, simply because they say less.
Italians love to talk. Not only do they enjoy communication, but they also love their language, because it’s very melodious. Opera is famous for a reason!
Italian pronunciation might pose some difficulties for the beginner. Yet it is very regular, and once the rules are understood it is easy to pronounce each word correctly.
Improve your Italian pronunciation using these lessons and other resources.
Italian Alphabet
Italian uses the Latin alphabet. In the native words are used only 21 letters and they are considered to form the Italian alphabet properly.
Italian Vowels
Italian vowels are short, always pronounced very clearly, and are never drawn out. This pronunciation guide covers these vowels and shows you how to pronounce their sounds.
Pronouncing the 'Easy' Consonants
This pronunciation guide covers those consonants that are sounded very similarly to their English counterparts.
Pronouncing Difficult Consonants
This pronunciation guide covers those consonants that are sounded significantly differently than their English counterparts.
Stress and Accent Marks
Learn which syllable of Italian word receives the stress and how that can be modified through the use of diacritical marks known as accents.
Italian Syllabication
The correct division of Italian words into their relevant syllables is necessary for their correct pronunciation and writing. This section teaches you to divide italian words into syllables.