Editing Italian orthography

{{Short description|Orthography of the Italian language}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Italian language|state=expanded}}

'''Italian orthography''' (the [[Orthography|conventions used in writing]] Italian) uses the [[Latin alphabet]] to write the [[Italian language]]. This article focuses on the writing of Standard Italian, based historically on the [[Florentine dialect|Florentine]] variety of [[Tuscan dialect|Tuscan]].{{Sfn|Maiden|Robustelli|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=RszKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 4]}}

Written Italian is very regular and almost completely [[phonemic orthography|phonemic]]—having an almost one-to-one correspondence between letters (or sequences of letters) and sounds (or sequences of sounds). The main exceptions are that [[stress (linguistics)|stress placement]] and [[vowel quality]] (for {{orthographic|e}} and {{orthographic|o}}) are not notated, {{orthographic|s}} and {{orthographic|z}} may be voiced or not, {{orthographic|i}} and {{orthographic|u}} may represent vowels or semivowels, and a [[silent letter|silent]] {{orthographic|h}} is used in a very few cases other than the digraphs {{orthographic|ch}} and {{orthographic|gh}} (used for the hard {{orthographic|c}} and {{orthographic|g}} sounds before {{orthographic|e}} and {{orthographic|i}}).

==Alphabet==
The base alphabet consists of 21 letters: five vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and 16 consonants. The letters J, K, W, X and Y are not part of the proper alphabet, but appear in words of [[ancient Greek]] origin (e.g. ''[[Xilophone|Xilofono]]''), loanwords (e.g. "weekend"),<ref>{{cite web|title=Italian Extraction Guide &ndash; Section A: Italian Handwriting|url=https://script.byu.edu/Plugins/FileManager/Files/Documents/Italian_Extraction_Guide-Section_A.pdf|website=[[Brigham Young University]]|year=1981|quote=The letters J, K, W, X, and Y appear in the Italian alphabet, but are used mainly in foreign words adopted into the Italian vocabulary.|access-date=2 March 2021|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422025606/https://script.byu.edu/Plugins/FileManager/Files/Documents/Italian_Extraction_Guide-Section_A.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> foreign names (e.g. John), scientific terms (e.g. km) and in a handful of native words—such as the names ''[[Kalsa]]'', ''[[Jesolo]]'', ''[[Bettino Craxi]]'', and ''[[Cybo]]'', which all derive from [[Languages of Italy|regional languages]]. In addition, [[grave accent|grave]] and [[acute accent|acute]] accents may modify vowel letters; [[circumflex]] accent is much rarer and is found only in older texts.

[[File:KB Italian.svg|thumb|An Italian computer keyboard layout]]
[[File:Corsivo- come scriverlo a mano in italiano, schede didattiche con alcuni esempi di Paolo Villa (prima edizione commons wikimedia org)-Letters-characters in italics-cursive- how to write it by hand in Italian.pdf|thumb|An Italian handwriting script, taught in primary school]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Letter
! Name
! [[help:IPA/Italian|IPA]]
! Diacritics
|-
| [[A]], a
| {{lang|it|a}} {{IPA|it|ˈa|}}
| {{IPAslink|ä|a}}
| à
|-
| [[B]], b
| {{lang|it|bi}} {{IPA|it|ˈbi|}}
| {{IPAslink|b}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[C]], c
| {{lang|it|ci}} {{IPA|it|ˈtʃi|}}
| {{IPAslink|k}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|tʃ}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[D]], d
| {{lang|it|di}} {{IPA|it|ˈdi|}}
| {{IPAslink|d̪|d}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[E]], e
| {{lang|it|e}} {{IPA|it|ˈe|}}
| {{IPAslink|e}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|ɛ}}
| è, é
|-
| [[F]], f
| {{lang|it|effe}} {{IPA|it|ˈɛffe|}}
| {{IPAslink|f}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[G]], g
| {{lang|it|gi}} {{IPA|it|ˈdʒi|}}
| {{IPAslink|ɡ}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|dʒ}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[H]], h
| {{lang|it|acca}} {{IPA|it|ˈakka|}}
| ∅ ''silent''
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[I]], i
| {{lang|it|i}} {{IPA|it|ˈi|}}
| {{IPAslink|i}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|j}}
| ì, í, [î]
|-
| [[L]], l
| {{lang|it|elle}} {{IPA|it|ˈɛlle|}}
| {{IPAslink|l}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[M]], m
| {{lang|it|emme}} {{IPA|it|ˈɛmme|}}
| {{IPAslink|m}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[N]], n
| {{lang|it|enne}} {{IPA|it|ˈɛnne|}}
| {{IPAslink|n}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[O]], o
| {{lang|it|o}} {{IPA|it|ˈɔ|}}
| {{IPAslink|o}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|ɔ}}
| ò, ó
|-
| [[P]], p
| {{lang|it|pi}} {{IPA|it|ˈpi|}}
| {{IPAslink|p}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[Q]], q
| {{lang|it|cu}} ({{lang|it|qu}}) {{IPA|it|ˈku|}}
| {{IPAslink|k}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[R]], r
| {{lang|it|erre}} {{IPA|it|ˈɛrre|}}
| {{IPAslink|r}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[S]], s
| {{lang|it|esse}} {{IPA|it|ˈɛsse|}}
| {{IPAslink|s}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|z}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[T]], t
| {{lang|it|ti}} {{IPA|it|ˈti|}}
| {{IPAslink|t̪|t}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[U]], u
| {{lang|it|u}} {{IPA|it|ˈu|}}
| {{IPAslink|u}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|w}}
| ù, ú
|-
| [[V]], v
| {{lang|it|vi}} {{IPA|it|ˈvi|}}, {{lang|it|vu}} {{IPA|it|ˈvu|}}
| {{IPAslink|v}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
| [[Z]], z
| {{lang|it|zeta}} {{IPA|it|ˈdzɛːta|}}
| {{IPAslink|ts}} ''or'' {{IPAslink|dz}}
| style="background-color:#E0E0E0" |
|-
|}

