Italian · Food & drink
How to pronounce coltello in Italian
coltello
Knife
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
coltello is pronounced /kolˈtɛl.lo/ in Italian. In coltello: Follow the length shown in the IPA and the recording. A doubled consonant needs a longer closure or hold before the next vowel. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
Find the sounds in coltello
Read coltello in these IPA segments: kol · ˈtɛl · lo. 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.Consonant and vowel timing
In coltello: 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.
2.A steady /o/ vowel
In coltello: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription.
Watch out: Avoid automatically turning a single /o/ into the moving vowel of English “go”.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In coltello: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
Hear it in context
Mi serve un coltello più affilato.
I need a sharper knife.
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
coltello 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 coltello
How do you pronounce coltello?
coltello is pronounced /kolˈtɛl.lo/ in Italian. In coltello: Follow the length shown in the IPA and the recording. A doubled consonant needs a longer closure or hold before the next vowel. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In coltello: Follow the length shown in the IPA and the recording. A doubled consonant needs a longer closure or hold before the next vowel. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
