Italian alphabet and pronunciation (letters,...)
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There are 26 letters in the Italian alphabet: 16 consonants, 5 consonants to write foreign words, and 5 vowels.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Letter | Italian name | Example |
---|---|---|
A | a as in father | Ape (Bee) |
B | bì as in been | Bicicletta (Bycicle) |
C | cì as in cheers | Cane, Cena (Dog, Dinner) |
D | dì as in deep | Dado (Dice) |
E | e as in better | Elefante (Elephant) |
F | effe as in effective | Foglio (Sheet) |
G | gi as in giant | Gatta, Giorno (Female cat, Day) |
H | acca, always mute | Hotel |
I | i as in beer | Indice (Index) |
J | gei as in Jay | Jeans |
K | kappa | Koala |
L | elle as in Ellen | Luna (Moon) |
M | emme as in lemme | Mamma (Mom) |
N | enne | Natura (Nature) |
O | o as in odd | Orologio (Clock) |
P | pì as in piece | Porta (Door) |
Q | qu as in quality | Quaderno (Notebook) |
R | erre | Rosso (Red) |
S | esse | Strada (Road) |
T | tì as in t-shirt | Tavolo (Table) |
U | u as in good | Uva (Grape) |
V | vì as in Venus | Volare (Fly) |
W | vu doppia | Wurstel |
X | ics | Xilofono (Xylophone) |
Y | ipsilon | Yogurt (Yoghurt) |
Z | zeta | Zucca (Pumpkin) |
Let's go through some Italian consonants that share similar features with English consonants.
Letter | Italian | English |
---|---|---|
B as in Butter | Bambola | Doll |
D as in Dad | Domanda | Question |
F as in Fun | Fiore | Flower |
L as in Love | Lento | Slow |
M as in Mum | Matita | Pencil |
N as in Number | Natura | Nature |
P as in Power | Palla | Ball |
Q as in Quantity | Quando | When |
S as in Same | Stivale | Boot |
T as in Time | Tesoro | Treasure |
V as in Very | Vittoria | Victory |
Let's now outline some differences between Italian and English consonants.
The pronunciation of C and G depends on the letter that follow.
C/G + e, i : sweet sound | Cena (Dinner), Gita (Trip) |
C/G + a, o, u: hard sound | Casa (House), Golfo (Gulf) |
C/G + H + e, i: hard sound | Chiedere (Ask); Ghepardo (Cheetah) |
The H in Italian is always mute. However, it produces a hard sound if it's after C or G and followed by certain vowels.
H | No H |
---|---|
Ricchi (rich, plural) | Ricci (Curls/Curly, plural) |
Cechi (blind, plural) | Ceci (chickpeas) |
The Italian R has a slightly different sound than in English and it's called the "Rolling R".
It's pronounced by flipping your tongue just behind the upper front row of your teeth.
Italian | English |
---|---|
Ragno | Spider |
Ragazzo | Boy |
Rosa | Pink |
Z is pronounced either dz or ts, depending on the word.
Listen to the following examples.
Z as ts | Z as dz |
---|---|
Pazzo (Crazy) | Zio (Uncle) |
Grazie (Thank you) | Mezzo (Means/Half) |
Here's a list of the 6 Italian vowels.
Vowel | Example |
---|---|
A | Animale (Animal) |
E | Entrata (Entrance) |
I | Inizio (Beginning) |
O | Orso (Bear) |
U | Unione (Union) |
A good rule of thumb: all Italian words usually end with a vowel.
The Italian language also includes a set of accented vowels:
Vowel | Example |
---|---|
Á | Città (City) |
É | Caffé (Coffee) |
Í | Martedì (Tuesday) |
Ó | Mangeró (I will eat) |
Ú | Ragú (Italian meat sauce) |
Unlike English or French, all the letters in an Italian word are generally pronounced and it's relatively easy to instantly know the pronunciation of any new word.
Keep in mind that pronunciation might vary from Italian region to Italian region.
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I have experience in teaching English, Spanish and Italian to non-Italian speakers of all ages, both individuals and groups, in your office or at home. I am available for grammar and conversation classes, classes in preparation for special exams, certificates and corporate events, both in person and on Skype.
I think that learning a language necessarily means involving students in real situations, with a cheerful approach. Therefore, I like developing creative, effective and bespoke programmes, based on my students’ needs, age, likes, and why not, character. I am a dynamic and joyful yet precise and demanding teacher, who is always ready to motivate, encourage and listen to her students.
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Ilaria is a very well-structured and experienced teacher for Spanish, English and Italian! I totally recommend her to anyone!
