Speak With a Fake Italian Accent
Whether it is for acting, or just to pull a prank at some friends, this article will instruct you how to re-create an Italian accent!
Contents
Steps
- Start by modifying your vowels. Italian vowels are different than English vowels, and each letter stands distinctly as one sound. It may sound complicated, but it isn't.
- A sounds like the ä in "Father"
- E is pronounced like è in "Vendor"
- I like ï in "Naive"
- U is ù as in "Goo".
- Blend your "th". Many Italians have some difficulty in pronouncing the English "th", and so pronounce it as either "t" (as in "Think"), or "d" (as in "The"), respectively.
- Use simple English. Since you are pretending to be a foreigner your working knowledge of the vocabulary would not be complete.
- Elongate double consonants. In Italian, words such as "Azzurro", "Pollo", or other words with double consonants are pronounced twice as long as single consonants. Thus, it would be "Bet-ter" and not "bedder".
- End questions with "no?". This is an optional step, and obviously not done every time. The Italian language uses it, and thus, Italians are familiar with it. Example: "You are going later, no?"
- Italians often drop the 'h' from the beginning of words.
- Occasionally mistake certain sounds. Be careful with this one, as too much of it will make you pretentious! But if you want to, remember this:
- GL is LL (as in "Million")
- GN is ñ (as in "Canyon")
Tips
- Observe real Italians. This is by far the easiest way to improve your skills. Watch films with Italians and follow their speech patterns.
- "Three" and "tree" have the same pronounce: "h" doesn't have any sound, always.
- Use "Eh" as a filler. Italians don't usually say "Um" or "Like".
- "gn" is pronounced like "ñ" in Spanish (e.g. mañana)
- Although the Italian E is similar to the E in "Vendor", it is slightly longer, and somewhat similar to "ay" in "Bray".
- Make sure your "o" does not have a w sound at the end. Make your mouth into an o, start making the sound of an o, and then stop.
Warnings
- Never try to fool the native speakers. Italians will instantly mark you negatively.
- Use responsibly. For example read this article to prepare for a theater play, don't use it to confuse the Police.
- Do not exaggerate too much! As "Italian" as you may sound, exaggeration will only result in incomprehensible speech.