Italian Loanwords in American English: How to Pronounce Pizza, Cello, Spaghetti and Bruschetta

When American English borrows an Italian word, it usually keeps the Italian spelling rules for consonants: C and G before E or I are soft (/tʃ/ and /dʒ/), while CH and GH are hard (/k/ and /ɡ/). The vowels, on the other hand, get Americanized: a final -o becomes /oʊ/, a final -a becomes a schwa, and a T between vowels turns into a quick flap, so spaghetti sounds like [spəˈɡɛɾi].

That is the whole idea in two sentences. Once you know the handful of Italian letter combinations below, you can read words like cappuccino, bruschetta, prosciutto and gnocchi off a menu with confidence, and you can say them the way American listeners expect.

Why it works: two spelling systems in one word

Italian spelling is very regular. Each letter combination has one job. English borrowed most Italian words through food, music and art, and it borrowed them with their spelling unchanged, so the consonant rules of Italian came along too. That is why cello starts with a "ch" sound even though English cell starts with /s/.

The vowels are a different story. American speakers pour Italian words into English sound patterns: stressed syllables stay strong, unstressed syllables shrink to schwa /ə/, and word-final vowels become the closest English vowel. The result is a hybrid: Italian consonants with American rhythm and vowels.

A useful way to think about the consonants: in Italian, the letter H is a "hardener". It has no sound of its own; its only job is to keep C and G hard in front of E and I. So ch = /k/ and gh = /ɡ/, the exact opposite of what English readers expect from the ch in cheese. And to make C or G soft in front of A, O or U, Italian adds a silent I: ciao, ciabatta, focaccia.

The Italian spelling rules, one by one

Rule 1: C before E or I says /tʃ/

In Italian, C followed by E or I sounds like English "ch". That gives cello /ˈtʃɛloʊ/, ciao /tʃaʊ/, cappuccino /ˌkæpəˈtʃinoʊ/, concerto /kənˈtʃɛrt̬oʊ/, ciabatta /tʃəˈbɑt̬ə/ and focaccia /foʊˈkɑtʃ(i)ə/. Compare native English words, where soft C is /s/: city, cent, cell. For a refresher on the English pattern, see the hard and soft C rule. In ciao and ciabatta, the I is only a spelling signal that the C is soft; it is not a separate vowel.

Rule 2: CH says /k/

Because H hardens the C, ch is always /k/ in Italian words: Chianti /kiˈɑnti/, zucchini /zuˈkini/, Pinocchio /pəˈnoʊkioʊ/. Bruschetta is the famous case. The Italian-faithful pronunciation is /bruˈskɛt̬ə/, with /sk/. Many Americans say /bruˈʃɛt̬ə/, reading "sch" as "sh". You will hear both in American restaurants; /sk/ is the one that follows the spelling rule.

Rule 3: G before E or I says /dʒ/, GH says /ɡ/

G works just like C. Before E or I it is soft /dʒ/, as in gelato /dʒəˈlɑt̬oʊ/ and arpeggio /ɑrˈpɛdʒioʊ/. Many Americans soften it even more in adagio, saying /əˈdɑʒioʊ/, although /əˈdɑdʒioʊ/ is also heard. Add an H and G stays hard: spaghetti /spəˈɡɛt̬i/, ghetto /ˈɡɛt̬oʊ/, Lamborghini /ˌlæmbɔrˈɡini/.

Rule 4: SC before E or I says /ʃ/

The combination sc + E or I makes the "sh" sound: prosciutto /proʊˈʃut̬oʊ/, crescendo /krəˈʃɛndoʊ/. There is no /s/ and no /k/ here. Before A, O or U, or when an H is added (sch), the sequence stays /sk/, which is exactly why bruschetta has /sk/ in Italian.

Rule 5: GN says /nj/ and GLI says /lj/

The G in gn is not pronounced as /ɡ/. It turns the N into an "ny" sound, like the middle of canyon: lasagna /ləˈzɑnjə/, and gnocchi, which Americans say as /ˈnjɑki/ or simply /ˈnoʊki/. In the same way, gli sounds like "ly", as in the middle of million: tagliatelle /ˌtɑljəˈtɛli/. Here is a fun American exception: the Italian city of Bologna is /bəˈloʊnjə/, but the lunch meat bologna is /bəˈloʊni/, which is why it is also spelled baloney.

Rule 6: Z and ZZ usually say /ts/

Americans keep the Italian /ts/ in pizza /ˈpitsə/, mozzarella /ˌmɑtsəˈrɛlə/, paparazzi /ˌpɑpəˈrɑtsi/ and intermezzo /ˌɪntɚˈmɛtsoʊ/. But zucchini starts with a plain English /z/, and some Americans say mozzarella with /z/ as well: /ˌmɑzəˈrɛlə/. If a Z word is very common in American kitchens, check whether it has been fully Americanized.

Rule 7: Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable

Most Italian words are stressed on the next-to-last syllable, and English keeps that stress: spaGHEtti, laSAgna, cappucCIno, mozzaRELla, esPRESso. If you meet a new Italian word, this is your safest guess. The exceptions usually come from Italian itself: broccoli is /ˈbrɑkəli/ because Italian also stresses the first syllable, and piccolo is /ˈpɪkəloʊ/. Latte /ˈlɑteɪ/ is regular: it has two syllables, and the stressed one is the second-to-last.

