In this video we will be going over how to pronounce the letter G in Italian. The letter G is pronounced differently depending on what vowel comes after the letter G.
I will also be showing you the Sherbeth Gelato Festival that is held every November in Palermo, Sicily. The festival attracts the best artisan gelato makers from all over the world.
As I stroll through the festival, I will conduct an Italian lesson on the letter G.
There are some words in Italian that are known to English users that will help you understand the rules of how G is pronounced in Italian. This will make it easier to remember the rule if you associate the word with the rule.
Here are some examples that will help you understand the rule in Italian.
GA – The Italian word “gatto” which means cat (similar to Spanish)
GE – The Italian word “gelato” which everyone loves, means ice cream (Italy’s version)
GI – The word “gigolo” as in David Lee Roth’s song: Just a Gigilo
GO – The Italian word “gondola”
GU – The Italian word “gusto” which means flavor.
Letters that Change G pronunciation in Italian
For example, the combination of GE forms gelato, where the G takes on a J sound.
But adding an H gives it the G sound in gondola, as in the word “ghetto”. The letter H acts as a toggle that can flip the sound.
The I will also change the G sound, again it depends on the vowel that follows the G letter.
In summary:
GA – The G in this word is like the G in gatto.
GIA – The G in this word is like the J in John.
GE – The G in this word is like gelato.
GHE – The G in this word is like ghetto.
GI – The G in this word is like gigolo.
GHI – The G in this word is like the chocolate brand Ghirardelli.
GO – The G in this word is like gondola.
GIO – The G in this word is like Giorgio Armani.
GU – The G in this word is like gusto.
GIU – The G in this word is like the J in John.
Special Case in G Pronunciation in Italian: GN and GL
GN – This combination of letters in Italian forms a pronunciation that is similar to the ny in the word canyon. Gnocchi, a type of pasta, is an example with this combination.
GL – This combination of letters in Italian forms a pronunciation that is similar to the ll in the word million.
You may be interested in the blog post: The Difference between Italian gelato and American ice cream.
And you can learn more about Palermo, Sicily for travel, vacation, history, etc. from this YouTube playlist.
