LinguaEvery letter group on one page
This unit added the rules that make Italian spelling predictable. The letter AFTER c, g or sc decides the sound; an h keeps it hard, a silent i keeps it soft; gli and gn are single sounds; a double consonant is held longer; and the stress, when it is on the last vowel, is written. Here is everything in one table.
| Spelling | Sound | Words |
|---|---|---|
| ca, co, cu, che, chi | k | casa, chiave |
| ce, ci, cia, cio, ciu | ch of “church” | cena, ciao |
| ga, go, gu, ghe, ghi | g of “go” | gola, funghi |
| ge, gi, gia, gio, giu | j of “jam” | gelato, giallo |
| gli | a soft l, as in “million” | famiglia |
| gn | ny, as in “canyon” | montagna |
| sca, sco, scu, sche, schi | sk | scuola |
| sce, sci, scia, scio | sh of “ship” | pesce, sciarpa |
g, h, i: three letters, a hard g and an i – “ghee”.
s, c, i: before i the group sc is one soft “sh” sound.
Try the rules on two new words. giugno (June): gi before u – soft, the i silent; then gn – “JOO-nyo”. cucchiaio (spoon): cu – hard; cch before i – hard and doubled; then i-a-i-o – “kook-KYA-yo”.
Ciao, signora! Grazie per la cena.Bye, madam! Thank you for dinner.
Gli spaghetti sono sul tavolo.The spaghetti is on the table.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la chiave | key | La chiave della camera. The room key. |
| il gelato | ice cream | Un gelato, per favore! An ice cream, please! |
| i funghi | mushrooms | Funghi e formaggio. Mushrooms and cheese. |
| la famiglia | family | La mia famiglia è qui. My family is here. |
| il bagno | bathroom; bath | Il bagno è libero? Is the bathroom free? |
| il pesce | fish | Il pesce è fresco. The fish is fresh. |
| la sciarpa | scarf | La sciarpa è gialla. The scarf is yellow. |
| la pizza | pizza | Una pizza per due. A pizza for two. |
| sette | seven | Alle sette. At seven. |
| la notte | night | Di notte. At night. |
| il telefono | telephone, phone | Dov'è il telefono? Where is the phone? |
| la macchina | car | La macchina è nuova. The car is new. |
Exercises
This lesson has 11 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 4
- trace the letter: 3
- fill the gap: 2
- match the pairs: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
In which word is an i written but not pronounced?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.