Double consonants represent true [[gemination|geminates]] and are pronounced as such: {{lang|it|anno}}, "year", pronounced {{IPA|it|ˈanno|}} (cf. English ''te'''n''' '''n'''ails''). The short–long length contrast is phonemic, e.g. {{lang|it|ritto}} {{IPA|it|ˈritto|}}, "upright", vs. {{lang|it|rito}} {{IPA|it|ˈriːto|}}, "rite, ritual", {{lang|it|carro}} {{IPA|it|ˈkarro|}}, "cart, wagon", vs. {{lang|it|caro}} {{IPA|it|ˈkaːro|}}, "dear, expensive".

==Vowels==
The Italian alphabet has five [[vowel]] letters, {{angbr|a e i o u}}. Of those, only {{angbr|a}} represents one [[speech sound|sound]] value, while all others have two. In addition, {{angbr|e}} and {{angbr|i}} indicate a different pronunciation of a preceding {{angbr|c}} or {{angbr|g}} (see below).

In [[stress (linguistics)|stressed]] [[syllable]]s, {{angbr|e}} represents both [[open-mid vowel|open]] {{IPA|/ɛ/}} and [[close-mid vowel|close]] {{IPA|/e/}}. Similarly, {{angbr|o}} represents both open {{IPA|/ɔ/}} and close {{IPA|/o/}} (see [[Italian phonology]] for further details on those sounds). There is typically no [[orthography|orthographic]] distinction between the open and close sounds represented, although [[accent mark]]s are used in certain instances (see [[#Diacritics|below]]). There are some [[minimal pair]]s, called [[heteronym (linguistics)#Italian|heteronyms]], where the same spelling is used for distinct words with distinct vowel sounds. In unstressed syllables, only the close variants occur.

In addition to representing the vowels {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}}, {{angbr|i}} and {{angbr|u}} also typically represent the [[semivowel]]s {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}, when unstressed and occurring before another vowel. Many exceptions exist (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|attuale}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|deciduo}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|deviare}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|dioscuro}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|fatuo}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|iato}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|inebriare}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|ingenuo}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|liana}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|proficuo}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|riarso}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|viaggio}}). An {{angbr|i}} may indicate that a preceding {{angbr|c}} or {{angbr|g}} is "soft" ({{Wikt-lang|it|ciao}}).

==C and G==
{{See also|Hard and soft C|Hard and soft G}}
The letters {{angbr|c}} and {{angbr|g}} represent the [[plosive]]s {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ/}} before {{angbr|r}} and before the vowels {{angbr|a}}, {{angbr|o}}, {{angbr|u}}. They represent the [[affricate]]s {{IPA|/tʃ/}} and {{IPA|/dʒ/}} when they precede a front vowel ({{angbr|i}} or {{angbr|e}}).

The letter {{angbr|i}} can also function within [[digraph (orthography)|digraph]]s (two letters representing one sound) {{angbr|ci}} and {{angbr|gi}} to indicate "soft" (affricate) {{IPA|/tʃ/}} or {{IPA|/dʒ/}} before another vowel. In these instances, the vowel following the digraph is stressed, and {{angbr|i}} represents no vowel sound: {{lang|it|ciò}} ({{IPA|/tʃɔ/}}), {{lang|it|giù}} ({{IPA|/dʒu/}}). An item such as ''CIA'' "[[CIA]]", pronounced {{IPA|/ˈtʃi.a/}} with {{IPA|/i/}} stressed, contains no digraph.

For words of more than one syllable, stress position must be known in order to distinguish between digraph {{angbr|ci}} or {{angbr|gi}} containing no actual phonological vowel {{IPA|/i/}} and sequences of affricate and stressed {{IPA|/i/}}. For example, the words {{lang|it|camicia}}, "shirt", and {{lang|it|farmacia}}, "pharmacy", share the spelling {{angbr|-cia}}, but contrast in that only the first {{angbr|i}} is stressed in {{lang|it|camicia}}, thus {{angbr|-cia}} represents {{IPA|/tʃa/}} with no {{IPA|/i/}} sound (likewise, ''grigio'' ends in {{IPA|/dʒo/}} and the names {{lang|it|Gianni}} and {{lang|it|Gianna}} contain only two actual vowels: {{IPA|/ˈdʒanni/}}, {{IPA|/ˈdʒanna/}}). In {{lang|it|farmacia}} {{IPA|/i/}} is stressed, so that {{angbr|ci}} is not a digraph, but represents two of the three constituents of {{IPA|/ˈtʃi.a/}}.

