Italian vowels (i vocali) are short, clear–cut, and are never drawn out. The "glide" with which English vowels frequently end should be avoided. It should be noted that a, i, u, are always pronounced the same way; e and o, on the other hand, have an open and a closed sound that may vary from one part of Italy to the other.' [) M5 ?, M* t$ D; ^
The approximate English equivalents are as follows: 9 z8 M8 B' ~0 h6 }
a is like a in the English word ah! 6 t4 C# E! {- L: l
ItalianEnglishcasahouseantipastoappetizeramalovesbananabananasalahallPapaPopefamafamepastapasta; dough; pastry
' e6 b F" v' [4 h# d* de is sometimes like e in the English word they (without the final i glide).
0 g, { t4 s) z. d1 \ItalianEnglisheandbevedrinksmemefedefaithvedeseesmeleapplessetethirstpepepeppere is sometimes like e in the word met. This is the open e. 0 a+ ]* R3 j9 q0 c7 i
ItalianEnglishè
% }4 A4 I3 }( u M) ~: Yis* f% x9 e; t' ^( C. t, w
lento
! p. d. n$ E) @1 K# `* vslow
$ n5 K3 H0 x8 Fbene4 S5 i9 l7 E3 N2 z" H8 `4 M
well
" d# `* F: d1 y9 @! Z6 Vfesta$ @( T- f; {5 ]) y
party; holiday
2 t- X% J: Z1 f2 R7 rsedia
/ L2 R9 y$ a) M5 e5 V \chair- {* S. |2 `& R/ ?/ e; I1 j: O' O
presto
/ u+ q* P$ b) @9 J0 N4 ?* C/ z; Lsoon
6 y% b; ?# |# x, W3 |3 @! Evento# c( V; k& v5 x, l1 O/ r
wind
; Z; l9 \: j2 \ [+ f3 ]tè" b3 l D3 n: U+ G) D+ X
tea8 H9 M6 D9 k+ o5 |( U* d7 R
9 A2 @# Q$ p$ X" G; }7 c/ {7 z
i is like i in machine.
; d' V7 g8 C1 s+ C. XItalian4 J/ |. v; w+ o6 e- g" \; r% v
Englishlibri- G# l+ a0 D0 M0 @. @9 k6 U
books x9 F) {2 B' V( `
bimbi
' v2 q1 N. F4 S6 ?children
& w4 x: q2 f. y* I) q% f8 R ?vini; {) P1 ]* F2 x P
wines
, O, w& }( L' U( wviolini
3 v J* I) e, G% ^& O4 z" F& O" U! zviolins
4 f! Q- c7 u5 }& B1 s) E1 Ntini
, f6 j9 ?8 z4 T, p* Bvats
, y9 I; }6 I! {& l' B# E3 Mpini" H3 _6 ~' b3 ~- x* j8 |! w
pines |