Hello
Lesson two
More
Lesson one
Learning a new language always starts with the alphabet. The Italian alphabet is a great example because it is relatively simple and highly phonetic, meaning letters are pronounced consistently in most words. Mastering the alphabet not only helps with reading and writing, but also lays the foundation for proper pronunciation, listening comprehension, and speaking skills.
The Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters, which are mostly the same as in English. However, some letters have unique sounds, and a few letters commonly found in English, such as J, K, W, X, and Y, are considered foreign and mainly appear in borrowed words. With regular practice, Italian pronunciation becomes intuitive and enjoyable.
Below is the complete list of Italian letters. You can click on the letter symbols to hear their correct pronunciation.
| Letter | Lowercase |
|---|---|
| A | a |
| 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 |
Each Italian letter has a specific name and corresponding sound. Here are all the letters with example words to help you get started:
| Letter | Pronunciation / Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| A a | a – amico | friend |
| B b | bi – barca | boat |
| C c | ci – cane | dog |
| D d | di – delfino | dolphin |
| E e | e – elefante | elephant |
| F f | effe – farfalla | butterfly |
| G g | gi – gatto | cat |
| H h | acca – hotel | hotel |
| I i | i – ippopotamo | hippopotamus |
| L l | elle – libro | book |
| M m | emme – mela | apple |
| N n | enne – nave | ship |
| O o | o – oca | goose |
| P p | pi – pinguino | penguin |
| Q q | qu – quercia | oak |
| R r | erre – ragazzo | boy |
| S s | esse – sedia | chair |
| T t | ti – topo | mouse |
| U u | u – uomo | man |
| V v | vi – volpe | fox |
| Z z | zeta – zaino | backpack |
Certain combinations produce specific sounds that differ from the individual letters. Below is a guide to pronouncing these combinations correctly:
The combinations chi and che are always pronounced with a hard k sound, like the k in kite. This distinguishes them from ci and ce, which have a softer ch sound.
The combinations ghi and ghe are pronounced with a hard g sound, like the g in go. This is different from gi and ge, which have a soft j sound.
The combination sc before e or i is pronounced like sh in English, similar to ship. Before other vowels, it is pronounced as a hard sk, as in school.
The combination gn is pronounced like ny in canyon. It represents a single sound and is common in Italian words.
The combination gli is pronounced like the lli in million. It produces a soft, l sound.
The combination sci is pronounced like sh in English. It only appears before i, and this is a soft, hissing sound similar to ship.
Stress in Italian usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, but exceptions exist. Accents indicate stressed syllables and slightly alter pronunciation.
The letter e can have two accents:
È with a grave accent, is pronounced open: Caffè (coffee)
É with an acute accent, is pronounced closed: Perché (why)
The Italian alphabet is phonetic and relatively easy to learn. It has 21 letters, with a few foreign letters appearing in borrowed words. Letters like C, G, H, and R have specific pronunciation rules, and combinations such as chi, ghi, sc, gn, gli, and sci produce unique sounds. Accents indicate stress and slightly alter vowel sounds. Mastering these basics will help you read, write, and speak Italian more confidently.
Hello
Lesson two
Goodbye
Lesson three
How are you
Lesson four
Thank you
Lesson five
What is your name
Lesson six
Noun
Lesson seven
