Stress / Accento Tonico0 W9 s' o- }+ H3 O
Usually, Italian words are stressed on the next–to–the–last syllable.+ ]. u7 T1 B0 I
amico friend
6 p7 l9 n b- S foglia leaf
6 q* s: R& F' j! z! D Milano Milan% a% x; ^8 e [+ O* y) {6 Z' p' ~
nipote nephew
1 I6 x5 [4 P1 {7 Z& Z padre father
# n4 N2 K# k1 c2 s. u/ K0 m. ] parlare to speak" T% ]7 }+ f: q% V+ N1 H8 W3 _- k+ t
signorina Miss
) f5 w( j, j! |2 b/ i0 y j studiare to study
$ f& _0 S' r. E( v& j telefonare to telephone0 L1 `1 c8 L- t: o6 B+ c+ O
uomo man- E4 |$ b1 C+ W% W! v
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.
) G' R/ \8 p$ T, d/ v6 n& {& ^ dottore doctor
! B0 D( |" _. z0 |& ? dottor Nardi Doctor Nardi
" B2 v) _ Z( B$ U professore professor2 b: b, S; S: o$ g! p
professor Pace professor Pace6 H( m: D* L- H9 S, V$ Q
When words are stressed on the last vowel, they always have a written accent over that vowel
) |. o5 T1 {6 z- D z9 m cioè namely
: @$ L7 J$ Z+ I( m città city
O5 Q) q* J5 J perchè because
: ~2 T/ f2 L; q+ F però however/ R% g& U1 v% ~ B- i
tassì taxi
) Z8 Q- @$ N' Z* A# v- p- k università university# E2 y( Z b* Q3 P; }: I1 \$ f7 O
venerdì Friday6 z# C; J9 e. D. o# v R5 N
virtù virtue7 M8 A! e' _ f
It is useful to remember that open e and o occur only in stressed syllables.# a5 s7 I; f" j5 u& o) P. p$ Y$ k) X
automobile automobile1 E* H' O, ?& X# D; s R
medico physician
7 \8 W, ^7 k; B6 T C# [8 v: { nobile noble
; b* d' j$ P1 E" N- o telefono telephone+ S" m1 J8 T+ B, _
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.9 N$ V7 u2 D/ s( S
dà gives
3 q" ?7 i: E$ k2 M( K6 S8 | da from
! [1 l1 O" Y- J4 q9 k9 u6 u è is
. _. K! N: r$ x4 X, l6 E e and# }6 K& i* M% y+ S0 X* }) B7 e# C
là there: v; W8 M1 h' g5 H% S2 y0 J1 g
la the; it; her- G6 E k4 @7 m1 w- L# C
né nor D9 M$ u) L" s! ?7 J
ne some( c5 A8 n+ e3 W L6 e
sé himself, herself/ ?+ L( N3 q" q' n, G
se if
' `$ g. w0 o7 B8 z8 ?; ] sì yes/ W4 c" }: |8 h7 M4 a
si oneself |