Italian Words English Speakers Pronounce Wrong — Even When They Know the Meaning

You've ordered bruschetta a hundred times. You eat prosciutto weekly. You know what gnocchi is. But there's a good chance you're mispronouncing all three — and the Italian waiter is too polite to correct you.

Here are the Italian words that English speakers consistently get wrong, and how to fix them.

The Big Three

Bruschetta → broo-SKET-tah (not "broo-SHEH-tah")

The "sch" in Italian is pronounced /sk/, not /ʃ/ (English "sh"). Italian doesn't use the "sh" sound for "sch." It's always a hard "sk."

• Wrong: broo-SHEH-tah
• Right: broo-SKET-tah

The double "t" also matters — hold the "t" sound slightly longer than a single "t."

Gnocchi → NYOK-kee (not "NO-chee" or "noh-CHEE")

The "gn" in Italian is a palatal nasal — like the "ny" in "canyon." The "g" is not pronounced separately. And "cch" before "i" is a hard /k/ sound.

• Wrong: NO-chee, noh-CHEE, GUH-no-chee
• Right: NYOK-kee

Prosciutto → pro-SHOOT-toh (not "pro-SHOO-toh")

English speakers usually get close but miss the double "t" — prosciutto has a double "t" that needs to be held longer. And the final "o" should be a clear, open "oh," not a reduced "uh."

• Mostly right: pro-SHOO-toh
• Actually right: pro-SHOOT-toh (with a held "t")

Restaurant Italian

Word	English speakers say	Correct Italian
Bruschetta	broo-SHEH-tah	broo-SKET-tah
Gnocchi	NO-chee	NYOK-kee
Prosciutto	pro-SHOO-toh	pro-SHOOT-toh
Mascarpone	MAS-car-pohn	mas-kar-POH-neh
Focaccia	fo-KAH-chah	fo-KAH-tchah
Tagliatelle	TAG-lee-ah-tell	tah-lyah-TEL-leh
Penne	PEN-ay	PEN-neh
Espresso	ex-PRESS-oh	es-PRESS-oh
Risotto	rih-ZOT-oh	ree-ZOT-toh
Panettone	PAN-eh-tohn	pah-net-TOH-neh

The Rules Behind the Mistakes

Most of these errors come from applying English letter-sound rules to Italian spelling. Here are the Italian rules that English speakers need to learn:

Rule 1: "sch" is always /sk/

Italian never uses "sch" for the "sh" sound. When you see "sch" in Italian, say /sk/: bruschetta, scherzare (to joke), schema (scheme).

Rule 2: "gn" is always /ɲ/ (like "ny")

The "gn" combination in Italian produces a single palatal nasal: gnocchi, lasagna (la-ZAN-yah), signora (seen-YOR-ah), Bologna (bo-LON-yah).

Rule 3: Double consonants are held longer

This is not optional. Double consonants change meaning: pena (penalty) vs penna (pen), casa (house) vs cassa (cash register), note (notes) vs notte (night).

Rule 4: Every vowel is pronounced

Italian doesn't reduce vowels. Every "e" at the end of a word is a clear "eh," not silent: tagliatelle has four full syllables, not three. Mascarpone ends with "neh," not "nohn."

Rule 5: "c" before "e" or "i" is /tʃ/ (like "ch")

Focaccia = fo-KAH-tchah. Cappuccino = kap-poo-TCHEE-noh. Ciao = TCHOW.

But "c" before "a," "o," or "u" is /k/: camera = KAH-meh-rah.

Beyond the Restaurant

These rules apply to all Italian, not just food. Once you internalise them, you can pronounce almost any Italian word correctly on sight — Italian spelling is one of the most regular systems in the world.

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• Italian pronunciation guide
• Common Italian pronunciation mistakes
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• Italian pronunciation for your accent