In Italian, all consonants except h can be doubled. Double consonants (i consonanti doppie) are pronounced much more forcefully than single consonants. With double f, l, m, n, r, s, and v, the sound is prolonged; with double b, c, d, g, p, and t, the stop is stronger than for the single consonant. Double z is pronounced almost the same as single z. Double s is always unvoiced.
Double consonant examples:
| babbo | dad |
| fetta | slice |
| evviva | hurrah |
| bistecca | beefsteak |
| mamma | mama |
| albicocca | apricot |
| bello | beautiful |
| filetto | filet |
| anno | year |
| assai | a lot |
| basso | short |
| ragazzo | boy |
| ferro | iron |
| pennello | paint brush |
| espresso | espresso coffee |
| tavolozza | palette |
| spaghetti | spaghetti |
| cavalletto | easel |
Most Italian words end in a vowel.
Diphthongs (i dittonghi) are two vowels fused to emit a single sound. A diphthong is formed when an unstressed i or u combines with another vowel (a, e, o) or when the two vowels combine with each other, in which case either the i or u may remain unstressed. In diphthongs, unstressed i and u become semivowels approximating in sound the English consonants y and w, respectively.
Diphthong examples:
| ieri | yesterday |
| buono | good |
| fiore | flower |
| chiuso | closed |
| invidia | envy |
| più | more |
Tripthongs also exist. These are sequences of three vowels with a single sound, usually a diphthong followed by an unstressed i.
| tuoi | yours |
| miei | mine |
| buoi | oxen |
| pigliai | I took |
Italian has numerous words that contain sequences of vowels. The following words are not triphthongs (which are infrequent), but sequences of a vowel and a diphthong.
| noia | boredom |
| febbraio | February |
| baia | bay |
| fioraio | florist |
Each of the words below has a sequence of two diphthongs:
| ghiaia | gravel |
| muoio | I die |
| acquaio | sink |
| gioiello | jewel |