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👯 Compendium
Grammar
IT
Italiano — Double consonants
In Italian a doubled consonant is held longer than a single one, and this length difference alone can change a word's meaning: nono means 'ninth', while nonno means 'grandfather'.
1
How it works
✓ Rule
A double consonant marks a lengthened sound. Compare casa ('house') with cassa ('crate'), or pala ('shovel') with palla ('ball'): only the length of the consonant differs, yet each pair is two separate words.
2
Examples
| Single consonant | Double consonant | Meaning (single / double) |
|---|---|---|
| nono | nonno | ninth / grandfather |
| casa | cassa | house / crate (cash desk) |
| pala | palla | shovel / ball |
| sono | sonno | (I) am / sleep |
| capello | cappello | hair (a single strand) / hat |
| note | notte | notes / night |
| sete | sette | thirst / seven |
3
Good to know
⚠ Note
A common mistake is to pronounce a double consonant like a single one, which can yield a different word: penna ('pen') versus pena ('pain, penalty'). Note too that the long /kk/ sound before a vowel is spelled cq, as in acqua ('water'), never qq.