Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce mille in Italian
mille
One thousand
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
mille is pronounced /ˈmil.le/ in Italian. In mille: 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 mille
Read mille in these IPA segments: ˈmil · le. 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 mille: 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 /e/ vowel
In mille: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording.
Watch out: English “ay” often ends with a glide; do not automatically carry that glide into this vowel.
3.Front-vowel position
In mille: 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
L'affitto è mille euro al mese.
The rent is one thousand euros a month.
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
mille 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 mille
How do you pronounce mille?
mille is pronounced /ˈmil.le/ in Italian. In mille: 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 mille: 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.