When the "hard" (plosive) pronunciation {{IPA|/k/}} or {{IPA|/ɡ/}} occurs before a front vowel {{angbr|i}} or {{angbr|e}}, digraphs {{angbr|ch}} and {{angbr|gh}} are used, so that {{angbr|che}} represents {{IPA|/ke/}} or {{IPA|/kɛ/}} and {{angbr|chi}} represents {{IPA|/ki/}} or {{IPA|/kj/}}. The same principle applies to {{angbr|gh}}: {{angbr|ghe}} and {{angbr|ghi}} represent {{IPA|/ɡe/}} or {{IPA|/ɡɛ/}} and {{IPA|/ɡi/}} or {{IPA|/ɡj/}}.

In the evolution from [[Latin]] to Italian, the postalveolar affricates {{IPA|/tʃ/}} and {{IPA|/dʒ/}} were [[allophone|contextual variants]] of the [[velar consonant]]s {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ/}}. They eventually came to be full [[phoneme]]s, and orthographic adjustments were introduced to distinguish them. The phonemicity of the affricates can be demonstrated with [[minimal pair]]s:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!colspan="2"| [[Plosive]]
!colspan="2"| [[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
|-
!rowspan="2"|Before {{angbr|i}},&nbsp;{{angbr|e}}
|ch||{{Wikt-lang|it|china}} {{IPA|/ˈkina/}} "[[India ink]]"
|c||{{Wikt-lang|it|Cina}} {{IPA|/ˈtʃina/}} "[[China]]"
|-
|gh||{{Wikt-lang|it|ghiro}} {{IPA|/ˈɡiro/}} "[[dormouse]]"
|g||{{Wikt-lang|it|giro}} {{IPA|/ˈdʒiro/}} "lap", "tour"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Elsewhere
|c||{{Wikt-lang|it|caramella}} {{IPA|/karaˈmɛlla/}} "[[candy]]"
|ci||{{Wikt-lang|it|ciaramella}} {{IPA|/tʃaraˈmɛlla/}} "[[shawm]]"
|-
|g||{{Wikt-lang|it|gallo}} {{IPA|/ˈɡallo/}} "[[rooster]]"
|gi||{{Wikt-lang|it|giallo}} {{IPA|/ˈdʒallo/}} "[[yellow]]"
|}

The trigraphs {{angbr|cch}} and {{angbr|ggh}} are used to indicate [[geminate]] {{IPA|/kk/}} and {{IPA|/ɡɡ/}}, when they occur before {{angbr|i}} or {{angbr|e}}; e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|occhi}} {{IPA|/ˈɔkki/}} "eyes", {{Wikt-lang|it|agghindare}} {{IPA|/aɡɡinˈdare/}} "to dress up". The double letters {{angbr|cc}} and {{angbr|gg}} before {{angbr|i}} or {{angbr|e}} and {{angbr|cci}} and {{angbr|ggi}} before other vowels represent the geminated affricates {{IPA|/ttʃ/}} and {{IPA|/ddʒ/}}, e. g. {{Wikt-lang|it|riccio}}, "hedgehog", {{Wikt-lang|it|peggio}}, "worse".

{{angbr|g}} joins with {{angbr|l}} to form a digraph representing palatal {{IPA|/ʎ/}} before {{angbr|i}} (before other vowels, the trigraph {{angbr|gli}} is used), and with {{angbr|n}} to represent {{IPA|/ɲ/}} with any vowel following. Between vowels these are pronounced phonetically long, as in {{IPA|/ˈaʎʎo/}} {{lang|it|aglio}}, "garlic", {{IPA|/ˈoɲɲi/}} {{lang|it|ogni}}, "each". By way of exception, {{angbr|gl}} before {{angbr|i}} represents {{IPA|/ɡl/}} in some words derived from Greek, such as {{Wikt-lang|it|glicine}}, "wisteria", from learned Latin, such as {{Wikt-lang|it|negligente}}, "negligent", and in a few adaptations from other languages such as {{lang|it|[[glissando]]}} {{IPA|/ɡlisˈsando/}}, partially italianised from French {{lang|fr|glissant}}. {{angbr|gl}} before vowels other than {{angbr|i}} represents straightforward {{IPA|/ɡl/}}.

The [[digraph (orthography)|digraph]] {{angbr|sc}} is used before {{angbr|e}} and {{angbr|i}} to represent {{IPA|/ʃ/}}; before other vowels, {{angbr|sci}} is used for {{IPA|/ʃ/}}. Otherwise, {{angbr|sc}} represents {{IPA|/sk/}}, the {{angbr|c}} of which follows the normal orthographic rules explained above.

