Italian Accents and Proper Italian Pronunciation

Students learning English as a second language often find pronunciation and grammar notoriously difficult, as the language has as many exceptions as it does rules. Don’t worry—Italian pronunciation is much easier to learn. Most Italian vocabulary words are pronounced phonetically. When there’s a slight deviation from this, the word will typically include Italian accents, which guide you to the correct pronunciation.

When reading Italian from a book, you’ll find it easy to sound out the words and likely pronounce them quite well. However, mastering phonology—the way you speak the words aloud—is more challenging. When you are learning the Italian language, the most difficult part of phonology is knowing what syllable to stress.

The only letters in Italian that have accents are vowels. There are five vowels in the Italian alphabet, a, e, i, o and u. Any vowel that is the last letter of a word can have a grave accent (è), but only the letter e can have the acute accent (é).

Here are some examples of pronunciation of the Italian accents.

è – caffè – kaf-feh
é – perché – per-keh
ì – venerdì – ven-ar-dih
ò – però – per-oh
ù – virtù – ver-too

The difference between Italian accents lies in the pronunciation of the vowel. The downward stroking or grave accent (è) indicates an open sound, while the upward stroking or acute accent (é) indicates a closed sound.

It is common for Italians not to use accents when spelling; however, students are strongly encouraged to use accents at all times. Using accents consistently can greatly assist in learning to speak Italian with ease and ensuring correct pronunciation. There are only a handful of Italian words where the accent can change the meaning.

For native English speakers, mastering the correct sound of Italian vowels can be challenging. However, once you’ve mastered these sounds, you’ll find that your Italian accent becomes much clearer and more authentic. Most English speakers tend to pronounce their vowels with a closed mouth and emphasize sounds in the throat and nasal cavity. When practicing Italian, focus on pronouncing your vowels at the top of your mouth with an open throat. Although it might seem like an unusual image, many students have found that this technique works effectively.

Your phonology and pronunciation when learning Italian can be greatly enhanced by practicing with a native speaker. Watching Italian movies or radio shows is a great way of exposing yourself to the language, especially if you can’t afford that dream holiday to Italy just yet. Another effective way to ensure excellent Italian pronunciation is by subscribing to a podcast. For example, ItalianPod101 offers a variety of resources, including podcasts featuring native speakers, helping you learn to speak Italian the way it’s truly spoken.