Italian words are divided into syllables as follows:- j5 s$ `) s* d& G2 Q$ I
A single consonant goes with the following vowel.
) T1 D8 j/ E4 D2 i$ x9 k& p0 c Italian English% F# T9 O% P s! x- K
ca–sa house
' v' E/ v9 L+ P9 | po–si–ti–vo positive' H/ e7 z2 q, L. S
Double consonants are divided.
, K: w, [' S$ w Italian English
* s+ x) i8 j/ X7 ~8 J/ g* E bab–bo dad
4 r. r4 i& O! h$ Q ros–so red: f7 i% V( W" w3 @4 j
bel–lo beautiful
* }* S& x0 R' v9 j2 Y/ ]. K. z at–to act: X' e7 Q6 r8 A" h! D8 a I6 K
Two consonants, the first of which is l, m, n, or r, are divided.5 }- i( }# p ?) [+ R
Italian English
8 {. z+ `! F5 j! ? al–ber–go hotel6 p9 N4 H8 T8 Z3 i% z! u+ \9 N
con–ten–to contented% s( ?5 g+ \! F# l% K
am–pio ample
* c3 A8 e1 s( C G! V! G for–tu–na fortune E; F" u1 l; _( v5 o" G/ z2 C
Otherwise, a combination of two consonants belongs to the following syllable.
, f4 y3 \& G+ S' l+ @5 N* Z; b Italian English
2 q4 S% N+ n$ i$ d ba–sta enough
% D7 J) U3 J& L; s fi–glio son' Z ]3 V' m. o, U* R9 x5 {8 ?, `
pa–dre father
+ F$ H4 h( l+ C# ]. {" Q ba–gno bath
$ X8 q7 I, U* A# x7 A: F so–pra above
6 b# X1 E; J, S& G# \ sa–cro sacred/ D& ^! m! b) Z0 d- ^$ ^. k
The first of three consonants, except s, goes with the preceding syllable.
( x- E% p% V3 k. l Italian English9 k% u2 n* F4 s/ N2 `6 d% k3 Y
sem–pre always) T( c2 c7 O1 [$ A
fel–tro felt3 d8 f& u) U; x0 S; A
mem–bro member# V6 M. Y2 O, v$ x- U
men–tre while
$ P9 Y% p6 J, L7 L BUT1 _. {& c2 |- }) \
Italian English
4 E- Y0 L9 a( H) @9 a5 b fi–ne–stra window9 T1 l% U: A0 v) @2 C, o- v7 z
pe–sche peaches
/ W$ o/ e$ q8 Y f8 G mi–ne–stra soup
/ ~) }7 o4 U0 {8 y1 a mo–stro monster
! j: L9 {- y2 X7 r# d Diphthongs and triphthongs are never divided.8 g# \9 b; T B5 i; B
Italian English8 l1 V3 A* r d, C0 B" z; y4 |
nuo–vo new) h7 q3 U" U& G4 ~: @ m4 W2 i, |
mie–le honey
$ ]6 D3 r! O4 \$ e' z8 \# { per–fi–dia spite
) ~: x" d. g3 F1 N L0 L uo–mo man
/ f* x2 \! Y0 H. ]8 O mai never1 J/ k5 s. R6 |. n& b" s
lin–gua language% o+ h/ _" N0 t
suoi his
! L! Q, ^3 m' o6 x' f, g pi–gliai I took! b8 h" N l# L6 @
Diphthongs may occur in stressed or unstressed syllables. However, when a diphthong is broken by stress (the vowel i or u directly bears the stress), then the two vowels break into separate syllables.
" e, @, _ a; O2 h# V& m' i- X, e) e Italian English
3 T7 E' x: _9 W: e8 _) f mi–o mine
/ C/ e1 ]0 U' [7 n% [* P8 j$ g tu–o yours5 I% Q I8 M/ c' q
spi–a spy
4 R( z2 n2 A# P7 u. q ma–ni–a mania
) u; O# U- Y/ A4 g# Z rin–vi–o postponement0 v; t# p+ K7 [5 P3 g2 @ ]
te–ra–pi–a therapy0 D0 t4 S, m1 @/ F: C9 J$ R
al–le–gri–a joy% H/ `1 N+ g" T7 L9 X
far–ma–ci–a pharmacy |