Simple Italian Pronuncation Guide
Thee are many examples of Italian words that we use in English that are often times pronounced
incorrectly or pronounced according to rules dictacted by local Italian dialects that have been passed
from generation to generation. One example is the word, “mozzarella.” If you grew up in the NY/NJ
area you have probably heard this word pronounced in one of the following ways: mudzadel,
mutzadella, or simply “mutz.” These pronounciations are not necessary wrong, they are just not
standard Italian. Other such words include: prosciutto, bruschetta, cavatelli, parmigiano, or mortadella.
The important thing to remember about Italian pronunciation is that all letters in a word need be be
pronounced. There are few simple pronounciation rules to learn but once you learn them, pronouncing
Italian words is quite easy.
Below are some simple pronuncation rules to know.
Making the “CH” sound
*the “CH” sound is made by the following letter
combinations
ci
ce
Making the “K” sound
*the letter K doesn’t exist in the Italian alphabet.
The follow letter combinations make the “K”
sound
ca
che
chi
co
cu
Examples:
Italian Word
Pronunciation guide
Meaning
Ciao
(chow)
Hi/Bye
Cioccolata
(cho-co-la-ta)
chocolate
Cento
(chen-toe)
one hundred
Caffè
(ka-fey)
coffee
Amiche
(ah-mee-kay)
friends
Chiave
(key-ah-vay)
key
Cosi-cosi
(ko-zee ko-zee)
so-so
Cugino
(ku-gee-no)
cousin
*Open this file to hear a pronunciation of each word below. Focus on the various sounds of the “C” in
each word.
list of C sounds.wma
Vowel Sounds in Italian
It’s also important to remember that every vowel in every Italian words needs to be pronounced. The
vowel sounds in Italian are less nasal than the vowels sounds in American English. Play the file below to
hear each vowel sound.
A
E
I
O
U
vowel sounds.wma
Italian Alphabet Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMdGbVWrifc
Italian Vowel Sounds Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RGi7fGXpdE