Stress / Accento Tonico
' m$ I1 _) N K+ a Usually, Italian words are stressed on the next–to–the–last syllable.
; Q B. {+ n5 k) | amico friend
/ @8 x; Y8 P2 c- U- n8 ? foglia leaf
- J# P5 U/ [% L Milano Milan3 |( I) m; W' ~* F
nipote nephew) b" f) `9 ~9 l& x( H
padre father
0 @* f; ~+ p9 P! _ parlare to speak! y4 G! `5 g2 u- e* G; F
signorina Miss
& w. O) q! |" N& Q) x/ _' z9 B studiare to study. P* F W" o8 K4 J
telefonare to telephone( \" t3 m7 t0 V% n* x# f+ E
uomo man
4 |0 ~9 Q9 ?) `( T4 e When the final –e is dropped from a word, as happens with some masculine titles when they are directly followed by a proper name, the position of the stress remains unchanged.4 L$ N+ T8 m' D' @: _2 t
dottore doctor
0 d( k/ u# ]0 n9 u w dottor Nardi Doctor Nardi
9 Y" e% M( `3 y# Q: G professore professor3 X1 |8 {% R% |. V" ]) @
professor Pace professor Pace$ d( l3 L3 c9 Y- K2 z
When words are stressed on the last vowel, they always have a written accent over that vowel2 J# G. L& m3 O& j
cioè namely5 _; ^& D8 B$ N0 v( o
città city1 ~1 h( [! u$ C/ _; G# C; Y
perchè because/ \8 e+ f% j2 p
però however
5 B1 j4 \7 c. a6 x5 L tassì taxi
% d' \# f6 {7 `; s università university" @' l: |6 k$ F4 @! O/ C
venerdì Friday
0 ?" D" d$ S+ f/ m' J& K1 i virtù virtue
6 }; k& t0 R9 ~6 b5 }( V It is useful to remember that open e and o occur only in stressed syllables.
7 b3 m$ X2 w* C d automobile automobile9 O* Q! V6 w: J( v! l6 r+ Q
medico physician
9 L% |1 Q* R% a, Y' H6 z nobile noble
+ l- l. T1 \& ^0 c4 S% C telefono telephone* Z# B. N! Z" ^! P" L; K
Note: The written accent is used with a few monosyllables in order to distinguish them from others that have the same spelling but a different meaning.5 t" B& e6 p1 q7 w
dà gives
/ ?& _& P1 \/ v* e- H: {- o/ m da from8 y" f0 b4 A; c6 A. L* P
è is5 U o5 v+ F9 P: v
e and+ {7 Z( k T6 V- N! `& ]
là there3 q$ R* ?$ L6 x( @$ w, b0 ~+ o
la the; it; her3 @- k& L; Q3 C ^$ `0 ~3 [- l$ x
né nor
& V8 C2 r2 Y) X" u7 { ne some9 B! i9 O& M$ }: a1 L
sé himself, herself- ~9 z" G7 r# i' H) l! d' O' S
se if
: U( q) A1 w/ X n, b: o sì yes
' \( w) L7 K: L- I6 k3 l/ w si oneself |