Lessons for English speakers
Learn to read Italian
A short, active path into reading Italian: decode real words from a small sound guide, learn where the endings and the verb sit, meet the past that fables are printed in, and read a whole fable before opening your first book.
13 core sections · ≈ 32 min + 3 optional lookups · ≈ 48 min with everything
4
Held letters, and the piece you lean on
≈ 2 min
What you'll learn
- A doubled consonant is a longer sound, and it makes a different word: sono“I am” against sonno“sleep”.
- Hold a double rather than saying it twice — you already do it in pizza.
- By default you lean on the second-to-last piece: CA-sa, VOL-pe.
- An accent on the last letter means lean there: perchépehr-KEH.
- A small group leans further back, with no warning on the page: AL-be-ro, PIC-co-lo.
One letter or two — different words
| One letter | Means | Two letters | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| sonoSOH-noh | I am | sonnoSOHN-noh | sleep |
| casaKAH-zah | house | cassaKAHS-sah | crate |
| nonoNOH-noh | ninth | nonnoNOHN-noh | grandfather |
The length is what tells the two words apart — let the doubles slow you down. And a held s stays an s: cassa never softens to a z the way casa does.
The piece you lean on
casa · volpe
CA-sa · VOL-pe
The default: lean on the second-to-last piece.
città“city” · perché“why”
cheet-TAH · pehr-KEH
An accent on the last letter is a signpost: lean there instead.
albero“tree” · piccolo“small”
AL-be-ro · PIC-co-lo
A smaller group leans further back, with no warning on the page. Learn each as you meet it; the script lookup lists the ones on this path.
Hold it, or lean on it
- sonno
Let the n hum for a beat.
Show answer +Hide answer −
sonnoSOHN-noh“sleep”. With one n it would be sono“I am”. - nonno
Same held n.
Show answer +Hide answer −
nonnoNOHN-noh“grandfather” - perché
The accent tells you where to lean.
Show answer +Hide answer −
perchépehr-KEH“why; because” - piccolo
Held c, and the lean is further back: PIC-co-lo.
Show answer +Hide answer −
piccoloPEEK-koh-loh“small”