Italian Flashcards
What are the consonants?
[ts] senza - without
[dz] mezzo - half
[ʎ] figlio – son English: million [ˈmɪljən]
[ɲ] degno – worthy English: onion [ˈʌnjən]
[ɱ] (after nf and nv)
[ɾ] caro – dear (between two vowels)
What is the chart of italian vowels?
Look at picture
What are the three phonetic vowels?
a → [a]
i → [i]
u → [u]
The 2 unphonetic
e → [e] or [ɛ]
o → [o] or [ɔ]
What is the first rule of the stressed e or o?
Rule I
Stressed e or o are generally open – [ɛ] [ɔ]
gelida [ˈdʒɛlida] freezing mobile [ˈmɔbile] mobile
zefiro [ˈdzɛfiɾo] zephyr povero [ˈpɔveɾo] poor
tenebra [‘tɛnebra] obscurity demonio [deˈmɔnjo] devil
guerra [ˈgwɛrra] war opera [ˈɔpeɾa] activity
maestro [maˈɛstro] master memoria [meˈmɔɾja] memory
tragedia [traˈdʒɛdja] tragedy vittoria [vitˈtɔɾja] victory
Rule I: Stressed e or o are generally open, but…..
there are many exceptions with e - [e]
questo [ˈkwesto] this dei [ˈdei] of the
quello [ˈkwello] that tacea [ta’ʧea] being quiet
cenere [ˈtʃeneɾe] ash Cesare [ˈtʃezaɾe] Cesar
paese [paˈeze] country credere [ˈkredeɾe] believe
pentola [ˈpentola] pot vendere [ˈvendeɾe] sell
femmina [ˈfemmina] female tedesco [teˈdesko] German
mettere [ˈmetteɾe] put tregua [ˈtregwa] truce
Rule I: Stressed e or o are generally there are exceptions with…..
Rule I: Stressed e or o are generally open
there are many exceptions with o - [o]
rondine [ˈrondine] swallow rompere [ˈrompeɾe] break
giovane [ˈdʒovane] young ordine [ˈordine] order
compito [ˈkompito] polite sorgere [ˈsordʒeɾe] rise
giorno [ˈdʒorno] day Giorgio [ˈdʒordʒo] (George)
piombo [‘pjombo] lead trionfo [triˈoŋfo] triumph
fiore [ˈfjoɾe] flower maggiore [madˈdʒoɾe] greater
mostro [ˈmostro] monster conoscere [ko’noʃʃeɾe] know
Open or Closed e and o in Italian Lyric
Diction
Rule II
Unstressed e or o are generally …..
closed – [e] [o]
respiro [reˈspiɾo] breath fortuna [for’tuna] luck
verace [ve’ɾatʃe] genuine condannato [kondan’nato] convicted
benedetto [bene’detto] blessed Incoronare [iŋkoɾo’naɾe] crowning
estremo [e‘strɛmo] extreme sfolgorante [sfolgo’ɾante] dazzling
Rule II: Unstressed e or o are generally closed
but there is some leeway
Unstressed syllable e is usually a bit more open going
towards [ɛ] before nasals, laterals and trills [m, n, l, r] +
another consonants. It tends to become more a [ɛ] or it
can be pronounce [e]:
beltade [bɛl’tade] beauty gentile [dʒɛn’tile] kind
tempesta [tɛm’pɛsta] tempest versare [vɛr’saɾe] pour
entrare [ɛn’traɾe] enter mercé [mɛr’tʃe] mercy
What are all the consonants?
Written IPA
b [b] batti [‘batti] (you) beat
c [k] canta [‘kanta] (he/she) sings
c before e
or i
[tʃ] certo [‘tʃɛrto] certain
ch [k] chiama [‘kjama] (he/she) calls
d [d] diva [‘diva] diva
f [f] fato [‘fato] fate
g [g] gala [‘gala] gala
g before e
or i
[dʒ] giorno [‘dʒoɾno] day
gh [g] ghetta [‘getta] gaiter
gli [ʎ] foglia [‘fɔʎʎa] leaf
gn [ɲ] ogni [‘oɲɲi] every
gu [gw] guarda [‘gwarda] (he/she) looks out
h silent ho [ɔ] (I) have
j not used ―
k not used
What are the consonants?
