Italian · Sounds and articles
Italian articles and sounds
Definite articles for everyday Italian nouns, plus the sound–spelling patterns used in this course.
Choose the definite article
Check gender, number and the beginning of the following word.
| Noun pattern | Singular | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine, ordinary consonant | il | i | il libro → i libri |
| Masculine, s + consonant / z / gn / ps | lo | gli | lo studente → gli studenti |
| Masculine, vowel | l’ | gli | l’amico → gli amici |
| Feminine, consonant | la | le | la casa → le case |
| Feminine, vowel | l’ | le | l’amica → le amiche |
Keep le and gli before vowels in the modern plural. Learn noun gender with the word: la mano, il fiore. These lessons use common examples; article choice can depend on an intervening adjective.
Distinctive spelling patterns
These are sound patterns, not extra alphabet letters.
| Spelling | Sound cue | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| gli | Palatal lateral /ʎ/; long between vowels | famiglia, figlio; gli includes final i |
| gn | Palatal nasal /ɲ/; long between vowels | bagno, gnocchi |
| c/g + e or i | /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ | cena, gelato |
| ch/gh + e or i | /k/ and /g/ | chiave, spaghetti |
| sc + e or i | /ʃ/; long between vowels | pesce, scena |
| sch + e or i; sc + a/o/u | /sk/ | schiena, scuola |
| Double consonant | Hold the consonant longer | pala / palla |
Gli is not always the palatal sound: glicine has separate g and l. IPA here identifies the target consonant, not the transcription of an entire word.
Teaching references: Treccani: articles · Treccani: digraphs
Practise with lessons →