The American adaptation rules

Here is what changes when an Italian word enters American English. These rules explain why an American "pizza" or "spaghetti" does not sound like the Italian original, and why that is completely normal.

• Final -o becomes /oʊ/. Espresso is /ɛˈsprɛsoʊ/, with a glide at the end. Note the spelling: it is espresso, not "expresso"; there is no /ks/ in the word.
• Final -a becomes schwa /ə/. pizza /ˈpitsə/, pasta /ˈpɑstə/, ciabatta /tʃəˈbɑt̬ə/.
• Final -i is /i/. spaghetti /spəˈɡɛt̬i/, ravioli /ˌræviˈoʊli/, biscotti /bɪˈskɑt̬i/.
• Final -e varies. It is /eɪ/ in latte /ˈlɑteɪ/, but /i/ in minestrone /ˌmɪnəˈstroʊni/, provolone /ˌproʊvəˈloʊni/ and finale /fəˈnæli/. The spelling does not tell you which one, so learn these words one by one.
• Unstressed vowels reduce to schwa. The first vowel of lasagna, gelato and mozzarella is a short /ə/, not a full Italian A, E or O.
• Double consonants are not lengthened. In Italian, the double T of spaghetti is held longer. In English, tt, zz and cc are just spelling; spaghetti has one short T.
• T between vowels becomes a flap. spaghetti [spəˈɡɛɾi], gelato [dʒəˈlɑɾoʊ], biscotti [bɪˈskɑɾi]. It is the same quick tap you hear in water and butter; see the flap T guide for details.
• The American /r/ replaces the trilled R. mozzarella and arpeggio use the normal English /r/, with no trill.

One more American twist: pepperoni /ˌpɛpəˈroʊni/ is an American creation. In Italy, peperoni means bell peppers, so asking for a "pepperoni pizza" in Rome may get you a pizza with peppers on it.

Exceptions and how to spot them

• bruschetta: /bruˈskɛt̬ə/ follows the rule; /bruˈʃɛt̬ə/ is very common in the US. Both are heard.
• zucchini: /z/, not /ts/.
• mozzarella: /ts/ or /z/, both are used.
• gnocchi: /ˈnjɑki/ or /ˈnoʊki/.
• bologna (lunch meat) /bəˈloʊni/ vs Bologna (the city) /bəˈloʊnjə/.
• final -e: /eɪ/ in latte, /i/ in minestrone, provolone and finale.
• stress: broccoli and piccolo are stressed on the first syllable.

The pattern behind the exceptions: words that Americans have used every day for generations (bologna, zucchini, pepperoni) drift furthest from Italian, while newer or more "restaurant" words (bruschetta, prosciutto, tagliatelle) stay closer to the Italian spelling rules.

Should you use the Italian pronunciation?

Saying a word the Italian way is not "wrong". But inside an English sentence, listeners expect the Americanized version, and a fully Italian pizza or spaghetti in the middle of American English can sound affected, as if you were performing. The practical approach: speak with the American version, and know the Italian version too, so you understand it when a chef, a musician or a movie character uses it.

Common mistakes for learners

• Using your own language's letter rules. Spanish and Portuguese speakers often read C, G and CH with their own rules: the Spanish "ch" /tʃ/ in bruschetta, the Portuguese "ch" /ʃ/ in Chianti, or the Spanish "ce" as /s/ or /θ/ in cello.
• Reading CH as "sh" and stressing the end. French speakers often say Chianti with /ʃ/ and put the stress on the final syllable (pizZA, spaghetTI).
• Using /ts/ for every Z. German speakers are right about pizza, but zucchini needs /z/. They may also read the "sch" in bruschetta as /ʃ/.
• Keeping pure Italian vowels. A final -o without the /oʊ/ glide, a full /a/ at the end of pasta, or a held double consonant all sound foreign in American English.
• Saying "expresso". The word is espresso, /ɛˈsprɛsoʊ/.

English borrowed from Spanish too, with a different set of rules. Compare this guide with Spanish loanwords in American English.

Practice

Listen to each word, then repeat it. Check the consonant first (Italian rule), then the vowels and the flap (American rule).

Practice sentences

Read these sentences out loud. Mark every c, ch, g, gh, sc, gn and z first, then say the sentence with American vowels and flapped T's.

1. I'll have a cappuccino and a slice of focaccia, please.
2. The cello solo came right before the crescendo.
3. We ordered bruschetta, lasagna, and a bottle of Chianti.
4. Can you add prosciutto and mozzarella to the ciabatta?
5. The paparazzi followed her to the gelato shop.
6. He drinks an espresso after every plate of spaghetti.

Quick checklist

• c + e/i = /tʃ/ (cello); ch = /k/ (Chianti)
• g + e/i = /dʒ/ (gelato); gh = /ɡ/ (spaghetti)
• sc + e/i = /ʃ/ (prosciutto)
• gn = /nj/ (lasagna); gli = /lj/ (tagliatelle)
• z, zz = usually /ts/ (pizza), but /z/ in zucchini
• Stress the second-to-last syllable (except broccoli, piccolo)
• Final -o = /oʊ/, final -a = /ə/, final -i = /i/, final -e = /eɪ/ or /i/
• No long double consonants; flap the T between vowels; use the American /r/