The Italian alphabet is straightforward, especially if you know English. It uses the same Latin script but has only 21 native letters. The letters J, K, W, X, and Y are not part of the official alphabet. They only appear in foreign words that have been adopted into Italian, like jeans or weekend.

Each letter has a name, which is simply how you pronounce the letter by itself. Knowing these names can be helpful for spelling things out.

You might notice the letter H, called acca. It's a silent letter in Italian. It's never pronounced but is used to change the sound of other letters, which we'll see in a bit.

One of the best parts about Italian pronunciation is its vowels. There are only five of them (A, E, I, O, U), and their sounds are pure and consistent. Unlike English, where a vowel's sound can change from word to word, in Italian, an 'a' is always an 'ah' sound. This makes reading and speaking much more predictable.

Most Italian consonants sound like their English counterparts, but a few have special rules depending on the letters that follow them. The letters 'C' and 'G' are the most important ones to learn.

What if you want a hard sound before 'e' or 'i'? That's where the silent 'H' comes in. Adding an 'h' after 'c' or 'g' makes the sound hard.

• Che sounds like 'keh' (as in forchetta, fork).
• Ghi sounds like 'ghee' (as in spaghi, strings of spaghetti).

Beyond the basic letters, Italian has a few consonant combinations that create unique sounds you won't find in English.

Another special combination is 'gl'.

Finally, let's talk about the famous rolled 'R'. This sound can be tricky for English speakers. It's made by vibrating the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your top teeth. It's a light, quick trill. Don't worry if you can't get it right away, it takes practice! Start by trying to say the English word "butter" very quickly, focusing on the 'tt' sound. The motion your tongue makes is very similar.

Now let's check your understanding of these new sounds.

Mastering these sounds is the first step toward speaking Italian with confidence. Listening to native speakers and practicing out loud will make these rules feel natural over time.