Italian word accent - L'accento delle parole in italiano

In Italian, the accent, or tonic syllable, is an essential element for correct pronunciation. The accent determines which syllable within the word should be pronounced more strongly. This can change the meaning of similar words, making the position of the accent an important aspect to master.

Why do we say 'ultima', 'penultima' and 'terzultima sillaba'? 

In Italian, the terminology used to identify the position of the accent is based on a specific order, always starting with the last syllable. This makes it possible to identify the accented syllable and avoid confusion.

When identifying the syllable on which the accent falls, we always start with the last syllable of the word:

• Ultima: the last syllable.
• Penultima (second-to-last syllable): the second syllable from the end.
• Terzultima (third-to-last syllable): the third syllable from the end.

Speaking of the position of the accent, saying 'last' (ultima) or 'second-to-last syllable' (penultima) makes it clear exactly where the accent is in relation to the end of the word. We do not say that the accent is on the 'first' syllable because the term 'first' can be ambiguous: it could refer to the beginning of the word or to the first sound we pronounce. Instead, terms such as 'penultima' or 'terzultima' remove any uncertainty and indicate the exact position from the last syllable.

Types of Italian words according to accent

• Parole piane (flat words) - In most Italian words, the accent falls on the penultima sillaba. These words are called parole piane.

For example: 

pane, cane, libro, felice, piacere, insegnante, cinese, ancora

• Parole sdrucciole (slippery words) - In these words the accent falls on the terzultima sillaba (third-to-last syllable).

For example: 

facile, semplice, pagina, lingua, musica, ora, Marta, ancora

• Parole tronche (truncated words) - These words have the accent on the last syllable or ultima sillaba. These words always have an accent on the final vowel.

For example: 

caffè, città, virtù, perché, nazionalità, unità, generosità

The most common accent in Italian: le parole piane

In Italian, most words are 'flat' or parole piane, meaning that the accent is placed on the penultima sillaba. This type of tonic accent is the most common in Italian and makes the pronunciation of words regular and predictable:

Examples of flat words: cane, libro, amico.

Let's recall that words accented on the third last syllable are called sdrucciole (such as pagina and facile), while those accented on the last syllable are called tronche (such as città and caffè). Truncated words in Italian always have the accent on the final vowel.

Why is the accent important?

Knowing the position of the accent in an Italian word is essential in order to pronounce it correctly and avoid confusion of meaning. For example, words like ancóra ('again') and àncora ('anchor', the tool used to stop a boat) have different meanings depending on the position of the accent.

I must point out that in Italian we do not use accents to help you understand where the accent falls! So, when you read, you will rarely find the accents to guide you to the correct pronunciation. It may happen that an author will highlight the accent in case of ambiguity. This often happens with verbs to distinguish them from prepositions, e.g. you can find 'dà' (third person singular of 'dare' = to give) to distinguish it from the preposition 'da'. 

To go back to the case I mentioned, to find out whether you are reading 'ancora' as 'again' or whether you are saying 'ancora' as a means of stopping a boat, you generally have to work it out from the context...

The graphic accent in Italian

In Italian, as I said, the accent is not always visible. However, in truncated words (accented on the last syllable), the accent is always graphically marked on the final vowel. This is to avoid ambiguity and to signal the tonic syllable.

Some examples of words where the graphic accent is present are: città, università, caffè, papà. 

The graphic accent on these words not only clarifies the pronunciation, but also helps to avoid misunderstandings.  A clear example is 'Papa' which means 'Pope' and 'papà' which means 'father'.

Accent in verb conjugations

In Italian, the position of the accent in verb conjugations is often predictable. For example, in verbs ending in -ano and -ono in the third person plural of the present indicative, the desinence itself is atonal (unaccented), so the accent falls on the preceding syllable.

For example: 
mangiano, ridono, partono

This pattern is common for regular verbs in all three conjugations (first -are, second -ere, and third -ire).

For example: 

• parlano (1ª coniugazione: -are)
• vedono (2ª coniugazione: -ere)
• dormono (3ª coniugazione: -ire)

To conclude

To pronounce Italian words correctly, it is important to know which syllable the accent is on. Remember that the tonic accent is rarely written unless it is on the last syllable, where it appears graphically to facilitate reading and comprehension. 

Practising these rules will help you feel more confident in your Italian pronunciation and understanding.

If you have any questions or would like to share your learning experience, please leave a comment below. I'm curious to know how you are progressing on your language journey!

You can now download your FREE EXERCISES on Italian word accent

NO credit card required!

Download

Your FREE exercise

NO credit card required

Name

Surname

Email

Country

City

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

Opt in to receive news and updates.

Thank you!

Please check your email and verify your address to receive the selected exercise.