Italian · Difficult words
How to pronounce tempo in Italian
tempo
Weather
Standard Italian · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
tempo is pronounced /ˈtɛm.po/ in Italian. In tempo: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in tempo
Read tempo in these IPA segments: ˈtɛm · po. 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.A steady /o/ vowel
In tempo: 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”.
2.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In tempo: 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”.
Hear it in context
Che tempo fa oggi?
What's the weather like today?
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
tempo 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 tempo
How do you pronounce tempo?
tempo is pronounced /ˈtɛm.po/ in Italian. In tempo: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In tempo: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
