View source for Help:IPA/Italian

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{{about|IPA for Standard Italian|the help page regarding IPA for Italian dialects|Help:IPA/Italian dialects}}
{{IPA key|H:IPA-IT|H:IPAIT|H:IPAITA}}

The charts below show how the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] represents pronunciations of [[Italian language|Standard Italian]] in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see [[Template:IPA]] and {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation#Entering IPA characters}}.

See [[Italian phonology]] and [[Italian orthography]] for a more thorough look at the sounds of standard Italian.

{| style="background: none"
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em;"
! colspan="3" | [[Consonant]]s<ref>Except {{IPAslink|z}}, all consonants after a vowel and before {{IPA|/r/}}, {{IPA|/l/}}, a vowel or a semivowel may be [[geminated]]. Gemination in IPA is represented by doubling the consonant (''fatto'' {{IPA|[ˈfatto]}}, ''mezzo'' {{IPA|[ˈmɛddzo]}}), and can usually be told from orthography. After stressed vowels and certain prepositions and conjunctions, word-initial consonants also become geminated ([[syntactic gemination]]): ''va '''v'''ia'' {{IPA|[ˌva vˈviːa]}}.</ref>
|-
! [[Help:IPA|IPA]] !! Examples !! English approximation
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|b}}</big>
| '''b'''anca, ci'''b'''o
| a'''b'''out
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|d̪|d}}</big>
| '''d'''ove, i'''d'''ra, '''d'''a'''d'''o
| to'''d'''ay
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|d̪͡z̪|dz}}</big>
| '''z'''aino, a'''z'''alea, me'''zz'''o<ref name="z">{{angbr|z}} represents both {{IPA|/ts/}} and {{IPA|/dz/}}. The article on [[Italian orthography#S and Z|Italian orthography]] explains how they are used.</ref><ref name="geminated"/>
| da'''ds'''
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|d͡ʒ|dʒ}}</big>
| '''g'''elo, '''gi'''ù, ma'''g'''ia
| '''j'''ob
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|f}}</big>
| '''f'''atto, ci'''f'''ra, '''f'''on
| '''f'''ast
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ɡ}}</big>
| '''g'''atto, a'''g'''ro, '''gh'''etto, '''g'''licosio<ref name=gli>{{angbr|gli}} represents {{IPA|/ʎ/}} or {{IPA|/ʎi/}}, except in roots of Greek origin, when preceded by another consonant, and in a few other words, where it represents {{IPA|/ɡli/}}.</ref>
| a'''g'''ain
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|k}}</big>
| '''c'''osa, a'''c'''uto, fin'''ch'''é, '''q'''uei, '''k'''iwi, '''k'''oala
| s'''c'''ar
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|l}}</big>
| '''l'''ato, te'''l'''a, g'''l'''icosio<ref name=gli/>
| '''l'''adder
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ʎ}}</big>
| fi'''gl'''i, '''gli'''elo, ma'''gli'''a<ref name="geminated">{{IPA|/ts, dz, ʃ, ɲ, ʎ/}} are always [[geminated]] after a vowel.</ref>
| bi'''lli'''on
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|m}}</big>
| '''m'''ano, a'''m'''are<ref name="nasal">A [[nasal consonant|nasal]] always [[Assimilation (phonology)|assimilates]] to the [[place of articulation]] of the following consonant. It is [[bilabial consonant|bilabial]] {{IPA|[m]}} before {{IPA|/p, b, m/}}, [[labiodental consonant|labiodental]] {{IPA|[ɱ]}} before {{IPA|/f, v/}}, [[dental consonant|dental]], [[alveolar consonant|alveolar]] or [[postalveolar consonant|postalveolar]] {{IPA|[n]}} before {{IPA|/t, d, ts, dz, tʃ, dʒ, ʃ, l, r/}}, and [[velar consonant|velar]] {{IPA|[ŋ]}} before {{IPA|/k, ɡ/}}. Utterance-finally, it is always {{IPA|[n]}}.</ref>
| '''m'''other
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ɱ}}</big>
|a'''n'''fibio, i'''n'''vece<ref name=nasal/>
|co'''m'''fort
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|n}}</big>
| '''n'''a'''n'''o, pu'''n'''to, pe'''n'''sare, ma'''n'''giare<ref name="nasal"/>
| '''n'''est
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ŋ}}</big>
| u'''n'''ghia, a'''n'''che, du'''n'''que<ref name="nasal"/>
| si'''ng'''
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ɲ}}</big>
| '''gn'''occo, o'''gn'''i<ref name="geminated"/><ref name="nasal"/>
| ca'''ny'''on
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|p}}</big>
| '''p'''rimo, am'''p'''io, a'''p'''ertura
| s'''p'''in
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|r}}</big>
| '''R'''oma, quatt'''r'''o, mo'''r'''te<ref>Non-geminate {{IPA|/r/}} is generally realised as a monovibrant trill or flap {{IPAblink|ɾ}}, particularly in unstressed syllables.</ref>
| ''[[alveolar trill|trilled r]]''
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|s̪|s}}</big>
| '''s'''ano, '''s'''cusa, pre'''s'''entire, pa'''s'''to<ref name="s-z">{{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/z/}} contrast only intervocalically. Word-initially, after consonants, when geminated, and before voiceless consonants, only {{IPA|[s]}} is found. Before voiced consonants, only {{IPA|[z]}} is found.</ref>
| '''s'''orry
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ʃ}}</big>
| '''sc'''ena, '''sci'''à, pe'''sc'''i<ref name="geminated"/>
| '''sh'''oe
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|t̪|t}}</big>
| '''t'''ranne, mi'''t'''o, al'''t'''ro
| s'''t'''ar
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|t̪͡s̪|ts}}</big>
