Introduction:
When you are learning a new language you definitely want to feel proud about it. We all know there is a particular way to pronounce words in a language. Let us talk about English. How careful we are so that we do not pronounce a word wrong and feel bad about it. The same goes for the Italian language. If you are learning the language, you definitely want to speak properly without making mistakes. Even if you know some words already you have to make sure you are pronouncing it properly. If you do not do so then the whole idea of learning the language gives you nothing in return. Imagine learning Italian for your job and not being to convey any message to your boss properly just because you pronounce it wrong.
Let us look at this article in pointers:
Italian alphabet and basic pronunciation rules:
- Italian language is similar to the English language: This makes the English speakers happy but you still have to concentrate on the pronunciation properly. Another important thing to keep in mind is that there are certain alphabets omitted from the Italian language like ‘j’, ‘k’, ‘w’, ‘x’ and ‘y’.
- Being omitted doesn’t mean who won’t even find the trace of these letters. It only means that it is not used in originally Italian words.
- Sounds: let us learn certain sounds that can help you learn Italian.
- ‘Ch’ in Italian is different from the English language. It does not create the sound that it does in English. It is actually pronounce as ‘kuh’
- When ‘c’ or ‘cc’ is followed by ‘I’ or ‘e’ makes a soft sound i.e. “chuh”. E.g. piccione (pigeon).
- In other cases it makes a hard sound i.e. “kuh”. E.g. ricotta (cheese)
- Same rule applies for the letter ‘g’ when followed and when not followed by vowels ‘I’ and ‘e’.
- Vowels: we will now have a look at how the vowels are pronounced in Italian.
a- Ah (father)
e- Eh (next)
i- Ee(see)
o- Oh (moist)
u- Oo (food)
When two vowels are used together they will still retain their sound.
· Consonants: as discussed earlier consonants have hard and soft sounds. Let us look at a few more consonants to understand sounds in Italian properly.
Qu- “kwuh” sound.
E.g. quale (which).
Gli- “yee” sound.
E.g. figliare (to give birth).
Sc- hard “skuh” sound.
E.g. scala (staircase).
Sch- “skuh” sound.
E.g. dischi (discs).
After reading these rules you may find the Italian language challenging or difficult but it is not. Every language has its rules of pronunciation. You just need to understand them well and remember them. Practising daily can help you quickly grasp the correct pronunciation and the rules for them.
It is advisable to take help from experts available at Multibhashi to understand these things properly or be a little complicated for you.
You can check their app which can be downloaded from the play store and their lessons plans on their official website.
The Italian pronunciation can be tricky at first, but if you seek help right from the start you can avoid wasting your time and being confused.
