Alcune lettere cambiano suono a seconda della vocale che segue e dalla combinazione con altre lettere.
(Some letters change their sound depending on the vowel that follows and the combination with other letters.)
- C and G are soft before 'E' and 'I'. Example: 'Ciao', 'Gelato'
- SC is soft before 'E' and 'I': scena.
- GN and GL form unique sounds: bagno, famiglia.
| Lettera | Pronuncia | Esempio |
|---|---|---|
| C/G + E/I | Soft sound like 'ch' and 'j' in English | Ciao (Hello) Gelato (Ice cream) |
| C/G + A/O/U | Hard sound like 'k' and 'g' of game | Cane (Dog) Gatto (Cat) |
| CH/GH + E/I | Chiave (Key) Ghiaccio (Ice) | |
| SC + E/I | Sounds like 'sh' in English | Scena (Scene) |
| SC + A/O/U | Sounds /sk/ | Scuola (School) |
| GN | Sounds like the 'ñ' in Spanish | Bagno (Bathroom) |
| GL + I | Sounds like the 'll' in Spanish | Famiglia (Family) |
| Z | Could be voiced and voiceless | Zaino (Backpack) Pizza (Pizza) |
| CC, GG, LL, TT, ... | Double consonants are pronounced longer | Fratello (Brother) Otto (Eight) |
