Italian sounds: double consonants
In Italian, words with double consonants are pronounced differently. Basically, double consonants are pronounced with a longer sound than single consonants.
To help you with pronunciation we can divide double consonants in two groups:
- those that have an apparently more forceful pronunciation.
- those that just have a longer sound than single consonants.
Double consonants pronounced more forcefully
(-pp-; -bb-; -tt-; -dd-; -zz; -cc; -gg)
| Italian | Phonetic symbol | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| coppia | pp | couple |
| dubbio | bb | doubt |
| gatto | tt | cat |
| freddo | dd | cold |
| ragazzo | tts | boy |
| razzo | ddz | rocket |
| pacco | kk | pack |
| faccia | ttʃ | face |
| leggo | gg | I read |
| maggio | ddʒ | May |
Double consonants pronounced longer
(-ll-; rr-; -mm-; -nn-; -ff-; -vv-; -ss-)
| Italian | Phonetic symbol | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| bello | ll | beautiful |
| birra | rr | beer |
| mamma | mm | mum |
| anno | nn | year |
| baffi | ff | mustache |
| davvero | vv | really |
| basso | ss | short |
