Napulitano

Neapolitan: An Introductory Course.
by Carmine Colacino ©1999 - All rights reserved

Pronunciation: Part 1

A simple guide to the elements of Neapolitan pronunciation are offered. Of course, there can be no substitute for conversational practice with native speakers. Refer back to this guide while you go through the other lessons, and try to read aloud all Neapolitan words and sentences when you meet them.

The alphabet

The Neapolitan alphabet is basically the same as the English one, except that k, w, x and y are found only in assimilated foreign words and their derivatives: kaiser [,kaj'ser], clown ['klawn], wagneriano [,vagn'rjan], yacht ['jt] ,
xilofono [ksi'lfn], etc. (k is pronounced [k], w as [v], x as [ks], y as [j]).

The vowels

The Neapolitan vowels are sharper and simpler in quality than the English vowels. Try to avoid the American (and English) tendency to slur or diphthongize single vowel sounds. Some rules are given below.

There are six different vowels (a-e-i-j-o-u), but the actual sounds are more.

{['] represents the primary stress; [,] the secondary one; [:] indicates the vowel sound is longer}

a 1. Stressed a is an open vowel between standard English cat and father [a]:
'a mamma [a'mamm], the mother ; chiammà [kjam'ma], to call, to name ;
ccà ['kka], here.

2. Unstressed a has a neutral sound, like a and e in the endings of the English words sugar, butter, or like e in the French une, brebis. It is the schwa sound []:
cresommela [kr'smml], apricot

3. Unstressed a is pronounced [a] when its position is in the syllable just before the stressed vowel (and, optionally, also when its position is in the syllable just after the stresses vowel):
chiammà [kjam'ma], to call, to name ; chiagnenno [kja'enn] crying; mammeta ['mammat] or ['mammt] your mother; cammera ['kammr] or ['kammar] room, chamber; penzace ['pndzt] or ['pndzat] think about it .
{for see note below *}

4. Sometimes a can have a low and backward pronunciation similar to a in the English car or in the French negation pas, (sometimes it may acquire a nasal quality too). This pronunciation is not of all speakers of Neapolitan, and the difference with the pronunciation indicated in "1" above will not be noted (e.g. mammà [mam'ma], mom.)

e Stressed e has two sounds:

1. Open e [] is like e in the English yet, sell :
'a femmena [a'fmmn], the woman-the female;
'a cammarera [a,kamm'rr], the waitress.
(In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "grave" accent, è)

2. Closed e [e] is like e in the English they, but without the final glide sound:
'o mese [o'mes], the month ; 'o pesce [o'pe], the fish ;
pecché [pk'ke], why - because.
(In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "acute" accent é).

3. Unstressed e is pronounced [] (see point "2" for a, above):
te parlaje [tpar'laj], (I/he) talked to you.

i 1. It is like the i in the English machine [i]: accussí [akkus'si], so ;
sí ['si], yes ; sî ['si:], (you) are ; si ['si], if ; chi ['ki], who.

j 1. Unstressed [i] between two vowel sounds, and at the beginning of a word followed by a vowel sound, or within a word and followed by another vowel, is like the consonant y in the English yes [jes] (j can be a semi-vowel or a semi-consonant, and it is never stressed):
jamme ['jamm], let us go ; maje ['maj], never ; faje ['faj], (you) do.

o Stressed o has two sounds:

1. Open o [] is like o in the English coffee, corn : core [kr], heart ;
'a scolamaccarune [a,klamakka'run], drainer for pasta ;
'a provola [a'prvol], (a type of cheese.); còzzeca ['kttsk] mussel.
(In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "grave" accent", ò).

2. Closed o [o] is like o in the English note without the final [w] glide (or like French beau): 'o cunosco [,oku'nok], (I) know him ; comme [ 'komm], how ; 'o nonno [o'nonn],
the grandfather, grandpa ; ammore [am'mor], love; cózzeca ['kottsk] crust. .
(In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "acute" accent", ó).

3. Unstressed o is pronounced [] (see point "2" for a, above):
corrono ['korrn], (they) run ; puveriello [puv'rjell], poor ;
venimmo [v'nimm], (we) come

u It is like the u in the English put, foot [u], or it can stand for the semi-vowel [w]:
turreno [tur'rn], ground (also terreno [tr'rn]);
nu bbellu guaglione [nub,bllugwa'on], a beautiful boy ;
tanta juorne [,tanta'jworn], so many days ;
quanta vote [,wanta'vt], so many times!

It is possible to give few rules to pronounce correctly the vowels (the semi-vowels [j], [w] always keep their value). First of all, the vowels must be divided into three groups: 1) a; 2) i, u; 3) o, e.

Rules:

1. When stressed each vowel has its full sound (the basic seven sounds) to whatsoever group it belongs, i.e., à [a], è [], é [e], í [i], ò [], ó [o], ú [u];
2. When unstressed, and its position is in the syllable soon before the stressed vowel, the vowels of the first and second group keep their basic sounds; those of the third group become schwa [];
3. When unstressed, and its position is in the syllable soon after the stressed vowel, the vowels of the second group keep their basic sounds; those of the third group become schwa []; that of the first group can behave in both ways (it may keep its full sound, or not, also when it is at the beginning of a word, and a secondary stress falls on it.).

In other words, as a rule of thumb, u, and i keep always their basic sound; o, and e, only when stressed; a keeps its basic sound value when stressed, and when it is in the syllable before the stressed one, while when is in the syllable after the stressed one it can keep its basic sound or become a schwa (a may often keep its full sound at the beginning of a word when has a secondary stress on it).

