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.
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Ciao! My name is Mauro, I am native Italian from Calabria! I am a very passionate teacher, I love to share my language and my knowledge about Italy, and its culture, films, music, literature, arts, food!!! I firmly believe that learning is based on trust between teacher and student, and the first objective of my classes is to individuate student's objectives and preferences. My teaching methodology is integrated: I think that it is important to work on all of linguistic abilities: oral and writing comprehension and production. I also think that lessons must be as much as fun as possible, and I use a lot of authentic material: songs, films, cooking recipes, newspapers, advertising and so on...
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So far, I have studied with Mauro four times a week for a month. As a retired university professor, I find Mauro to be a thoughtful and deliberate teacher of Italian as a second language. He exercises care in preparing lessons and yet remains flexible to take opportunity of teachable moments. I highly recommend Mauro to anyone who is serious about learning Italian. Bravo Mauro! I look forward to continuing my studies with you.
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Hi!
My name is Mariateresa, I'm Italian and I teach English, Italian and Spanish to foreign students.
Having lived in Spain during my last year at University, I moved to the UK, where I lived for the next five years. My English at that time was quite poor and I made a living by doing various jobs.
One day, inspired by my amazing English teacher Mandy, I had an idea: why not teach my native language and Spanish to English people and other nationalities? You wouldn’t believe how fascinated people are by these languages!
It was in 2017 when I fell in love with this job. So much so that one year later I successfully attained a TESOL Certificate, to teach English as a foreign language.
Teaching allows me to fully express myself and my personal qualities, such as patience and an ability to give my full attention to other people. By giving students a space in which to express themselves without fear, I create a safe, non-judgemental environment.
When a new student contacts me I always offer them a free trial lesson, so that we can introduce ourselves and I can get to know their level, interests and needs. It's from there that I create the ensuing lessons.
I provide students with a solid grammar base, but also help them to understand the application and use of the language in everyday life. At the same time, I tailor the lesson to suit the students' main interests – such as grammar, speaking, pronunciation, writing or exam preparation. I teach students of different levels, from beginners to advanced.
Although I love teaching in-person, I have adapted myself to teaching online as well. I have also completed a Teaching English Online course offered by Cambridge University. I have to admit that it's a really effective method, plus you meet people from all over the world!
Having lived abroad for several years I know that learning a foreign language requires time, but it's also fun. By speaking in it we can express hidden parts of ourselves – it's a bit like acting!
You can also assimilate the culture from which the language evolves. It's interesting to see how we can change and develop!
My aim is to transmit to students the idea that nothing is impossible. Learning a language is challenging, but entirely achievable if you keep in mind that it's a journey made of small steps.
What is important is to establish those small objectives every day, and reach them with calm determination.
Like a tracker counts the steps that you walk, put on your “count-words tracker” and you'll be surprised at how much you have learned by the end of the day!
For more information visit:
https://campsite.bio/mariateresa.medici
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Lessons with Mariateresa are fascinating. She has new ideas and very interesting learning materials. She makes you really enjoy Italian and Italian culture.Beside the lessons she really motivated me to do more homework! Moreover she is a very cultured person. I am very happy.
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Hello, my name is Francesca.
I am qualified Italian teacher.
I love teaching and my lessons are always tailored on your goals. During the first lesson, we will identify what you want to learn or to improve and I will design your lessons.
My approach is largely conversational: that is role-plays, informal conversation or other activites to help you. I welcome beginners right up to proficient speakers.
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Had my trial class with Francesca. She creates a very inviting atmosphere for a pleasant communication despite the language challenges. Although it was just an introductory class, I have already learned a few things.. Going to continue my studies with Francesca !
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Native teacher with 30 years of teaching experience. Bachelor of Education (Sydney Australia). Dynamic and interactive lessons where the student is an active participant. The lessons can be tailored to your personal and professional needs. I prepare students for international exams.
Join me and let's have fun learning together.
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July is really the best teacher you can get. She prepares extremely well-structured lessons and is very kind. I totally recommend her to anyone that wants to learn English.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Hi! My name is Tiphaine, I'm french, I'm 37 years old and I live in Seville.
I grew up in the outside of Paris, I travelled all over the world and I live in Spain for 10 years now.
I'm a musician, a dancer and I love to cook and hike.
I'm a french teacher, and it's my passion! I speak 3 languages, and thanks to my learning I was able to live amazing experiences in many countries.
That's why I became a teacher, to be able to share with you my love for french language and culture and to guide you in your progress.
For me, each language is a way of seeing and interpreting the world, as glasses of different colors.
Understanding the way a language works is understanding how its people see things; it's such a exciting process, I can't wait to share it with you!
I have more than 8 years experience, in schools, companies and universities.
I work with people from all ages, beginners to advanced. I know most of french manuals.
I can prepare you to DELF and DALF exams. I also have a specialization in french for specific goals and french business.
I can offer you thematic courses, to improve your pronunciation, increase your vocabulary, prepare you for traveling or for a new job.
