Italian alphabet and pronunciation

Key to the phonetic transcript with phonetic symbols in brackets [ ]:

[ z ] = voiced s, as in the words "zoo", "zero", and "zebra";
[ ʃ ] = sibilant, as in the words "sheep", "shine", and "assure";
[ ʒ ] = voiced sibilant, as in the words "pleasure", "leisure", and "measure";
[ ʎ ] = li as in the word "million";
[ ɲ ] = as ny in the word "canyon";
[ g ] = g, as in the words "get", "glass", and "great";
[ w ] = short, unstressed u beginning a syllable, with the exception of non-Italian loan words, as in "we", "why", and "well";
"(long)" means that, in a stressed position, the vowel is lengthened, but the lengthening is not represented in the phonetic script by the [ : ] symbol but instead by the [ ' ] symbol before the stressed syllable (caro ['karo], fare ['fare]); however,if a vowel is followed by a double consonant or two different consonants, it is usually pronounced short (latte ['latte], corso ['corso], Gherardo [ge'rardo]).

Note: As a rule, Italian words carry stress on the penultimate, the syllable next to the last.

A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A,a

 [a]

a

 [a]

short, (long), closed

 [at'tʃɛnto, 'latte, a'maro, 'karo]
(accento, latte, amaro, caro)

B,b

 [b]

b

 [b]   [bal'lare, 'bɛne, 'bril'lare]
(ballare, bene, brillare)

C,c

 [tʃi]

c

 [k]

before a, o, u

 ['karo,'korso, ku'tʃina]
(caro, corso, cucina)
   

c

 [tʃi]

before e, i

 ['tʃɛnto, 'tʃɛlo, 'tʃirko]
(cento, cielo, circo)
   

ch

 [k]

before e, i

 [ke, ki, 'kjɛza]
(che, chi, chiesa)

D,d

 [di]

d

 [d]   ['dare, a'dadʒo, edi'tore]
(dare, adagio, editore)

E,e

 [e]

e

 [e]

short, (long), closed

 ['stella, 'edera]
(stella, edera)
   

e

 [ɛ]

short, (long,) open

 [mɛddzo, 'ɛbano, ef''fɛtto]
(mezzo, ebano, effetto)

F,f

 ['effe]

f

 [f]   ['afa, 'faro]
(afa, faro)

G,g

 [dʒi]

g

 [g]

before a, o, u

 ['gabbja, 'gola, 'gusto]
(gabbia, gola, gusto)
   

g

 [dʒ]

before e, i

 ['dʒɛnte, 'dʒita]
(gente, gita)
   

gh

 [g]

before e, i

 [ge'rardo, 'gjotto]
(Gherardo, ghiotto)
   

gl

 [ʎ]

in midposition, before i

 ['fiʎo]
(figlio)
   

gl

 [gl]

beginning a word, before a, e, i, o, u

 [gla'diolo,'glɛba, glitʃe'rina, glɔ'rja,' glutine]
(gladiolo, glèba, glicerina, gloria, glùtine)
       

with the exception of
1) the personal pronoun, 2) the plural gli of the masculine definite article lo before nouns with initial gn-, ps-, sp-, and z

 [ʎi]
(gli)
   

gn

 [ɲ]   ['baɲo, 'ɲɔmo]
(bagno, gnomo)

H,h

 ['akka]

h

  

inaudible

 [ɔ, 'anno]
(ho, hanno)

I,i

 [i]

i

 [i]

short, (long,) clear

[is'tante, 'bimbo, ti'rare, 'fine]
(istante, bimbo, tirare, fine)

J,j

 [i'lunga]

j

 [j]

only in words of non-Italian origin,

 [dʒæz, dʒinz, 'jodel, 'junjor]
(jazz, jeans, jodel, junior)
      [j]

but used as a phonetic symbol to denote the quick, unstressed vowel i, as in "yes", "yellow", and "usual"