| '''z'''io, so'''zz'''o, mar'''z'''o<ref name="z"/><ref name="geminated"/>
| ca'''ts'''
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|t͡ʃ|tʃ}}</big>
| '''c'''erto, '''ci'''ao, farma'''c'''ia
| '''ch'''eck
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|v}}</big>
| '''v'''ado, po'''v'''ero
| '''v'''ent
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|z̪|z}}</big>
| '''s'''birro, pre'''s'''entare, a'''s'''ma<ref name="s-z"/>
| ama'''z'''on
|-
! colspan="3" | Non-native consonants
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|h}}</big>
| '''h'''obby, '''h'''ertz<ref>{{IPA|/h/}} is usually dropped.</ref>
| '''h'''ouse
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|θ}}</big>
| '''Th'''atcher, Pére'''z'''<ref>{{IPA|/θ/}} is usually pronounced as {{IPAblink|t̪|t}} in [[English language|English]] loanwords, and {{IPAblink|d̪͡z̪|dz}}, {{IPAblink|t̪͡s̪|ts}} (if spelled {{angbr|z}}) or {{IPAblink|s̪|s}} (if spelled {{angbr|c}} or {{angbr|z}}) in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ones.</ref>
| '''th'''ing
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|x}}</big>
| '''j'''ota, Ba'''ch''', '''kh'''amsin<ref>In Spanish loanwords, {{IPA|/x/}} is usually pronounced as {{IPAblink|h}} or {{IPAblink|k}} or dropped. In [[German language|German]], [[Arabic]] and [[Russian language|Russian]] ones, it is usually pronounced {{IPAblink|k}}.</ref>
| lo'''ch''' (''[[Scottish English]]'')
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ʒ}}</big>
| Fu'''j'''i, gara'''g'''e, ca'''s'''ual
| vi'''si'''on
|}
<!---------- Vowels ---------->
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 2em;"
! colspan="3" | [[Vowel]]s<ref>Italian contrasts seven [[monophthong]]s in stressed syllables. Open-mid vowels {{IPA|/ɛ, ɔ/}} can appear only if the syllable is stressed (''cop'''e'''rto'' {{IPA|[koˈpɛrto]}}, ''qu'''o'''ta'' {{IPA|[ˈkwɔːta]}}), close-mid vowels {{IPA|/e, o/}} are found elsewhere (''B'''o'''ccacci'''o''''' {{IPA|[bokˈkattʃo]}}, ''am'''o'''r'''e''''' {{IPA|[aˈmoːre]}}). Close and open vowels {{IPA|/i, u, a/}} are unchanged in unstressed syllables, but word-final unstressed {{IPA|/i/}} may become approximant {{IPAblink|j}} before vowels, which is known as [[synalepha]] (''par'''i''' età'' {{IPA|[ˌparj eˈta]}}).</ref>
|-
! [[Help:IPA|IPA]] !! Examples !! English approximation
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ä|a}}</big>
| '''a'''lto, s'''a'''r'''à'''
| f'''a'''st (''[[Scottish English]]'')
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|e}}</big>
| v'''e'''ro, p'''e'''rch'''é'''
| f'''a'''de 
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ɛ}}</big>
| '''e'''tto, cio'''è'''
| b'''e'''d
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|i}}</big>
| v'''i'''so, s'''ì''', z'''i'''a  
|sk'''i'''
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|o}}</big>
| '''o'''mbra, ott'''o'''
| st'''o'''ry
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ɔ}}</big>
| '''o'''tto, sar'''ò'''
| '''o'''ff
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|u}}</big>
| '''u'''si, rag'''ù''', t'''u'''o
| r'''u'''le
|-
! colspan="3" | Non-native vowels
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ø}}</big>
| viv'''eu'''r, g'''oe'''thiano, Ch'''u'''rchill<ref>Open-mid {{IPAblink|œ}} or close-mid {{IPAblink|ø}} if it is stressed but usually {{IPAblink|ø}} if it is unstressed. May be replaced by {{IPAblink|ɛ}} (stressed) or {{IPAblink|e}} (stressed or unstressed).</ref>
| m'''ur'''der (''[[Received Pronunciation|RP]]'')
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|y}}</big>
| par'''u'''re, br'''û'''lé, F'''üh'''rer<ref>{{IPA|/y/}} is often pronounced as {{IPAblink|u}} or [{{IPA link|j}}{{IPA link|u}}].</ref>
| f'''u'''ture (''[[Scottish English]]'')
|-
| colspan="3" style="border-left: #fff solid 1px; border-right: #fff solid 1px" | &nbsp;
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Semivowel]]s
|-
! [[Help:IPA|IPA]] !! Examples !! English approximation
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|j}}</big>
| '''i'''eri, sa'''i'''o, p'''i'''ù, '''J'''esi
| '''y'''es
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|w}}</big>
| '''u'''ova, g'''u'''ado, q'''u'''i
| '''w'''ine
|-
| colspan="3" style="border-left: #fff solid 1px; border-right: #fff solid 1px" | &nbsp;
|-
! colspan="3" | [[International Phonetic Alphabet#Suprasegmentals|Suprasegmentals]]
|-
! [[Help:IPA|IPA]] !! Examples !! Explanation
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ˈ}}</big>
| Cen'''ni'''ni {{IPA|[tʃenˈniːni]}}
| [[Stress (linguistics)#Levels of stress|primary stress]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ˌ}}</big>
| '''al'''tamente {{IPA|[ˌaltaˈmente]}}
| [[secondary stress]]<ref>Since Italian does not distinguish [[Vowel reduction|full and reduced vowels]] (like the English ''o'' in ''c'''o'''nclusion'' vs ''o'' in ''n'''o'''mination''), a defined secondary stress, even in long words, is extremely rare.</ref>
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|.}}</big>
| contin'''uo''' {{IPA|[konˈtiːnu.o]}}
| [[Syllabification|syllable break]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | <big>{{IPA link|ː}}</big>
| pr'''i'''mo {{IPA|[ˈpriːmo]}}
| [[Vowel length|long vowel]]<ref>Primarily stressed vowels are long in non-final open syllables: ''fato'' {{IPA|[ˈfaːto]}}, ''fatto'' {{IPA|[ˈfatto]}}.</ref>
|}
|}

