verde - green

　　marrone - brown

　　grigio(-a) - grey

　　nero(-a) - black

　　Pronunciation

　　Most of the Italian alphabet is exactly like the English alphabet. Here are some exceptions from words in this lesson.

　　c, ci, ch

　　The Italian c has 2 possible sounds. It can sound like the ch in chip, or like the k in kite. Unlike English, there are very strict rules about when the Italian c sounds like a ch or a k. If the c precedes (comes before) an e or an i, the c will have a ch sound. For example, undici. If the group ci precedes an a, o or u, it is also pronounced as ch AND the i is mute : ciao sounds as English chao. If the c precedes any other letter (a, o, u, or a consonant, although the latter is very rare), then it will have a k sound, as in comodo. If the group ch precedes an i, or an e, it is pronounced as k : chi sounds as English kee. The word cucina has both types of c in it - the first c makes the k sound, and the second c makes the ch sound.

　　g, gi, gh

　　The Italian g has 2 possible sounds. It can sound like the g in got, or like the j or dg in judge. The rules are similar to the ones described above for c. Thus getto is pronounced as English jet-toh, and gioia as English joy-ah. While gotto and ghetto are pronounced as English got-toh and get-toh.

　　j y

　　In Italian j and y are not used, and when they occur (in foreign or arcaic words), they are pronounced as an Italian i.

　　w

　　In Italian w is not used, and when it occurs (in foreign words), a nati