Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce schiena in Italian
schiena
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Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
schiena is pronounced /ˈskjɛ.na/ in Italian. In schiena: The spelling ch keeps a hard /k/ sound before e or i. The h helps signal the spelling pattern rather than adding a breath sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in schiena
Read schiena in these IPA segments: ˈskjɛ · 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.Hard ch before e or i
In schiena: The spelling ch keeps a hard /k/ sound before e or i. The h helps signal the spelling pattern rather than adding a breath sound.
Watch out: Do not use the English “ch” sound from “cheese” for this ch.
2.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In schiena: 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”.
3.An open vowel
In schiena: 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”.
4.A clear /s/
In schiena: Let air pass through a narrow groove near the front of the mouth. Keep the sound unvoiced.
Watch out: Do not add voicing and turn /s/ into /z/.
Hear it in context
Mi fa male la schiena.
My back hurts.
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
schiena 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 schiena
How do you pronounce schiena?
schiena is pronounced /ˈskjɛ.na/ in Italian. In schiena: The spelling ch keeps a hard /k/ sound before e or i. The h helps signal the spelling pattern rather than adding a breath sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In schiena: The spelling ch keeps a hard /k/ sound before e or i. The h helps signal the spelling pattern rather than adding a breath sound. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