==See also==
*{{clc|Pages with Italian IPA|pages}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal
|last1=Bertinetto
|first1=Pier Marco
|last2=Loporcaro
|first2=Michele
|year=2005
|title=The sound pattern of Standard Italian, as compared with the varieties spoken in Florence, Milan and Rome
|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association
|volume=35
|issue=2
|pages=131–151
|doi=10.1017/S0025100305002148
|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/3BD6A21BBF1225A1ED46F6E984131AD3/S0025100305002148a.pdf/sound_pattern_of_standard_italian_as_compared_with_the_varieties_spoken_in_florence_milan_and_rome.pdf
}}
*{{cite journal
|last1=Rogers
|first1=Derek
|last2=d'Arcangeli
|first2=Luciana
|year=2004
|title=Italian
|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association
|volume=34
|issue=1
|pages=117–121
|doi=10.1017/S0025100304001628
|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/426259D72EEC9F71664AC2F2D3A0FD30/S0025100304001628a.pdf/italian.pdf
}}

==External links==
* {{lang|it|[https://www.dizionario.rai.it/p.aspx?nID{{=}}apertura Dizionario italiano multimediale e multilingue d'ortografia e di pronunzia]}} {{In lang|it}} [not based on IPA]
* {{lang|it|[http://www.dipionline.it/ Dizionario di pronuncia italiana online]}} by [[Luciano Canepari]] {{In lang|it}} [phonemic, based on IPA]

{{IPA keys}}