Italian Pronunciation Guide

n general, the vowels in Italian are fairly consistent in their pronunciation so it's not too difficult to learn Italian language. There are seven distinct vowel sounds using only five letters "a, e, i, o, u". The additional vowel sounds come from the letters "e" and "o" having two pronunciations.

Open and Close Vowels

The letters "e" and "o" in Italian can have two possible pronunciations: open and close. When the tongue is positioned at the bottom of the mouth creating an open cavity, an open vowel sound is produced. However, when the tongue is raised close to the roof of the mouth, a close vowel sound is produced. The open "e" sounds like the "e" in the English word "bed" (as in bella), while the close "e" is much like the "a" in the English word "made" (as in mela). The open "o" sounds like the "o" in the English word "hog" (as in forza), while the close "o" is much like the "oe" in the English word "toe" (as in signore). While generally only open vowels occur in unstressed syllables, either close or open vowels can be found in stressed syllables. Whether an "e" or "o" in a stressed syllable is close or open needs to be learned individually. Note that there is much regional variation on whether vowels in some words are pronounced open or close, so listen carefully to the local pronunciation.

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Pronunciation of Italian

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