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From ‘Gnocchi’ to ‘Bruschetta’: Learn to Pronounce an Italian Menu

1. You’re at an Italian restaurant in the US. You order bruschetta, pronouncing the “sch” like “sk” in ski. When the server reads back your order, they say it like “sh” in ship. Who’s right?

1 point

The server’s right. SCH is pronounced like the “sh” in ship.

You’re right. The server is either not Italian or has adapted their pronunciation.

You’re both wrong. SCH is pronounced like the S in vision.

You’re both right. Bruschetta has two pronunciations in Italian.

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2. What type of pasta is typically served with “ragù alla bolognese” in Italy, and how do you pronounce it?

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Tagliatelle – remember to pronounce the G

Spaghetti – the gh sounds like j in joke

Tagliatelle – don’t pronounce the G

Spaghetti – be sure to make the double tt nice and long.

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3. You’re about to order and struggling to choose between the lasagne and the gnocchi! Whichever you pick, you’ll need to pronounce the gn sound. How?

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By making the G really long.

It sounds a bit like N followed by Y

The G is silent, so it just sounds like a normal N

By gargling with a gulp of “vino” first.

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4. If you want to say “pasta” like a true Italian, what should you focus on?

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The S. It should be long and loud.

Changing the last A into an “uh” sound.

Waving your hands around while you say it.

Articulating both As carefully. Don’t say “past-uh” like in English.

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5. You’ve just finished your meal, but “c’è sempre spazio per il dolce” – there’s always room for dessert! You go for the panna cotta. How should you pronounce the double NN and TT?

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The double TT in “cotta” sounds like a D.

The double NN in “panna” sounds like N followed by Y.

They’re double letters, so they should be nice and long.

Like a normal N and T. The double letter spelling doesn’t change the sound.

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