One consonant or a longer one?

Distinguish pala/palla and sete/sette.

Length can change meaning

Double consonants are longer, not louder. Hold the closure in sette or the tongue contact in palla. Pala (shovel) and palla (ball) are different words.

pala · palla

shovel · ball

Do not insert a vowel

A double consonant is one sustained consonant. Sete means thirst; sette means seven. Pena is penalty/sorrow; penna is pen. Casa is house; cassa is box/till.

sete · sette

thirst · seven