Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce gioco in Italian
gioco
Game
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
gioco is pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɔ.ko/ in Italian. In gioco: Use a voiced “j” sound as in “jam”, joining the stop and release into one consonant. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in gioco
Read gioco in these IPA segments: ˈd͡ʒɔ · ko. 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 /dʒ/
In gioco: Use a voiced “j” sound as in “jam”, joining the stop and release into one consonant.
Watch out: A hard English g gives a different consonant.
2.A steady /o/ vowel
In gioco: 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 /ɔ/ vowel
In gioco: 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.
Hear it in context
Facciamo un gioco prima di cena?
Shall we play a game before dinner?
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
gioco 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 gioco
How do you pronounce gioco?
gioco is pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɔ.ko/ in Italian. In gioco: Use a voiced “j” sound as in “jam”, joining the stop and release into one consonant. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In gioco: Use a voiced “j” sound as in “jam”, joining the stop and release into one consonant. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