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Hello everyone, I'm Federica and I'm an italian and english teacher. Before being a teacher I've been a student infact I graduated in languages so I know very well how hard can be learning a new language. I'm interested in music, cinema, literature and I enjoy talking about several topics. I've been teaching since 2009 and in 2012 I've qualified as italian language teacher. I've experience with children and adults, with in company courses, with total beginners as well as with advanced. Also I've succesfully prepared a number of students for the most important english and italian certification (CELI, CILS, FIRST, PET, KET). Over the last years I've became specialized in one-to-one or small groups lessons because in this way I can create a tailored programme for each student. I follow a communicative approach and in my classes there's lot of room for speaking but I don't neglect grammar, listening and writing. I provide you with material, sometimes selfmade, other times taken from books, videos, or songs, but always useful to help you to immerse in the target language! At the end of every lesson I always assign homework in order to revise the things learnt. I define myself as a happy, positive and very patient person and I do my best to make the class a funny and relaxed moment. I look forward to meet you online!
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Federica has been a great teacher - our lessons are mainly for conversation and she is very patient, making corrections when necessary with pronunciation, translations, which words to use, etc. Her explanations are very clear as well. Most importantly she is very punctual with classes which I appreciate. In summary, I have enjoyed the classes immensely and look forward to future improvement!
Federica C.Thanks, I'm sure you will improve a lot! :-)
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Hello Everybody
My name is Luisa and I teach Italian for foreign students, English, French and German for Italian students
Since 1994, I have dedicated myself to translating and teaching thanks to my travels, abroad studies, foreign reading and writing. I provide fun and customized lessons based on the student's goals. I also triy to minimize English speaking during the lessons. I give homework exercises, and my lessons are intermixed with grammar, conversation, customs and traditions. My goal is to make certain that each student finds learning Italian exciting.
I am available for any explanations also via e mail
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Luisa is the best! Always enthusiastic and she makes the lessons fun and interesting. She's an expert teacher and my Italian has improved enormously.
Luisa A.Dear Janice thank you !!!! thank you so much !!!
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Hello Everybody
My name is Luisa and I teach Italian for foreign students, English, French and German for Italian students
Since 1994, I have dedicated myself to translating and teaching thanks to my travels, abroad studies, foreign reading and writing. I provide fun and customized lessons based on the student's goals. I also triy to minimize English speaking during the lessons. I give homework exercises, and my lessons are intermixed with grammar, conversation, customs and traditions. My goal is to make certain that each student finds learning Italian exciting.
I am available for any explanations also via e mail
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I have had many lessons with Luisa and I always look forward to them. We begin by chatting about the past week's events and them move to Espresso which I find very useful as a good review of material I have done in the past. There is often additional words used I had not met before. Luisa is always a pleasure to talk with and is a kind and pleasant teacher. She corrects me gently and offers useful words or meanings when appropriate.
Luisa A.Dear Martin thank you so much ! It's my pleasure taking class with you. And thanks a lot for your suggestion about Us movies ( Just Mercy) or Us books
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**Other time slots can be made available upon request. Don't hesitate to get in touch**
Native speaker from Paris with about 15 years of teaching experience. I’m well-travelled, and I’ve lived and worked in different parts of the world (Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and a little bit in Asia).
I have a postgraduate degree (France) in Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies and I’m currently a freelance translator. I’ve previously worked at universities in France and abroad (South Africa/Australia) and have a solid experience in teaching (French Language, Literature, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, etc.), designing courses, evaluating and guiding students, preparing students for exams/job interviews/professional presentations, managing a Language and Literature department at the university, presenting papers at academic conferences worldwide, publishing, translating and journalism. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach people with different profiles and from various backgrounds: international professionals, university students, beginner translators and teachers, high school students, retirees, travellers, francophiles, children (help with homework), etc.
Being an open-minded, flexible and patient teacher, I enjoy helping others to discover their potential and to explore it. Adapting myself to my students' needs, pace and objectives is essential for me, and designing the best way to work with each student is very stimulating and rewarding.
After the initial introductory lesson, I will design customised lesson plans that will evolve as you progress. We can also, at any time during the programme, change our working method if you wish to do so. I remain very flexible in that regard.
The learning materials will be varied, and we will choose together the themes and aspects of French language to be covered, in line with your objectives. In any case, I am very attentive in general, so please don't hesitate to make any suggestions.
Regardless of your level and objectives, I'm sure that we can find the best way possible to share and enjoy this French language adventure together.