{| class="wikitable" width="400em"
!
!colspan="2"| {{IPA|/sk/}}
!colspan="2"| {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
|-
!Before {{angbr|i e}}
|sch||{{Wikt-lang|it|scherno}} {{IPA|/ˈskɛrno/}}
|sc||{{Wikt-lang|it|scerno}} {{IPA|/ˈʃɛrno/}}
|-
!Elsewhere
|sc||{{Wikt-lang|it|scalo}} {{IPA|/ˈskalo/}}
|sci||{{Wikt-lang|it|scialo}} {{IPA|/ˈʃalo/}}
|}

[[Intervocalic consonant|Intervocalic]] {{IPA|/ʎ/}}, {{IPA|/ɲ/}}, and {{IPA|/ʃ/}} are always [[gemination|geminated]] and no orthographic distinction is made to indicate this.{{Sfn|Maiden|Robustelli|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=RszKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 10]}}

Some words are spelled with {{angbr|cie}}, {{angbr|gie}}, and {{angbr|scie}}. Historically, the letters {{angbr|ie}} in these combinations represented a diphthong, but in modern pronunciation these combinations are indistinguishable from {{angbr|ce}}, {{angbr|ge}}, and {{angbr|sce}}. Notable examples: {{lang|it|cieco}} {{IPA|/ˈtʃɛko/}} "blind" (homophonous with {{lang|it|ceco}}, "Czech"), {{lang|it|cielo}} {{IPA|/ˈtʃɛlo/}} "sky" (homophonous with {{lang|it|celo}}, "I conceal"), {{lang|it|scienza}} {{IPA|/ˈʃɛntsa/}} "science".

The plurals of words ending in -{{vr|cia}}, -{{vr|gia}} are written with -{{vr|cie}}, -{{vr|gie}} if preceded by a vowel ({{lang|it|camicia}}, "skirt" → {{lang|it|camicie}}, "skirts", {{lang|it|valigia}}, "suitcase" → {{lang|it|valigie}}, "suitcases") or with -{{vr|ce}}, -{{vr|ge}} if preceded by a consonant ({{lang|it|provincia}}, "province" → {{lang|it|province}}, "provinces"). This rule has been established since the 1950s; prior to that, etymological spellings such as {{lang|it|valige}} and {{lang|it|provincie}} were in use.

The letter combination {{angbr|gnia}} is pronounced the same as {{angbr|gna}} and occurs when the ending {{lang|it|-iamo}} (1st person plural present indicative and 1st person plural present subjunctive) or {{lang|it|-iate}} (2nd person plural present subjunctive) is attached to a stem ending in {{angbr|gn}}: {{lang|it|sognare}}, "to dream" → {{lang|it|sogniamo}}, "we dream".

==C and Q==
Normally {{IPA|/kw/}} is represented by {{angbr|qu}}, but it is represented by {{angbr|cu}} in some words, such as {{Wikt-lang|it|cuoco}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|cuoio}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|cuore}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|scuola}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|scuotere}}, and {{Wikt-lang|it|percuotere}}. These words all contain a {{IPA|/kwɔ/}} sequence derived from an original {{IPA|/kɔ/}} which was subsequently [[diphthongisation|diphthongised]]. The sequence {{IPA|/kkw/}} is always spelled {{angbr|cqu}} (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|acqua}}), with exceptions being spelled {{angbr|qqu}} in the words {{Wikt-lang|it|soqquadro}}, its derivation {{Wikt-lang|it|soqquadrare}}, and {{Wikt-lang|it|beqquadro}} and {{Wikt-lang|it|biqquadro}}, two alternative forms of {{Wikt-lang|it|bequadro}} or {{Wikt-lang|it|biquadro}}.{{Sfn|Maiden|Robustelli|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=RszKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 5]}}

==S and Z==
{{angbr|s}} and {{angbr|z}} are ambiguous to [[voice (phonetics)|voicing]].

{{angbr|s}} represents a [[dental consonant|dental]] [[sibilant consonant]], either {{IPAslink|s}} or {{IPAslink|z}}. However, these two phonemes are in [[complementary distribution]] everywhere except between two vowels in the same word and, even with such words, there are very few [[minimal pair]]s.
* The [[voiceless alveolar affricate|voiceless]] {{IPA|/s/}} occurs:
** At the start of a word before a vowel (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|Sara|'''S'''ara}} {{IPA|/ˈsara/}}) or a voiceless consonant (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|spuntare|'''s'''puntare}} {{IPA|/spunˈtare/}})
** After any consonant (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|transitare|tran'''s'''itare}} {{IPA|/transiˈtare/}})
** Before a voiceless consonant (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|raspa|ra'''s'''pa}} {{IPA|/ˈraspa/}})
** At the start of the second part of a compound word (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|affittasi|affitta'''s'''i}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|disotto|di'''s'''otto}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|girasole|gira'''s'''ole}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|prosegue|pro'''s'''egue}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|risaputo|ri'''s'''aputo}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|reggiseno|reggi'''s'''eno}}). These words are formed by adding a prefix to a word beginning with {{IPA|/s/}}
* The [[voiced alveolar affricate|voiced]] {{IPA|/z/}} occurs before voiced consonants (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|sbranare|'''s'''branare}} {{IPA|/zbraˈnare/}}).
* It can be either voiceless or voiced ({{IPA|/s/}} or {{IPA|/z/}}) between vowels; in standard Tuscany-based pronunciation some words are pronounced with {{IPA|/s/}} between vowels (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|casa|ca'''s'''a}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|cosa|co'''s'''a}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|così|co'''s'''ì}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|mese|me'''s'''e}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|naso|na'''s'''o}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|peso|pe'''s'''o}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|cinese|cine'''s'''e}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|piemontese|piemonte'''s'''e}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|goloso|golo'''s'''o}}), but most words are pronounced with {{IPA|/z/}} (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|bisogno|bi'''s'''ogno}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|rosa|ro'''s'''a}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|cisalpino|ci'''s'''alpino}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|medesimo|mede'''s'''imo}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|invaso|inva'''s'''o}}); in Northern Italy (and also increasingly in Tuscany) {{angbr|s}} between vowels is always pronounced with {{IPA|/z/}} whereas in Southern Italy {{angbr|s}} between vowels is always pronounced {{IPA|/s/}}.

