Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce sei in Italian
sei
Six
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
sei is pronounced /ˈsɛj/ in Italian. In sei: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in sei
The reference transcription for sei is /ˈsɛj/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In sei: 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”.
2.A clear /s/
In sei: 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
Il conto è di sei euro.
The bill is six euros.
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
sei 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 sei
How do you pronounce sei?
sei is pronounced /ˈsɛj/ in Italian. In sei: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In sei: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