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Priscilla is a very competent and experienced French teacher. She prepares the lessons very carefully and focuses on all relevant aspects such as conversation, grammar and vocabulary. Above all, she has a very friendly personality that makes you feel at ease immediately. I can highly recommend her as a French teacher.
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Hi there, I’m Letizia!
I've always had a great passion for languages and have made it my life's work.
I have been teaching English, Spanish and Italian as second languages (L2) to international students for 7 years now. I mainly work with teenagers and adults, but I also have experience with school-age children.
I am specialised in Psycholinguistics and Applied Linguistics for teaching: specifically, I work on the processes of L2 language acquisition (SLA), language development and processing.
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Very professional. Well thought out and planned lessons. Materials to prep for lesson sent out well in advance.
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I am an Italian native speaker with a Master's degree in Languages for International Relations. I have experience in tutoring students from all ages.
I prepare tailored lessons based on the students' needs and interests using textbooks, videos, interactive resources and ad-hoc materials.
If you want to learn Italian and know more about the culture, food, art and traditions, don't hesitate to get in touch!
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MariaRosa has been very patient, pleasant and encouraging. She is very conscientious and prepares well. She has developed a learning plan based on my requests. I enjoy the lessons and find them very useful
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
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Thank you for putting up with all my mistakes today! We had plenty of conversation practice although the listening we did was quite tough but very useful .
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Hello everyone. My name is Eva Campagna and I am a professional teacher living in Rome, Italy. As an experienced tutor I would like to offer you custom lessons based on your needs. My lessons are not only educational, but also entertaining and engaging. My teaching method has been honed over 10 years of experience, and is focused on delivering relevant, engaging material in a friendly and inclusive manner.
Incorporating all the key elements of the Communicative Approach, my lessons are focused on communication in real-life situations and an engaging atmosphere.
I like music, literature and cinema. Don't hesitate to contact me!
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Eva is a teacher with a lot of experience. She is well-structured and passionate about teaching italian.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Rina is a pleasure to work with. Her lessons go by quickly, because they are a lot of fun. She is always on time, sends the material beforehand, is always available for questions and corrects homework right away. She is funny & energetic. She speaks German and Italian. I can only recommend taking lessons with her, because it is fun and you learn quickly and good.
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I am a private teacher in English, German and Italian. I am a Master's graduate in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Genoa, Italy. I am Italian native speaker. I know English and German at C2 level and Russian at B2 level.
I have been studying English for the last 15 years, first at school and then at the university and I have improved it on my frequent stays abroad. I have now been teaching English for 4 years, first to school children and teenagers and now adults too. I have experience teaching online and at home. I also have taught group classes.
Being fluent in several languages allows me to give students further explainations in their native language when needed. This also allows me to put myself in my students' shoes and understand better their difficulties. I try to meet the student's personal needs and objectives rather than impose my standard class.
During my classes I focus on the active skills of language, speaking and writing. I often ask students to do presentations so they practice writing and speaking at once. I strongly encourage self-studying along with frontal teaching in order to considerably shorten learning time. Homework is for me as important as frontal classes. If needed, I can provide students with textbooks and online material such as videos, news, songs and textes.
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Federico is an exceptional teacher. He is patient, knowledgable and makes learning much less stressful. In the short time I've been working with him I feel that my Italian has grown so much faster. He has so many resources to share with his students and helps to coach me through the difficult parts of language learning! I highly recommend him to anyone wanted to learn Italian, it is truly a wonderful experience.
Federico C.Thank you Dan for the great review! A student like you makes everything easier. I hope to continue like that!
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I offer English and Indonesian language classes. My class is based on conversation practice. You will learn grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary through practice. You will learn in a safest way because I always want to make sure my students feel comfortable and safe during the class, so they are not afraid to make mistakes.
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Ade is a very gentle person with lots of experience in teaching English. She offers well structured lessons, I totally recommend her!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
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Daniela is a well skilled teacher with patience and a great personality, always joyful and happy. She understands my needs well and the lessons are tailored to give me a good learning experience. The lessons are always a good combination of speaking, reading and grammar. Daniela is always flexible when I need to change the schedule. I can highly recommend choosing Daniela. You'll for sure have a fun learning experience with her.
Daniela V.Thanks so much for your words, Wouter! I am very happy that you feel comfortable with the lessons together and I hope to help you grow more and more. You are doing a great job. Keep it up! :-D
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
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Taking lessons with Daniela was a pleasure. She was always well prepared, she gave all necessary information and materials I needed. The lessons were really good - I could practice grammar, speaking etc. Highly recommended :)
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