All my classes are in french, I adapt my vocabulary and speech speed according to your level.
I also adapt my method to your needs, personality, to take the best advantage of my classes and your french learning.
I use diversified ressources, from quizz to podcasts, videos, songs and games.
Whatever are your motivations, if you want to learn french in a pleasurable and rewarding way, book a class with me!
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Tiphaine 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.
Course features:
- Exams and certifications
- Academic and colloquial language
- Vocabulary and oral skills
- Course build on your needs and goals
- Interactive activities
- Authentic and personalised study materials.
Cancellation policy: to cancel or reschedule a lesson, please give at least a 6 hours notice.
Delays are accepted for up to 15 minutes, after which the lesson will be considered not cancelled and, thus, charged.
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The classes with Letizia are very helpful. Very good mix of theory and exercises. I can highly recommend Letizia!
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Hello my name is Lucia and I am a native Italian speaker.
I have a degree as an interpreter for English and French so I know how hard it may be to learn a foreign language. I work as a free-lance interpreter and private English and French teacher. I have a strong passion for languages which I have been studying for many years. I am studying Spanish now and always trying to improve my English and French knowledge. I am a friendly person and my lessons mainly focus on conversation. As a teacher I am very patient and I always propose tailor-made lessons with respect to your needs. I am really enthusiastic about being a teacher because this activity allows you to share your culture and habits with foreign people. Learning a language is also learning a new culture.
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Lucia is wonderful! I have no experience with Italian and it has thus far been a lovely fun process. She is easy to schedule with. Sends documents with notes/teaching points from each of our lessons immediately and tailors lesson to exactly my level/experience. Would highly recommend!
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
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Elena is absolutely fantastic and extremely helpful in preparing me at short notice for a PLIDA B2 exam. Great teacher, lovely person and I'd highly reccommend her to anyone in need of suport in learning italian.
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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.
Course features:
- Exams and certifications
- Academic and colloquial language
- Vocabulary and oral skills
- Course build on your needs and goals
- Interactive activities
- Authentic and personalised study materials.
Cancellation policy: to cancel or reschedule a lesson, please give at least a 6 hours notice.
Delays are accepted for up to 15 minutes, after which the lesson will be considered not cancelled and, thus, charged.
Reviews
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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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Hello everyone! I have been teaching Italian to foreigners in Bologna for 10 years, collaborating with local associations. I graduated in History, but later I specialized in teaching Italian by obtaining the Ditals, and in 2019 a master's degree at the Ca 'Foscari University of Venice in "Advanced planning of teaching Italian language and culture to foreigners". I love my job very much and I do it with dedication and passion. I have experience with students of all levels of Italian, from beginners to advanced, and in preparing for language tests. I adapt my teaching methods to the characteristics and training needs of my students, so as to favor a more effective, engaging and motivating learning. The materials I use are authentic, original texts and videos adapted for educational purposes. I love to use computer technologies for the preparation of interactive exercises, especially for the exercise of grammar. If you want to learn Italian in an engaging and motivating way, contact me! I'm waiting for you for a trial lesson!
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Cristiana is a delightful person and a very effective teacher. As a beginner, my almost nonexistent Italian skills and understanding requires a patient teacher who is willing to take the time to ensure I understand concepts, usage etc. before moving on. I highly recommend her as a tutor.
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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 an excellent teacher. has a lot of patience and you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes. she is always there to help you. Thanks Daniela
Daniela V.Dear Linda, thank you for your positive feedback. I am very happy that you feel comfortable and this is very important to me. Thanks to you for the great trust :-)
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Are you doing an Erasmus in Italy or Spain?
Are you came back recently?
Do you want a languages certification?
Here i am! I'm Andrea an Italian/spanish teacher that living in Spain. I got a Teaching Master and I'm working as italian teacher. Also, I have a C1 spanish level ( DELE certification) and I can teach you both languages.
Send me a request and we can find the best solution for you ;)
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It's very useful to go through writing I have done and discuss other ways of expressing the same idea.
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Hello my name is Lucia and I am a native Italian speaker.
I have a degree as an interpreter for English and French so I know how hard it may be to learn a foreign language. I work as a free-lance interpreter and private English and French teacher. I have a strong passion for languages which I have been studying for many years. I am studying Spanish now and always trying to improve my English and French knowledge. I am a friendly person and my lessons mainly focus on conversation. As a teacher I am very patient and I always propose tailor-made lessons with respect to your needs. I am really enthusiastic about being a teacher because this activity allows you to share your culture and habits with foreign people. Learning a language is also learning a new culture.
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Lucia is wonderful! I found her to have all the qualities one looks for a teacher: she is kind, patient, intelligent, supportive and she explains in easier Italian when I don‘t understand a word or expression.
Lucia Maria C.Dear Giuliana, thank you so much for your review. I am sure that you will make a lot of progress thanks to your motivation and commitment. See you next lesson :)
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
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Elena was friendly and encouraging and gave me good advice about preparing for my Italian language exam. I am looking forward to more lessons with her :)
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