The Italian alphabet has 21 letters.

These letters are pronounced the same way every time, which is different from English.

Let’s look at how each letter is pronounced:

1. Vowels:

• A: like "ah"
• E: can sound like "eh" (open) or "ay" (closed)
• I: like "ee"
• O: can sound like "aw" (open) or "oh" (closed)
• U: like "oo"

2. Consonants:

• C: sounds like "k" before a, o, u; sounds like "ch" before e, i.
• G: sounds like "g" before a, o, u; sounds like "j" before e, i.
• H: Silent. It only changes how C and G sound.
• R: Rolled. This means it has a vibrating sound.
• S: Can sound like "s" or "z," depending on where it is in a word.

3. Extra Letters:

• J, K, W, X, Y: These are not part of the Italian alphabet, but you will see them in words borrowed from other languages.

Learning how to pronounce these letters correctly is important. Studies show that more than 70% of people learning a new language struggle with vowel sounds.

If beginners can get these sounds right, they will speak Italian better and improve their overall ability to use the language.