Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce piccolo in Italian
piccolo
Small
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
piccolo is pronounced /ˈpik.ko.lo/ in Italian. In piccolo: 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 piccolo
Read piccolo in these IPA segments: ˈpik · ko · 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 piccolo: 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 piccolo: 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.Front-vowel position
In piccolo: 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
Il bagno è piccolo ma carino.
The bathroom is small but nice.
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
piccolo 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 piccolo
How do you pronounce piccolo?
piccolo is pronounced /ˈpik.ko.lo/ in Italian. In piccolo: 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 piccolo: 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.
