Italian Language Lessons
Grammar, spelling, and usage
Italian Double Consonants
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Diphthongs (i dittonghi) are two vowels fused to emit a single sound. A diphthong is formed when an unstressed i or u combines with another vowel (a, e, o) or when the two vowels combine with each other, in which case either the i or u may remain unstressed. In diphthongs, unstressed i and u become semivowels approximating in sound the English consonants y and w, respectively.
Diphthong examples:
| Italian | English |
|---|
| ieri | yesterday |
| buono | good |
| fiore | flower |
| chiuso | closed |
| invidia | envy |
| più | more |
Tripthongs also exist. These are sequences of three vowels with a single sound, usually a diphthong followed by an unstressed i.
| Italian | English |
|---|
| tuoi | yours |
| miei | mine |
| buoi | oxen |
| pigliai | I took |
Italian has numerous words that contain sequences of vowels. The following words are not triphthongs (which are infrequent), but sequences of a vowel and a diphthong.
| Italian | English |
|---|
| noia | boredom |
| febbraio | February |
| baia | bay |
| fioraio | florist |
Each of the words below has a sequence of two diphthongs:
| Italian | English |
|---|
| ghiaia | gravel |
| muoio | I die |
| acquaio | sink |
| gioiello | jewel |
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