5 Most Common Italian Pronunciation Mistakes

5 Most Common Italian Pronunciation Mistakes Suzy S. Do you want to speak like an Italian native? Below, Italian teacher Giulio G. shares the five most common Italian pronunciation mistakes and how to avoid them Italian is a relatively phonetic language, which means that almost each grapheme corresponds to a singular phoneme. In other words,  the Italian language is spoken as it is written. Thanks to this characteristic of the language, it is  easy to  learn proper  Italian pronunciation just by knowing the alphabet. However, there are still some  letters and combinations that may  be difficult to pronounce, especially for students who are  just beginning to learn  Italian. Below we explore the five most common Italian pronunciation mistakes and how  you can avoid them. 1. The Letter C The first common mistake that many beginner students make  is related to the letter C, as this tricky consonant can have a hard or soft sound. Proper Pronunciation of Hard C The sound of a hard C, which precedes the vowels A, O and U, is pronounced as a /k/, as in the English word car. Common Italian words  with  this type of sound are: cane (dog) cosa (thing) cultura (culture) Proper Pronunciation of Soft C The sound of a soft C, which precedes the vowels E and I, is pronounced as a /Ch/, as in the English word chair. Common Italian words  that  have this particular sound are: cena (dinner) cibo (food) Exception:  If the C is followed by an he or an hi, it has a hard sound, meaning that the /Ch/ has to be pronounced as a /K/. 2. The Letter G The letter G is another problematic consonant. Its pronunciation essentially follows the exact same rules of the letter C, in that it has both a hard and soft sound. Proper Pronunciation of Hard G G has a hard sound if it is followed by the vowels A, O and U. The sound of the Italian hard G is the same of the G in the English word game. Examples of Italian words that contain a hard G sound are: gatto (cat) gola (throat) gusto (taste) Proper Pronunciation of Soft G G has a soft sound if it is followed by the vowels E or  I. This sound is the same as the J in the English word journey. Some examples  of common Italian words containing the soft G are: giraffa (giraffe) gelato (ice cream) Exception:  If the G is followed by he or hi, it has a hard sound. 3. The Letter Combination Gli The letter combination gli is one of the most difficult sounds to pronounce. Beginner students, who are not familiar with the Italian language, mistakenly pronounce it as the English word  glee. However, gli has a soft sound, not a hard one.  The best way to perfect your  pronunciation of gli is to say the English name Lee, but, instead of touching your teeth with the tip of your tongue, you have to position the  central part of your  tongue on your palate. 4. The Letter Combination Gn The fourth common Italian pronunciation mistake is related to the sound gn. This letter combination is present also in the English language; however, in Italian, it is pronounced in a totally different way.  Essentially, the gn sound in Italian is pronounced as ny in the English word canyon. 5. Double Consonants Last but not least, the final Italian pronunciation mistake that beginner students make is not pronouncing double consonants.  Unlike in English, you must pronounce a double consonant in Italian, utilizing more energy and giving more length to the sound. For example, the words capelli (hair) and cappelli (hats) are pronounced in two different ways. To pronounce the word  cappelli, its necessary to put more energy into saying the consonant P. If this proves to be difficult for you, another possible solution is to pronounce the consonants  separately without pausing too much. For example, try pronouncing cappelli  as kap-pel-lee. For even more tips on the Italian pronunciation rules, check out this quick summary from Italian teacher, Liz T. Lets face it: The proper pronunciation of Italian words can be difficult. However, you now have the tools to help you, so you can continue  to practice and eventually perfect your speaking skills! Post Author:  Giulio G. Giulio  G. teaches in-person Italian lessons in New York City. He is originally from Florence, Italy and is currently a student at the University of Florence for Languages and Intercultural Relations. He has been teaching lessons since 2009.  Learn more about Giulio  here! Photo by  Michael Foley Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher