Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce donna in Italian
donna
Woman
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
donna is pronounced /ˈdɔn.na/ in Italian. In donna: 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.
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Find the sounds in donna
Read donna in these IPA segments: ˈdɔn · na. 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 donna: 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.The open /ɔ/ vowel
In donna: Round the lips and keep a relatively open jaw. Sustain one vowel rather than moving toward a w sound.
Watch out: English “oh” often moves during the vowel; follow the steadier sound in the recording.
3.An open vowel
In donna: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
Hear it in context
Una donna del team presenta il progetto.
A woman from the team is presenting the project.
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
donna 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 donna
How do you pronounce donna?
donna is pronounced /ˈdɔn.na/ in Italian. In donna: 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 donna: 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.
