Italian Spelling = English Sound a = ah e = ay i = ee o = oh u = oo c (before e or i) = ch c (before other vowels) = k ch = k g (before e or i) = j g (before other vowels) = g (as in go) gh = g (as in go) gl = lli (as in million) gn = ny (as in canyon) h = always silent r = r (a single r should lightly rolled or trilled; a double rr is strongly rolled or trilled) s = s (but pronounced as a z when it comes between vowels) sc (before e or i) = sh sc (before other vowels) = sk sch = sk z (beginning of a word) = dz z (within a word) = ts zz = ts and sometimes dz