Pronunciation

Difficult sounds

Italian is a phonetic language, meaning that it is spelled like it sounds. That said, there are a number of letter combinations that are governed by special rules of pronunciation. While these differences of pronunciation follow predictable patterns, they can definitely give a non-native speaker some difficulty at first. With enough practice, however, you can master them:

At the bottom of the page you will find an assessment to test your knowledge of the difficulties of Italian pronunciation.

Difficult sounds: c and ch

Pronunciation of the letter 'C'

Letter combination Example words Listen
Hard 'c' sound
ca caffè, casa
cu cuoco, qualcuno
co cocomero, corvo
che forchetta, amiche
chi Chianti, chiacchierare
Soft 'c' sound Like the 'ch' in 'church'
cia ciao, farmacia*
ciu ciuccio, fanciulla
cio arancione, abbraccio
ce certo, cena
ci cibo, cipolla

*Note the 'i' is sometimes stressed.

Difficult sounds: g and gh

Pronunciation of the letter 'G'

Letter combination Example words Listen
Hard 'g' sound
ga gatto, pagare
gu guerra, gusto
go albergo, gonna
ghe ghenga, spaghetti
ghi laghi, ghiaccio
Soft 'g' sound Like the English 'j'
gia mangiare, archeologia*
giu giusto, giudicare
gio giocare, viaggio
ge gelato, gennaio
gi giorno, Giovanni

Difficult sounds: sc and sch

Pronunciation of the letters 'sc'

Letter combination Example words Listen
The 'sc' sound
sca scale, pescare
scu scuola, scuro
sco conosco, ascoltare
sche pesche, scheda
schi dischi, schiaffo
The 'sch' sound
scia sciarpa, sciare*
sciu conosciuto, asciugare
scio lascio, liscio
sce conoscere, pesce
sci scimmia, pesci

*Note the 'i' is sometimes stressed.

Difficult sounds: qu

Pronunciation of the letters 'qu'

Letter combination Example words Listen
The 'qu' sound
qua qualitĂ , acqua
qu quaderno, questo
quo quoziente, quotidiano
que quercia, quello
qui aquila, quiete

Test your knowledge of difficult Italian sounds by typing what you hear:

*Be sure to check the 'Speak text' button before you begin.


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