The Italian Z
Z has two sounds: voiceless ts, like the ts in cats, and voiced dz, softer, like the ds in beds. For dz your vocal cords vibrate. Which one a word uses is something you learn with the word; there is no reliable rule.
Z = ts
pizza
[peet-tsa]
pizza
grazie
[GRAH-tsyeh]
thank you
stazione
[stah-TSYOH-neh]
station
Z = dz
zero
[DZEH-ro]
zero
zona
[DZOH-na]
zone, area
mezzo
[MED-dzo]
half
The rolled R
The Italian R is made at the front: the tip of the tongue vibrates against the ridge just behind the upper teeth. The English r, where the tongue curls back without touching anything, does not work.
A single r is short, just one or two flaps of the tongue tip.
Roma
Rome
mare
sea
treno
train
R vs. RR
A double rr is rolled clearly longer. The length changes the word, as with every Italian double consonant.
caro
dear, expensive
carro
cart
sera
evening
serra
greenhouse
Putting it together
La pizza è pronta.
The pizza is ready.
Grazie mille!
Thanks a lot!
Una birra, per favore.
A beer, please.
Prendo il treno per Roma.
I'm taking the train to Rome.
Abito in una zona tranquilla.
I live in a quiet area.
