Italian Vowel
The Italian letter U has two pronunciations. The explanation and equivalents provided here are based on the closest sounds that exist in American English. Phonetic symbols are provided in [brackets].
1. The normal u sound is similar to English "oo" as in "food" and "boot." Phonetic symbol: [u].
 |
Per esempio… |
| the letter u | ||
| uno | a, one | |
| uva | grape | |
| umido | humid | |
| lunedì | Monday | |
| lattuga | lettuce | |
2. When u is followed by a or o, it diphthongs with that vowel and is pronounced much like an English "w" as in "was." Phonetic symbol: [w].
| uovo | egg | |
| tuoni | thunder | |
| acqua | water | |
| buonasera | good evening |
Hard vs soft
U is a hard vowel.
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