Notes:

-- the schwa sound is indicated with []
-- the sound of Neapolitan - and Italian - gl(i); English lli in million; Spanish and Catalan ll, and Portuguese lh, is rendered with [] [and it can be single[], more often double [];
-- the sound of the Neapolitan (and Italian, French) gn, the Spanish ñ, the English ni in onion, the Portuguese nh, the Catalan ny, is indicated with [], which in Neapolitan (and Italian) can be single or more often double [/];
-- semi-vocalic (or semi-consonantic) i (English y) is indicated with [j];
-- the sound of g when followed by e or i (English "j") is indicated with [d/dd] (single/double, respectively);
-- "hard g" (the sound of g when followed by o, u or a, or a consonant except n) is indicated by [g/gg] (single/double, respectively);
-- the sound of c when followed by e or i (English "ch") is indicated by [t/tt] (single/double, respectively);
-- "hard c" (the sound of c when followed by o, u or a, or a consonant) is indicated by [k/kk] (single/double, respectively);
-- the sound of q is represented by []; qu(always followed by a vowel) = [w]+vowel;
-- the sound of English sh is indicated by [/] (single/double, respectively);
-- the sound of English s in measure (or French "j") is indicated by [];
-- the sounds of Neapolitan z are indicated by [ts/tts] when voiceless, or by [dz/ddz] when voiced (single/double, respectively);
-- the sound of n when it is before f, or v, (as well when n is before b, m, p, b, v, f of a following word), is indicated by []: e.g. nun pozzo [,nu 'potts], (I) can't ;
-- the sound of n when it is before c and g (followed by ior e; i.e. the sounds [t] or [d]), is indicated by [];
-- the sound of n when it is before c and g (followed by o, u, a, or a consonant; i.e. the sounds [k] and [g]) is indicated by [] - this is the sound of English ng in words such as thing, or of English n in words such as think;
-- The sounds of b, d, f, m, n, p, r, s (voiceless), t, , and v, are indicated by the same letters in square parenthesis [b], [d], [f], [m], [n], [p], [r], [s], they are similar to the English ones (except t and d, which are dental rather than alveolar as in English, and r, which is trilled as in French, Spanish, or Scottish) and can all be doubled [bb], [dd], etc.
-- the sound of voiced s is indicated by [z].

a	1.	Stressed a is an open vowel between standard English cat and father [a]: 'a mamma [a'mamm], the mother ; chiammà [kjam'ma], to call, to name ; ccà ['kka], here.
	2.	Unstressed a has a neutral sound, like a and e in the endings of the English words sugar, butter, or like e in the French une, brebis. It is the schwa sound []: cresommela [kr'smml], apricot
	3.	Unstressed a is pronounced [a] when its position is in the syllable just before the stressed vowel (and, optionally, also when its position is in the syllable just after the stresses vowel): chiammà [kjam'ma], to call, to name ; chiagnenno [kja'enn] crying; mammeta ['mammat] or ['mammt] your mother; cammera ['kammr] or ['kammar] room, chamber; penzace ['pndzt] or ['pndzat] think about it . {for see note below *}
	4.	Sometimes a can have a low and backward pronunciation similar to a in the English car or in the French negation pas, (sometimes it may acquire a nasal quality too). This pronunciation is not of all speakers of Neapolitan, and the difference with the pronunciation indicated in "1" above will not be noted (e.g. mammà [mam'ma], mom.)

e		Stressed e has two sounds:
	1.	Open e [] is like e in the English yet, sell : 'a femmena [a'fmmn], the woman-the female; 'a cammarera [a,kamm'rr], the waitress. (In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "grave" accent, è)
	2.	Closed e [e] is like e in the English they, but without the final glide sound: 'o mese [o'mes], the month ; 'o pesce [o'pe], the fish ; pecché [pk'ke], why - because. (In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "acute" accent é).
	3.	Unstressed e is pronounced [] (see point "2" for a, above): te parlaje [tpar'laj], (I/he) talked to you.

i	1.	It is like the i in the English machine [i]: accussí [akkus'si], so ; sí ['si], yes ; sî ['si:], (you) are ; si ['si], if ; chi ['ki], who.

j	1.	Unstressed [i] between two vowel sounds, and at the beginning of a word followed by a vowel sound, or within a word and followed by another vowel, is like the consonant y in the English yes [jes] (j can be a semi-vowel or a semi-consonant, and it is never stressed): jamme ['jamm], let us go ; maje ['maj], never ; faje ['faj], (you) do.

o		Stressed o has two sounds:
	1.	Open o [] is like o in the English coffee, corn : core [kr], heart ; 'a scolamaccarune [a,klamakka'run], drainer for pasta ; 'a provola [a'prvol], (a type of cheese.); còzzeca ['kttsk] mussel. (In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "grave" accent", ò).
	2.	Closed o [o] is like o in the English note without the final [w] glide (or like French beau): 'o cunosco [,oku'nok], (I) know him ; comme [ 'komm], how ; 'o nonno [o'nonn], the grandfather, grandpa ; ammore [am'mor], love; cózzeca ['kottsk] crust. . (In Neapolitan spelling this sound is indicated with the "acute" accent", ó).
	3.	Unstressed o is pronounced [] (see point "2" for a, above): corrono ['korrn], (they) run ; puveriello [puv'rjell], poor ; venimmo [v'nimm], (we) come

u		It is like the u in the English put, foot [u], or it can stand for the semi-vowel [w]: turreno [tur'rn], ground (also terreno [tr'rn]); nu bbellu guaglione [nub,bllugwa'on], a beautiful boy ; tanta juorne [,tanta'jworn], so many days ; quanta vote [,wanta'vt], so many times!