{{angbr|ss}} always represents voiceless {{IPA|/ss/}}: {{Wikt-lang|it|grosso|gro'''ss'''o}} {{IPA|/ˈɡrɔsso/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|successo|succe'''ss'''o}} {{IPA|/sutˈtʃɛsso/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|passato|pa'''ss'''ato}} {{IPA|/pasˈsato/}}, etc.

{{angbr|z}} represents a [[dental consonant|dental]] [[affricate consonant]]; either {{IPAslink|dz}} ({{Wikt-lang|it|zanzara|'''z'''an'''z'''ara}} {{IPA|/dzanˈdzara/}}) or {{IPAslink|ts}} ({{Wikt-lang|it|canzone|can'''z'''one}} {{IPA|/kanˈtsone/}}), depending on context, although there are few minimal pairs.
* It is normally voiceless {{IPA|/ts/}}:<ref>[https://dop.netadcom.com/p.aspx?nID=lettera-Z Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia.]</ref>
** At the start of a word in which the second syllable starts with a voiceless consonant ({{Wikt-lang|it|zampa|'''z'''ampa}} {{IPA|/ˈtsampa/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zoccolo|'''z'''occolo}} {{IPA|/ˈtsɔkkolo/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zufolo|'''z'''ufolo}} {{IPA|/ˈtsufolo/}})
*** Exceptions (because they are of Greek origin): {{Wikt-lang|it|zaffiro|'''z'''affiro}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zefiro|'''z'''efiro}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zotico|'''z'''otico}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zeta|'''z'''eta}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zafferano|'''z'''afferano}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|Zacinto|'''Z'''acinto}}
** When followed by an {{angbr|i}} which is followed, in turn, by another vowel (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|zio|'''z'''io}} {{IPA|/ˈtsi.o/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|agenzia|agen'''z'''ia}} {{IPA|/adʒenˈtsi.a/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|grazia|gra'''z'''ie}} {{IPA|/ˈɡrattsje/}})
*** Exceptions: {{Wikt-lang|it|azienda|a'''z'''ienda}} {{IPA|/adˈdzjɛnda/}}, all words derived from words obeying other rules (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|romanziere|roman'''z'''iere}} {{IPA|/romanˈdzjɛre/}}, which is derived from {{Wikt-lang|it|romanzo|romanzo}})
** After the letter {{angbr|l}} (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|alzare|al'''z'''are}} {{IPA|/alˈtsare/}})
*** Exceptions: {{Wikt-lang|it|elzeviro|el'''z'''eviro}} {{IPA|/eldzeˈviro/}} and {{Wikt-lang|it|Belzebù|Bel'''z'''ebù}} {{IPA|/beldzeˈbu/}}
** In the suffixes ''-anza'', ''-enza'' and ''-onzolo'' (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|usanza|usan'''z'''a}} {{IPA|/uˈzantsa/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|credenza|creden'''z'''a}} {{IPA|/kreˈdɛntsa/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|ballonzolo|ballon'''z'''olo}} {{IPA|/balˈlontsolo/}})
* It is normally voiced {{IPA|/dz/}}:
** At the start of a word in which the second syllable starts with a voiced consonant or the letter {{angbr|z}} itself (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|zebra|'''z'''ebra}} {{IPA|/ˈdzɛbra/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zuzzurellone|'''z'''uzzurellone}} {{IPA|/dzuddzurelˈlone/}})
*** Exceptions: {{Wikt-lang|it|zanna|'''z'''anna}} {{IPA|/ˈtsanna/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zigano|'''z'''igano}} {{IPA|/tsiˈɡano/}}
** At the start of a word when followed by two vowels (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|zaino|'''z'''aino}} {{IPA|/ˈdzaino/}})
*** Exceptions: {{Wikt-lang|it|zio|'''z'''io}} and its derived terms (see above)
** If it is single (not doubled) and between two single vowels (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|azalea|a'''z'''alea}} {{IPA|/addzaˈlɛa/}})
*** Exceptions: {{Wikt-lang|it|nazismo|na'''z'''ismo}} {{IPA|/natˈtsizmo/}} (from the German pronunciation of {{angbr|z}})

Between vowels and/or semivowels ({{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}), {{angbr|z}} is pronounced as if doubled ({{IPA|/tts/}} or {{IPA|/ddz/}}, e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|vizio|vi'''z'''io}} {{IPA|/ˈvittsjo/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|polizia|poli'''z'''ia}} {{IPA|/politˈtsi.a/}}). Generally, intervocalic ''z'' is written doubled, but it is written single in most words where it precedes {{angbr|i}} followed by any vowel and in some learned words.

