Speak Italian clearly: free pronunciation test and tips
Find out how clear your Italian pronunciation is. Take the free Italian pronunciation test, get a score for every word you say, and learn the sounds Italian learners find hardest. For daily practice, Flai Speaking gives you an AI coach to talk to in Italian.
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The hardest Italian sounds for learners
Double consonants
A double consonant is held longer than a single one, with a short pause before it is released. It changes meaning: pala (shovel) and palla (ball), caro (dear) and carro (cart), sete (thirst) and sette (seven). Hold the consonant about twice as long and keep the vowel before it short.
Soft and hard C and G
Before e and i, c and g are soft: cena sounds like 'chena', gelato starts like 'j' in 'jam'. Before a, o and u they are hard (casa, gatto), and an h keeps them hard before e and i (chiesa, spaghetti). In ciao and giorno the i only softens the sound and is not said on its own.
The Italian R
Italian R is made with the tip of the tongue against the ridge behind your top teeth. A single r between vowels is one quick tap (caro, sera), while rr and an r at the start of a word are rolled with several taps (carro, Roma). Never use the English R.
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