Italian double consonants/Italian double consonants
How to pronounce Italian double consonants? There are sixteen consonants (b-c-d-f-g-h-l-m-n-p-q-r-s-t-v-z) in the Italian alphabet.
The pronunciation of consonants changes when they double. It is necessary to know the difference between the correct pronunciation of the letter when it is doubled or not.
1. All consonants can be doubled in a word, except (h) and (q).
| la lettera e la pronuncia (the letter and the pronunciation) | esempio (example) | la pronuncia (the pronunciation) |
| b [b] | cambia fiaba | [kambja] [fjaba] |
| bb [bb] | rabbia nebbia | [rabbja] [nebbja] |
| c [k] | eco baco | [ษko] [bako] |
| cc [kk] | ecco bacco | [ษkko] [bakko] |
| c [tส] | cacio aceto | [katสo] [a’tสeto] |
| cc [ttส] | caccia accetto | [kattสa] [at’tสetto] |
| d [d] | caldo | [kaldo] |
| dd [dd] | freddo | [freddo] |
| f [f] | stufa | [stufa] |
| ff [ff] | stoffa | [stษffa] |
| g [g] | frigo lego | [frigo] [lego] |
| gg [gg] | friggo leggo | [friggo] [leggo] |
| g [สค] | regia | [re’สคia] |
| gg [dสค] | reggia | [redสคa] |
| I [I] | vale pala | [vale] [pala] |
| II [II] | valle palla | [valle] [palla] |
| m [m] | ama camino | [ama] [ka’mino] |
| mm [mm] | mamma cammino | [mam’ma] [kam’mino] |
| n [n] | nono tono | [nษno] [tono] |
| nn [nn] | nonno tonno | [nษnno] [tonno] |
| P [P] | papa copia | [pa’pa] [kษpja] |
| PP [PP] | pappa coppia | [pappa] [kษppja/koppja] |
| r [r] | sera coro | [sera] [kษro] |
| rr [rr] | serra corro | [sษrra] [kษrro] |
| s [s] [z] | casa mese | [kasa/kaza] [mese/meze] |
| ss [ss] | cassa messe | [kassa] [mษsse] |
| t [t] | latina note | [la’tina] [note] |
| tt [tt] | lattina notte | [lat’tina] [nษtte] |
| v [v] | evitare evento | [evi’tare] [e’vษnto] |
| vv [vv] | avvitare avvento | [avvi’tare] [av’vษnto] |
| z [ts] | scalzo | [skaltso] |
| z [tts] | struzzo | [struttso] |
| z [dz] | zero | [dzษro] |
| zz [ddz] | azzurro | [ad’dzurro] |
2. When (gli – gn) or (sci – sce ) comes between two vowels they have a double sound even if they don’t have a double letter.
| gli | pronuncia (pronunciation) | gn | pronuncia (pronunciation) | sce/sci | pronuncia (pronunciation) |
| aglio (garlic) | [aสสo] | bagno (bath) | [baษฒษฒo] | pesce (fish) | [‘pสสe] |
| figlio (son) | [fiสสo] | pugno (punch) | [puษฒษฒo] | ascensore (elevator) | [aสสen’sore] |
| foglio (sheet) | [fษสสo] | sogno (dream) | [soษฒษฒo] | ruscello (stream) | [ruส’สษllo] |
| luglio (July) | [luสสo] | bisogna (need) | [bi’zoษฒษฒa] | asciugamano (towel) | [aส’สuga’mano] |
| meglio (better) | [mษสสo] | lasagna (lasagna) | [la’zaษฒษฒa] | cuscino (cushion) | [kuส’สino] |
| legno (wood) | [leษฒษฒo] | spugna (sponge) | [spuษฒษฒa] | fascia (bandage) | [faสสa] |
3. The consonant z is pronounced as if it were a double when it comes between two vowels or in the following cases:
A). In nouns ending with -ion:
- Azione (action)
- Lezione (lesson)
- Informazione (information)
B). In nouns ending in -zia, -zie, -zio:
- polizia (police)
- delizie (delights)
- giudizio(judgment)
- spazio(space)
4. The doubling of (q) is written (cq).
- Acqua (Water)
- Acquistare (Purchase)
- Acquirente (Buyer)
- Acquario (Aquarium)
- Acquedotto (Aqueduct)
- Acquerello (Watercolor)
Only the words exist with a double (q) in italian
- Soqquadro (Upside down)
- Soqquadrare (to mess up)
5. The consonants (g) and (z) do not double before (-ion).
- stagione (season)
- ragione (reason)
- carnagione (complexion)
- azione (action)
- correzione (correction)
- stazione (station)
6. The consonant (b) does not doubled before (-ile).
- mobile (mobile)
- terribile (terrible)
- usabile (usable)
- amabile (lovable)
- trasportabile (transportable)
- bevibile (bevibile)
- mangiabile (eatable)
Next lesson:
Opposizioni fonologiche 1 / Phonological oppositions 1.