Italian consonant
H is always silent. You never hear it. This also applies to foreign words.
| H | H sound | |
| Io ho, tu hai, lui ha. | I have, you have, he has. |
However, H is used together with C and G to produce CHE/CHI and GHE/GHI sounds.
How to pronounce CHE/CHI
You pronounce CHE and CHI respectively as “keh” and “key”.
Examples:
| Barche, oche, cachi, chino | Boats, geese, kakis, crouched down |
How to pronounce GHE/GHI
You pronounce GHE and GHI respectively as “geh” and “gee”.
Examples:
| Ghepardo, alghe, ghiro, maghi | Cheetah, algae, dormouse, wizards |
Other Italian words with the H sound
| Preghiera | Prayer | |
| Spaghetto | Spaghetto | |
| Chilometro | Kilometer | |
| Pacchetto | Small parcel | |
| Hotel | Hotel | |
| Hamburger | Hamburger |
Your turn!
Pronounce each given word.
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