The Alphabet and Spelling
English · Türkçe
Welcome to Unit 1!
In this lesson, you will learn how the letters of the alphabet sound in Italian. Knowing the alphabet helps you spell your name and understand words when people spell them out for you.
The Italian Alphabet
Italian uses a 21-letter alphabet. The letters j, k, w, x, and y only appear in foreign words.
- A sounds like ‘ah’ (e.g., amico)
- E sounds like ‘eh’ (e.g., eco)
- I sounds like ‘ee’ (e.g., isola)
- O sounds like ‘oh’ (e.g., orso)
- U sounds like ‘oo’ (e.g., uva)
Common Mistakes
English speakers often mispronounce the vowels. Remember that Italian vowels are short and crisp, never gliding into a ‘y’ or ‘w’ sound.
| Letter | Italian Name |
|---|---|
| A | a |
| B | bi |
| C | ci |
Words
alfabeto
alphabet
L'alfabeto è facile.The alphabet is easy.
lettera
letter
Questa è una lettera.This is a letter.
nome
name
Qual è il tuo nome?What is your name?
come
how
Come ti chiami?What is your name?
si
yes
Sì, capisco.Yes, I understand.
no
no
No, grazie.No, thank you.
grazie
thank you
Grazie mille.Thanks a lot.
prego
you're welcome
Prego, signore.You're welcome, sir.
ciao
hello / goodbye
Ciao, come stai?Hi, how are you?
buongiorno
good morning
Buongiorno a tutti.Good morning everyone.
signore
sir / mister
Buongiorno, signore.Good morning, sir.
signora
madam / mrs
Salve, signora.Hello, madam.
scusa
excuse me (informal)
Scusa, come ti chiami?Excuse me, what is your name?
piacere
nice to meet you
Piacere di conoscerti.Nice to meet you.
parlare
to speak
Parli italiano?Do you speak Italian?
lingua
language
L'italiano è una bella lingua.Italian is a beautiful language.
Lessons are prepared with the help of AI.
Patterns
Come si scrive ___?
How do you spell ___? (used to ask for the spelling of a word)
Come si scrive nome?How do you spell name?
Si scrive ___.
It is spelled ___. (used to give the spelling)
Si scrive c-i-a-o.It is spelled c-i-a-o.