Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce città in Italian
città
City
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
città is pronounced /t͡ʃitˈta/ in Italian. In città: Make a single “ch” sound, beginning with a brief stop and releasing into friction. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in città
Read città in these IPA segments: t͡ʃit · ˈta. Dots and stress marks identify the boundaries shown in the reference; these symbols are not English spelling. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The affricate /tʃ/
In città: Make a single “ch” sound, beginning with a brief stop and releasing into friction.
Watch out: Do not separate it into a t syllable followed by sh.
2.Consonant and vowel timing
In città: Follow the length shown in the IPA and the recording. A doubled consonant needs a longer closure or hold before the next vowel.
Watch out: Do not insert an extra vowel to make a long consonant easier. A colon /ː/ lengthens the sound immediately before it.
3.Front-vowel position
In città: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front.
Watch out: Do not decide vowel quality from English spelling alone.
Hear it in context
Domenica resto in città, senza treno.
Sunday I'm staying in the city, no train.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
città is presented using Standard Italian. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about città
How do you pronounce città?
città is pronounced /t͡ʃitˈta/ in Italian. In città: Make a single “ch” sound, beginning with a brief stop and releasing into friction. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In città: Make a single “ch” sound, beginning with a brief stop and releasing into friction. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
