Problematic sounds for Italians when speaking English
Remember, incorrect pronunciation is one of the main causes of misunderstanding, so it is important to work on your pronunciation so that you speak clearly enough for people to understand you.
Sounds, or phonemes, are usually compared and studied in pairs; they are called minimal pairs. Every nationality has a problem with a minimal pair or a particular sound. For Italians the minimal pair that is particularly problematic is:
- /I/ as in it
- /i:/ as in eat.
All sounds are put between two //. The two dots /:/ indicate a long sound as in ‘iiiiiiii’
For example, one of the most frequent mistakes Italians make is the pronunciation of the verbs to live /liv/ and to leave /li:v/.
To live – “I live /liv/ in Rome.” (I don’t leave /li:v/ in Rome!)
To leave – “The train leaves /li:vz/at 9.00am.”
How many times have I heard my in company students talk about their ‘workshit’ rather than their ‘worksheet’!
Here are some examples of this minimal pair.
/I/ /i:/
it eat
fit feet
bit beat
bitch beach
shit sheet
ship sheep
lick leak
hill heel
hit heat
ill eel
live leave
First practice repeating the words with the same sound:
it, fit, bit…, then
eat, feet, beat…, then
repeat the words with the two contrasting sounds:
it – eat, fit – feet, bit – beat etc.
Practice often and you’ll soon have a much better pronunciation. Try it and let me know!
