Pronunciation is key to being understood in Italian. Luckily, Italian is mostly phonetic, so words are pronounced as they are written.

Key Pronunciation Rules

• Vowels: a, e, i, o, u – always pronounced clearly
• Double consonants: palla vs pala – the double l changes meaning
• C and G before e or i: cena (dinner) sounds like cheh-na, giro (tour) sounds like jee-ro
• Stress: Most words are stressed on the penultimate syllable

Tip: Listen to Italian songs, podcasts, or movies to train your ear. Mimicking native speakers is one of the fastest ways to improve.