English Pronunciation for Italian Speakers
Your strengths first, then the fixes that change how clearly you are understood.
PDF · 112 KB
First language
If your first language is Italian
These are the patterns Italian speakers bring most often. Nothing here is a mistake — it is your first language doing exactly what it always does. Each row says where the fix lives.
| The challenge | What often happens | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| A vowel escapes at the end | 'dog' → 'dog-uh', 'big' → 'big-uh' | see the tip |
| The TH sounds | 'think' → 'tink' or 'sink', 'this' → 'dis' | The TH Sound |
| The H sound | 'house' → 'ouse', 'hello' → 'ello' | Silent T and H |
| Ship vs sheep | one Italian 'i' serves for both | Long vs Short Vowels |
| Cat vs bet | 'cat' → 'ket', 'bad' → 'bed' | Short Vowels |
| The NG sound | 'sing' → 'sing-g', 'singer' → 'sin-ger' | The NG Sound |
| The English R | a trill or tap stands in for the curl | The English R |
| Stress and the weak vowel | every vowel keeps full value; nothing relaxes | Word Stress |
A note on sources. These rows come from the Italian guide. Speak Clearly carries first-language sections for six languages and Italian is not one of them — the book still covers every sound above, just not in a section written for Italian speakers.
Free
The Italian guide
The full guide: what you already do well, the fixes that matter most, and minimal pairs to practise out loud. Free, and yours without giving us anything.
Want to know when the next guide lands?
Every guide on this site is free to download right now — you do not need to give us anything. If you would like a note when we publish a new one, leave your email.
If you want more