s before a voiced
consonant
[z] smanie [‘zmanje] agitations
s before a voiced
consonant
[z] smanie [‘zmanje] agitations
s [s] vissi [‘vissi] (I) lived
r between two
vowels
[ɾ] gloria [‘glɔɾia] glory
r [r] terra [‘tɛrra] earth
qu [kw] qui [kwi] here
p [p] porto [‘pɔrto] port
n before f or v [ɱ] infelice
invocare
[iɱfe’liʧe]
[iɱvo’kare]
unhappy
invoke
n before c or g [ŋ] bianco
sangue
[‘bjaŋko]
[’saŋgwe]
white
blood
n [n] numero [‘numeɾo] number
m [m] mano [‘mano] hand
l [l] libertà [libɛr’ta] liberty
consonants
sc before e or i [ʃ] scena [‘ʃɛna] set
sc before a, o or u [sk] scolta [‘skolta] lookout
post
sch [sk] scherzo [‘skertso] joke
t [t] tanto [‘tanto] so much
z unvoiced [ts] zio [‘tsio] uncle
z voiced [dz] bronzo [‘brɔndzo] bronze
differences between pronounciation of italian and english
Italian versus English dental t, d, n
Italian t, d, n are dental (with tip of the tongue behind the upper front
teeth)
English t, d, n are alveolar (with tip of the tongue touching the
alveolar ridge)
raitor → traditore [tradi’toɾe], desire → desiderio [dezi’dɛɾjo]
ninety → novanta [no’vanta]
Italian versus English Stop Plosives (b, p, d, t, g, k)
Italian stop-plosives are « dry » consonants; articulated with minimum
air release – unaspirated
English stop-plosives are « wet » consonants; articulated by stopping
the air flow and then releasing the air – aspirated
beauty → bello [‘bɛllo] pure → pura [‘puɾa]
dance → danza [‘dantsa] timid → timido [‘timido]
guide → guida [‘gwida] content → contento [kon’tɛnto]
special cases of doubling??? there are 5 instances
- after a strong monosyllabic that ends by a vowel
a Roma [a ‘rroma], ché peccato [ke ppekˈkato]
è bene [ɛ ‘bbɛne], chi sa [ki ‘ssa], già mai [dʒa ‘mma:i] - after a polysyllabic that ends by an accented vowel
perchè signor [per’ke ssiɲ’ɲor], pietà di me [pje’ta ddi me]
così bene [ko’zi ‘bbɛne] - after the words: come, contra, dove, ove, qualche, sopra
and sovra
dove sono [‘dove ‘ssono], ove sia [ove ’ssi:a] - with unavoidable words
Dio, Dei, Dea, Dee and Maria
gran Dio [‘gran ‘ddi:o], Ave Maria [ave mma’ɾi:a]
double z
The double z is pronounce either as [tts] or [ddz]
mezzo [‘mɛttso] nozze [‘nɔttse] pizza [‘pittsa]
mezzo [‘mɛddzo] bizzarro [bid’dzarro] gazza [ˈgaddza]
double c and g
The double c is pronounce either as [kk] or [ttʃ]
The double g is pronounce either as [gg] or [ddʒ]
staccato [stak‘kato] uccello [ut’tʃɛllo]
fugga [‘fugga] fugge [‘fuddʒe]
what are the dual pronunciations of c,g, and sc??
On the pdf
there are dual pronunciation of c, g, and sc, but there are some exceptions. what are the exceptions?
trilled – other cases
rosa [‘rɔza] raggio [‘rad:dʒo] cruda [‘kruda] fronte [‘fronte]
ingrato [iŋ’grato] parto [‘parto] giorno [‘dʒorno] morte [‘mɔrte]
parlare [par’laɾe] morir [‘moɾir] cor [‘kɔr] danzar [dan’tsar]
very trilled - when the r is doubled
terra [‘tɛrra] terrore [tɛrˈroɾe] guerra [‘gwɛrra] orrendo [ɔr’rɛndo]
correre [‘korrere]
flipped
between two vowels:
fiore [‘fjoɾe] mistero [mi’stɛɾo] severo [se’vɛɾo] mirare [mi’ɾaɾe]
- at the end of a word when the next start with a vowel:
cantar una melodia [kan’taɾ ‘una melo’dia]