{{angbr|zz}} may represent either a voiceless alveolar affricate {{IPA|/tts/}} or its voiced counterpart {{IPA|/ddz/}}:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dizionario.rai.it/static.aspx?treeID=34&pg=2 |title=Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia. |access-date=22 September 2021 |archive-date=12 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812072257/http://www.dizionario.rai.it/static.aspx?treeID=34&pg=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> voiceless in e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|pazzo|pa'''zz'''o}} {{IPA|/ˈpattso/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|ragazzo|raga'''zz'''o}} {{IPA|/raˈɡattso/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|pizza|pi'''zz'''a}} {{IPA|/ˈpittsa/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|grandezza|grande'''zz'''a}} {{IPA|/ɡranˈdettsa/}}, voiced in {{Wikt-lang|it|razzo|ra'''zz'''o}} {{IPA|/ˈraddzo/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|mezzo|me'''zz'''o}} {{IPA|/ˈmɛddzo/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|azzardo|a'''zz'''ardo}} {{IPA|/adˈdzardo/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|azzurro|a'''zz'''urro}} {{IPA|/adˈdzurro/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|orizzonte|ori'''zz'''onte}} {{IPA|/oridˈdzonte/}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|zizzania|zi'''zz'''ania}} {{IPA|/dzidˈdzanja/}}. Most words are consistently pronounced with {{IPA|/tts/}} or {{IPA|/ddz/}} throughout Italy in the standard language (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|gazza|ga'''zz'''a}} {{IPA|/ˈɡaddza/}} "magpie", {{Wikt-lang|it|tazza|ta'''zz'''a}} {{IPA|/ˈtattsa/}} "mug"), but a few words, such as {{Wikt-lang|it|frizzare|fri'''zz'''are}}, "effervesce, sting", exist in both voiced and voiceless forms, differing by [[Register (sociolinguistics)|register]] or by geographic area, while others have different meanings depending on whether they are pronounced in voiced or voiceless form (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|razza|ra'''zz'''a}}: {{IPA|/ˈrattsa/}} (race, breed) or {{IPA|/ˈraddza/}} (ray, skate)).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=81143&r=7466 |title=Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia. |access-date=1 October 2021 |archive-date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001143144/http://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=81143&r=7466 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.dipionline.it/dizionario/ricerca?lemma=razza Dizionario di pronuncia italiana online.]</ref> The verbal ending ''-izzare'' from Greek -ίζειν is always pronounced {{IPA|/ddz/}} (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|organizzare|organi'''zz'''are}} {{IPA|/orɡanidˈdzare/}}), maintained in both [[Inflection|inflected]] forms and [[Morphological derivation|derivations]]: {{Wikt-lang|it|organizzo|organi'''zz'''o}} {{IPA|/orɡaˈniddzo/}} "I organise", {{Wikt-lang|it|organizzazione|organi'''zz'''azione}} {{IPA|/orɡaniddzatˈtsjone/}} "organisation". Like {{Wikt-lang|it|frizzare|fri'''zz'''are}} above, however, not all verbs ending in -''izzare'' continue [[suffix]]ed Greek -ίζειν, having instead -''izz''- as part of the [[verb stem]]. {{Wikt-lang|it|indirizzare|Indiri'''zz'''are}}, for example, of Latin origin reconstructed as *<small>INDIRECTIARE</small>, has {{IPA|/tts/}} in all forms containing the root ''indirizz''-.

==Silent H==
In addition to being used to indicate a hard {{angbr|c}} or {{angbr|g}} before front vowels (see above), {{angbr|h}} is used to distinguish {{Wikt-lang|it|ho|ho}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|hai|hai}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|ha|ha}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|hanno|hanno}} ([[present indicative]] of {{Wikt-lang|it|avere|avere}}, "to have") from {{Wikt-lang|it|o|o}} ("or"), {{Wikt-lang|it|ai|ai}} ("to the", m. pl.), {{Wikt-lang|it|a|a}} ("to"), {{Wikt-lang|it|anno|anno}} ("year"); since {{angbr|h}} is always silent, there is no difference in the pronunciation of such words. The letter {{angbr|h}} is also used in some interjections, where it always comes immediately after the first vowel in the word (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|eh}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|boh}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|ahi}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|ahimè}}). In [[filler words]] {{Wikt-lang|it|ehm}} and {{Wikt-lang|it|uhm}} both ⟨h⟩ and the preceding vowel are silent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=58866&r=44562 |title=Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia |access-date=2021-12-28 |archive-date=2020-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927051150/http://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=58866&r=44562 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=3958&r=44556 |title=Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia |access-date=2021-12-28 |archive-date=2020-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927042953/http://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=3958&r=44556 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ⟨h⟩ is used in some loanwords, by far the most common of which is {{Wikt-lang|it|hotel}},{{Sfn|Maiden|Robustelli|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=RszKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 5]}} but also ''handicap, habitat, hardware, hall'' ("lobby, foyer"), ''hamburger, horror, hobby.''<ref>[https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=hotel%2Chabitat%2Chall%2Chamburger%2Chandicap%2Chobby%2Chorror%2Chostess%2Chardware&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=it-2019&smoothing=5 Google Books Ngram Viewer]</ref> Silent {{angbr|h}} is also found in some Italian toponyms: [[Roghudi|Chorio]], [[Roccaforte Mondovì|Dho]], [[Capovalle|Hano]], [[Mathi]], [[Noha]], [[Castello di Proh|Proh]], [[Rho]], [[Roghudi]], [[Santhià]], [[Tharros]], [[Thiene]], [[Thiesi]], [[Corigliano Calabro|Thurio]], [[Vho (Piadena Drizzona)|Vho]]; and surnames: ''Dahò'', ''Dehò'', ''De Bartholomaeis'', ''De Thomasis'', ''Matthey'', ''Rahò'', ''Rhodio'', ''Tha'', ''Thei'', ''Theodoli'', ''Thieghi'', ''Thiella'', ''Thiglia'', ''Tholosano'', ''Thomatis'', ''Thorel'', ''Thovez''.<ref>The surname ''Pamphili'' is pronounced as ''Panfili''.</ref>

