The Italian alphabet looks familiar because it uses the same Latin script as English. However, the standard alphabet is shorter, containing only 21 letters. The letters J, K, W, X, and Y are not considered part of the official alphabet. You'll see them in borrowed words like jeans or weekend, but not in native Italian words.

This phonetic consistency is great news for learners. Once you know the sound for each letter or combination, you can pronounce almost any word correctly just by reading it. Let's break those sounds down.

Italian has five vowel letters: A, E, I, O, U. Unlike in English, where a vowel's sound can change dramatically, Italian vowels are crisp, clear, and consistent. Each one has a distinct sound.

You may have noticed that 'E' and 'O' have two slightly different sounds, known as open and closed. For example, the 'e' in sera (evening) is closed, like the 'ay' in 'say'. The 'e' in festa (party) is open, like the 'e' in 'bed'.

Don't stress about this distinction for now. The difference is subtle, and people will understand you even if you use the wrong one. The most important thing is to pronounce every vowel clearly.

Many Italian consonants sound just like their English counterparts. However, a few letters and combinations change their sound depending on the vowels that follow them. These are the most important ones to learn.

The letters C and G are chameleons. Their sound depends entirely on the next letter.

When C or G comes before A, O, or U, it makes a hard, guttural sound.

• C is a 'k' sound: cane (dog), colore (color), cultura (culture).
• G is a hard 'g' sound: gatto (cat), gonna (skirt), gusto (taste).

When C or G comes before E or I, it makes a soft sound.

• C is a 'ch' sound, like in 'cheese': cena (dinner), cinema (cinema).
• G is a 'j' sound, like in 'gem': gelato (ice cream), giorno (day).

What if you need the hard sound before an E or an I? That's where H comes in. The letter H is always silent in Italian. Its job is to tell C and G to stay hard.

• CH makes the 'k' sound: chiave (key).
• GH makes the hard 'g' sound: funghi (mushrooms).

Here are a few other important combinations:

• GN makes a 'ny' sound, similar to the 'ñ' in Spanish or the 'ny' in 'canyon'. A famous example is gnocchi.

• GL followed by 'i' makes a 'ly' sound, similar to the 'lli' in 'million'. For example, famiglia (family) or figlio (son).

• SC is another tricky one. Before E or I, it sounds like 'sh' in 'shoe', as in scena (scene). Before A, O, or U, it's a 'sk' sound, like in scarpa (shoe).

A diphthong is when two vowels appear next to each other in a word. In Italian, this is simpler than it sounds. You just pronounce each vowel sound one after the other, gliding from the first to the second.

Take the word ciao (hello/goodbye). It's pronounced 'cha-o'. The 'i' softens the 'c' sound, and then you pronounce the 'a' and 'o' vowels.

Another example is più (more). You say the 'p' sound, then glide smoothly from the 'i' sound to the 'u' sound: 'pyoo'.

Or consider fuoco (fire). Pronounce the 'f', then glide from the 'u' sound to the 'o' sound: 'fwo-ko'.

Let's check your understanding of these fundamental sounds.