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Italian loanwords

Italian pronunciation is regular and worth learning as a set: ch is always a hard k (bruschetta), gn is ny (gnocchi), and every vowel is pronounced, including final ones. Double consonants are genuinely held longer. Get these two rules and the whole menu opens up.


15 words · intermediate · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.