Italian Letter Combination
The letter combination CH is pronounced [k].
 |
Per esempio… |
| che | what | |
| lumache | snails | |
| chi | who | |
| chiaro | light (color) | |
| mi chiamo | my name is |
For a doubled (stronger) [k] sound, add an extra C before CH:
| zucchero | sugar | |
| specchio | mirror | |
| tacchino | turkey | |
| chiacchierone | chatty |
Note that CH is only ever found in front of the soft vowels E and I – H is added to make the C hard. In front of hard vowels (A, O, U), the letter C is already a hard k sound.
Also see SCH.
Related lessons
- Letters: C | H
- Hard and soft vowels
- Italian alphabet
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