Italian (italiano) is a Romance language that evolved directly from Latin in the Italo-Western branch. It is spoken primarily in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and southern Switzerland.
Today, Italian is spoken by approximately 65 million native speakers and about 85 million total speakers worldwide. It is the official language of Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and one of the official languages of Switzerland.
The Italian alphabet has 28 letters – 5 basic vowels, 7 accented vowel letters, and 21 consonants. Italian pronunciation is highly regular, with most letters pronounced consistently. The language also features digraphs and double consonants.
Below is the breakdown of all letters and characters used in Italian.
Italian Vowel Letters
The Italian alphabet has 5 basic vowel letters: a, e, i, o, u. Italian vowels are pure sounds and are pronounced consistently, making Italian pronunciation relatively straightforward.
Italian Vowels (Lowercase)
Italian Vowels (Uppercase)
Italian Accented Vowel Letters
Italian uses 7 accented vowel letters: à, è, é, ì, ò, ó, ù (and their uppercase forms). These accents indicate stress and help distinguish words with different meanings. The grave accent (`) is most common.
Italian Accented Vowels (Lowercase)
Italian Accented Vowels (Uppercase)
Italian Double Consonants
Italian uses double consonants (consonanti doppie) which significantly affect pronunciation and meaning. Examples include bb, cc, dd, ff, gg, ll, mm, nn, pp, rr, ss, tt.
The difference between single and double consonants can change word meanings entirely.
Italian Digraphs
Italian uses digraphs (two-letter combinations) that represent single sounds: ch (sounds like "k"), gh (hard "g"), gl (palatalized "l"), gn (like Spanish "ñ"), and sc (can be "sk" or "sh").
These digraphs are essential for proper Italian pronunciation.
Italian Consonant Letters
Italian has 16 native consonant letters. The letters J, K, W, X, Y are used mainly in loanwords from other languages.
Italian consonants are generally pronounced as written, contributing to the language's phonetic nature.
Italian Consonants (Lowercase)
Italian Consonants (Uppercase)
Special Characters in Italian
Italian writing uses punctuation marks and symbols including period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), exclamation (!), apostrophe ('), and Italian quotation marks (« »). The Euro symbol (€) is also commonly used.
Italian punctuation follows similar rules to other Romance languages.
Digits in Italian
Italian uses the standard Arabic numerals 0–9, with Italian number names: zero, uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove.
Like many European languages, Italian uses comma (,) as the decimal separator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many letters are in Italian?
The Italian alphabet has 21 native letters, but including accented letters and foreign letters used in loanwords, there are 28 letters total: 5 vowels, 7 accented vowels, and 16-21 consonants (depending on whether you count foreign letters).
What are Italian double consonants?
Italian double consonants are two identical consonant letters written together (like bb, cc, dd, ff, gg, ll, mm, nn, pp, rr, ss, tt). They are pronounced longer and can completely change word meanings. For example: "pala" (shovel) vs "palla" (ball).
What are Italian digraphs?
Italian digraphs are two-letter combinations that represent single sounds: ch (sounds like "k"), gh (hard "g"), gl (palatalized "l"), gn (like Spanish "ñ"), and sc (can be "sk" or "sh" sound).
Where is Italian spoken?
Italian is spoken primarily in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and parts of Switzerland. It is also spoken by Italian communities in Slovenia, Croatia, and around the world.
How many people speak Italian?
Italian is spoken by approximately 65 million native speakers and about 85 million total speakers worldwide, making it one of the major Romance languages.