==J, K, W, X and Y==
The letter {{vr|j}} ({{lang|it|I lunga}}, "long I", or {{lang|it|gei}}) is not considered part of the standard Italian alphabet; however, it is used in some [[Latin]] words, in proper nouns (such as [[Jesi]], [[Letojanni]], [[Juventus]], etc.), in words borrowed from foreign languages (most common: ''jeans'', but also ''jazz'', ''jet'', ''jeep'', ''banjo''),<ref>[https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=jazz%2Cjeans%2Cjeep%2Cjet&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=it-2019&smoothing=5 Google Books Ngram Viewer]</ref> and in an archaic spelling of Italian.

Until the 19th century, {{angbr|j}} was used in Italian instead of {{angbr|i}} in word-initial rising [[diphthong]]s, as a replacement for final -{{vr|ii}}, and between vowels (as in {{lang|it|[[Savoia (disambiguation)|Savoja]]}}); this rule was quite strict in official writing.

The letter {{angbr|j}} represents {{IPA|/j/}} in Latin and Italian and dialect words such as [[Romanesco dialect]] ''ajo'' {{IPA|/ˈajjo/}} ("garlic"; cf. Italian {{lang|it|aglio}} {{IPA|/ˈaʎʎo/}}); it represents {{IPAslink|dʒ}} in borrowings from English (including ''[[judo]]'', borrowed from Japanese via English); and {{IPAslink|ʒ}} in borrowings from French (''julienne, bijou'').

The letters {{vr|k}} ({{lang|it|cappa}}), {{vr|w}} ({{lang|it|V doppia}} or {{lang|it|doppia V}}, "double V"), {{vr|x}} ({{lang|it|ics}}) and {{vr|y}} ({{lang|it|ipsilon}} or {{lang|it|I greca}}, "Greek I") are not part of the standard Italian alphabet and are used only in unassimilated or partially assimilated loanwords.

The letter {{angbr|k}} is used in ''karma'', ''kayak'', ''kiwi'', ''kamikaze'',<ref>[https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=karma%2C+kayak%2C+kiwi%2C+kamikaze&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=it-2019&smoothing=5 Google Books Ngram Viewer]</ref> etc.; it is always pronounced {{IPA|/k/}}. It is often used informally among young people as a replacement for {{angbr|ch}}, paralleling the use of {{angbr|k}} in English (for example, ''ke'' instead of ''che'').

The letter {{angbr|w}} is used in ''web'', ''whisky'', ''water'', "water closet / toilet", ''western'', "Western movie", ''watt'',<ref>[https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=watt%2Cwater%2Cweb%2BWeb%2Cwestern%2Cwhisky&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=it-2019&smoothing=5 Google Books Ngram Viewer]</ref> etc; it is alternately pronounced {{IPA|/w/}} (in ''web'', ''whisky'', ''western'') or {{IPA|/v/}} (in ''water'', ''watt''). A capital {{vr|W}} is used as an abbreviation of {{lang|it|viva}} or {{lang|it|evviva}} ("long live"). Although {{angbr|w}} is named {{lang|it|V doppia}} or {{lang|it|doppia V}}, in initialisms such as {{lang|it|B.&nbsp;M.&nbsp;W., T.&nbsp;W.&nbsp;A., W.&nbsp;W.&nbsp;F., W.&nbsp;C., www}} it is normally read simply as {{lang|it|vu}}.

The letter {{angbr|x}} represents either {{IPA|/ks/}}, as in {{lang|it|extra}}, {{lang|it|uxorio}}, {{lang|it|xilofono}}, or {{IPA|/ɡz/}} when it is preceded by {{angbr|e}} and followed by a vowel, e.g. {{lang|it|exoterico}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/x-x/|title=x, X in Vocabolario - Treccani|trans-title=x, X in Vocabulary - Treccani|language=it|website=[[Treccani]]|accessdate=26 January 2021}}</ref> In most words, it may be replaced with {{vr|s}} or {{vr|ss}} (with different pronunciation: {{lang|it|xilofono}}/{{lang|it|silofono}}, {{lang|it|taxi}}/{{lang|it|tassì}}) or, rarely, by {{vr|cs}} (with the same pronunciation: {{lang|it|claxon}}/[[:it:clacson|clacson]]). In some other languages of Italy, it represents {{IPA|/z/}} ([[Venetian language|Venetian]]), {{IPA|/ʃ/}} ([[Sicilian language|Sicilian]]), or {{IPA|/ʒ/}} ([[Sardinian language|Sardinian]] and [[Ligurian language|Ligurian]]).

The letter {{angbr|y}} is used in ''yoga'', ''yogurt'', ''yacht'', ''Uruguay'', etc. This letter is sometimes replaced by {{angbr|i}} in some words such as ''yoga/ioga'' and ''yogurt/iogurt'', but the spellings with {{angbr|y}} are much more common.