 ['bujo, 'fjato, pja'tʃere]
(buio, fiato, piacere)

K,k

 ['kappa]

k

 [k]

in words of non-Italian origin

 [ka'bul, ka'jak, ko'ala]
(Kabul, kayak, koala)

L,l

 ['ɛlle]

l

 [l]   ['lɛtto, 'ala]
(letto, ala)

M,m

 ['emme]

m

 [m]   ['madre, 'ramo]
(madre, ramo)

N,n

 ['ɛnne]

n

 [n]   [nɔ, fu'mante]
(no, fumante)
   

ng

 [ng]

both are pronounced, (n on the tip of the tongue and g)

 ['lungo, lanɠwendo]
(lungo, languendo)

O,o

 [ɔ]

o

 [o]

short, (long,) closed

 ['ponte, oŋ'ŋuno, 'ora]
(ponte, ognuno, ora)
   

o

 [ɔ]

short, (long,) open

 ['kɔsta, 'nɔto]
(costa, noto)

P,p

 [pi]

p

 [p]   ['padre, pala'tino]
(padre, Palatino)

Q,q

 [ku]

q

 [k]

words beginning with qua-, que, qui-, or quo-

 ['kwando, 'kwesto, kwi, 'kwota]
(quando, questo, qui, quota)

R,r

 ['erre]

r

 [r]   ['rapido, ritar'dare]
(rapido, ritardare)

S,s

 ['esse]

s

 [s]   ['sano, 'sole, 'kasa, 'kosa]
(sano, sole, casa, cosa)
   

s

 [z]

often between vowels

 ['kazo, e'zame, 'zvago, 'skuza]
(caso, esame, svago, scusa)
   

sc

 [sk]

before a, o, u

 ['skambjo, 'skonto, sku'zare]
(scambio, sconto, scusare)
   

sc

 [ʃ]

before e, i

 ['ʃɛna, 'ʃimmja]
(scena, scimmia)
   

sch

 [sk]

before e, i

 ['skertso, 'skjɛna]
(scherzo, schiena)
   

scia

 [ʃa]

i is not pronounced, but causes the ʃ sound

 [ʃa'gura]
(sciagura)
   

scio

 [ʃo] ['ʃɔlto]
(sciolto)
   

sciu

 [ʃu] [ʃu'pare]
(sciupare)

T,t

 [ti]

t

 [t]   [ta'tʃere, 'tɛrra, tro'vare]
(tacere, terra, trovare)

U,u

 [u]

u

 [u] short, (long) ['kulto, 'muro]
(culto, muro)

V,v

 [vu]

v

 [v]   [va'kantsa, va'gare, 'vekkjo]
(vacanza, vagare, vecchio)

Z,z

 ['zeta]

z

 [ts]

irregular variation

 ['tsuppa, av'vettso]
(zuppa, avvezzo)
   

z

 [dz] ['dzero, 'mɛddzo]
(zero, mezzo)

Seuraavat aakkoset tulevat esille vain vierasperäisissä sanoissa:

K,k

 ['kappa]

k

 [k]   ['kaki, 'karma, 'nou hau]
(kaki, karma, know-how)

W,w

['doppjo vu] tai ['doppja vi]

w

 [w]   ['wo:kmən, 'wiski. vat]
(walkman, whisky, watt)
       

used as a phonetic symbol, [w], to denote a quick, unstressed u sound, as in "we", "why", and "well"

 ['kwando,'kwello,'kwi, kwo'tare]
(quando, quello, qui, quotare)

X,x

 [iks]

x

 [ks]   [ksero'kɔpja, ksi'lɔfono]
(xerocopia, xilofono)

Y,y

 ['ipsilon]
[i greca]

y

 [i,j]

pronounced as in the original language

 [jɔt, 'jæŋki, 'jɔga, 'jɔgurt]
(yacht, yankee, yoga, yogurt)