==Diacritics==
{{Refimprove section|date=March 2024}}
[[File:Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana.jpg|thumb|250px|The letter Î in the original version of the [[Constitution of the Italian Republic]] in the heading {{lang|it|Principî Fondamentali}}]]

The [[acute accent]] (´) may be used on {{angbr|é}} and {{angbr|ó}} to represent stressed [[close-mid vowel]]s. This use of accents is generally mandatory only to indicate stress on a word-final vowel; elsewhere, accents are generally found only in dictionaries. Since final {{angbr|o}} is hardly ever close-mid, {{angbr|ó}} is very rarely encountered in written Italian (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|metró}}, "subway", from the original French pronunciation of {{Wikt-lang|fr|métro|métro}} with a final-stressed {{IPAslink|o}}).{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The [[grave accent]] (`) is found on {{angbr|à}}, {{angbr|è}}, {{angbr|ì}}, {{angbr|ò}}, {{angbr|ù}}. It may be used on {{angbr|è}} and {{angbr|ò}} when they represent [[open-mid vowel]]s. The accents may also be used to differentiate [[minimal pair]]s within Italian (for example {{Wikt-lang|it|pesca|pèsca}}, "peach", vs. {{Wikt-lang|it|pesca|pésca}}, "fishing"), but in practice this is limited to didactic texts. In the case of final {{angbr|ì}} and {{angbr|ù}}, both diacritics are encountered. By far the most common option is the grave accent, {{angbr|ì}} and {{angbr|ù}}, although this may be due to the rarity of the acute accent to represent stress; the alternative of employing the acute, {{angbr|í}} and {{angbr|ú}}, is in practice limited to erudite texts, but can be justified as both vowels are high (as in [[Catalan orthography|Catalan]]). However, since there are no corresponding low (or lax) vowels to contrast with in Italian, both choices are equally acceptable.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The [[circumflex accent]] (ˆ) can be used to mark the [[contraction (grammar)|contraction]] of two unstressed vowels {{IPA|/ii/}} ending a word, normally pronounced {{IPA|[i]}}, so that the plural of {{Wikt-lang|it|studio}}, "study, office", may be written {{angbr|studi}}, {{angbr|studii}} or {{angbr|studî}}. The form with circumflex is found mainly in older texts, although it may still appear in contexts where ambiguity might arise from [[homograph]]y. For example, it can be used to differentiate words such as {{Wikt-lang|it|geni|geni}} ("genes", plural of {{Wikt-lang|it|gene|gene}}) and {{Wikt-lang|it|genî|genî}} ("geniuses", plural of {{Wikt-lang|it|genio|genio}}) or {{Wikt-lang|it|principi}} ("princes", plural of {{Wikt-lang|it|principe}}) and {{Wikt-lang|it|principî}} ("principles", plural of {{Wikt-lang|it|principio}}). In general, current usage usually prefers a single {{angbr|i}} instead of a double {{angbr|ii}} or an {{angbr|î}} with circumflex.{{Sfn|Maiden|Robustelli|2014|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=RszKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 4]–5}}

Monosyllabic words generally lack an accent (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|ho}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|me}}). The accent is written, however, if there is an {{angbr|i}} or a {{angbr|u}} preceding another vowel ({{Wikt-lang|it|più}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|può}}). This applies even if the {{angbr|i}} is "silent", i.e. part of the digraphs {{angbr|ci}} or {{angbr|gi}} representing {{IPA|/tʃ/}} and {{IPA|/dʒ/}} ({{Wikt-lang|it|ciò}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|giù}}). It does not apply, however, if the word begins with {{angbr|qu}} ({{Wikt-lang|it|qua}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|qui}}). Many monosyllabic words are spelled with an accent in order to avoid ambiguity with other words (e.g. {{Wikt-lang|it|là}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|lì}} versus {{Wikt-lang|it|la}}, {{Wikt-lang|it|li}}). This is known as {{lang|it|accento distintivo}} and also occurs in other Romance languages (e.g. the [[Spanish orthography|Spanish]] {{lang|es|tilde diacrítica}}).{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

==Sample text==
"Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
<br />
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura
<br />
ché la diritta via era smarrita."

Lines 1–3 of Canto 1 of the Inferno, Part 1 of the ''[[Divina Commedia]]'' by [[Dante Alighieri]], a highly influential poem. Translation (Longfellow): "Midway upon the journey of our life \ I found myself in a dark wood \ for the straight way was lost."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inferno 1 |url=https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/inferno/inferno-1/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627233848/https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/inferno/inferno-1/|archive-date=27 June 2015|url-status=live |access-date=April 22, 2022 |website=Digital Dante}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Gian Giorgio Trissino]], humanist who proposed an orthography in 1524. Some of his proposals were taken.
* [[Claudio Tolomei]], humanist who proposed an orthography in 1525

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RszKAgAAQBAJ|title=A Reference Grammar of Modern Italian|last1=Maiden|first1=Martin|last2=Robustelli|first2=Cecilia|publisher=[[Routledge]]|date=2014|access-date=June 19, 2021|edition=2nd|isbn=9781444116786}}

==External links==
* Danesi, Marcel (1996). [https://books.google.com/books?id=_RuiM7-I7ScC ''Italian the Easy way''].

{{Language orthographies}}

[[Category:Italian language]]
[[Category:Indo-European Latin-script orthographies]]