What is the correct way to pronounce Italian?

Question

What is the correct way to pronounce the word Italian in English? Is it "Eye" talian or "eh" talian? I can't get my wife to stop saying Eyetalian. Growing up all the Italians I knew didn't pronounced it that way.

Answer 1

This may seem weird, but it is actually pronounced "E-talian".  

Answer 2

eye-tal-ee-ann

Answer 3

ee talian

Answer 4

it-tail-yun

Answer 5

It is pronounced ih-talian in English, or Ee-talian if you're saying it with an italian accent. It bugs me when people say Eye-talian also! haha Actually, I didn't realize people in the states said that until I saw the Borat movie!

Answer 6

italian

Answer 7

If you're in Italy, the "I" would be pronounced like the "E" in easy. Here, the more accepted pronunciation would have the "I" pronounced like the "I" in it or Italy.

Answer 8

If you want to be really correct, it's "ee-taliano." But since we're just Americans, you'll be fine with "ih-italian." I cringe when I hear "eye-talian," it just sounds uneducated.

Answer 9

ih-tal-yon. That is how it is pronounced, I know tons of italians, and they get mad if you call them I-talians.

Answer 10

Depends on your accent I guess.

I'm from Washington D.C, and everyone around here says it like

i-tal-ee-in

the "i" sounds like the "i" in the word "imagine"

Answer 11

I pronounce that first "I" just like in the word "in" Italian, I usually only hear older people saying "eye-talian." Would you call the country "Eye-taly?" I've never heard it before...

Answer 12

BECAUSE OF ACCENTS PEOPLE SAY IT DIFFERENTLY !! DUH

Answer 13

It-tail-ann

Italians come from Italy not from Eyetaly

Answer 14

It's the usual problem: English is not a phonetic language, unlike the rest of western languages.

The correct pronunciation is "it" non "eye-t"; I often heard people saying "since it *can* be pronounced I - talian (eye - talian) other than It - alian, then eye - talian is also correct"; then I wonder, why not saying "Amer eye ca"? "Ri" in "rica" *can* be spelled like "ri" in "rice", can't it? :-)

Or perhaps you can spell "oo" in "door" like "oo" in "room"... It *can* be spelled that way, so it's right, no...?  

Answer 15

Both actually hun :] People say it both ways. But I think the correct way is 'eye' talian.

Answer 16

You pronounce the "I" as you would say this: "eeeeeeeeee"

then you add the "taah"

then you add the "Leee"

finally add the name "ann"

eeeee + taah + leee + ann.....say it fast...that's how it should sound.

ITALIAN

Answer 17

IT-al EE an

Answer 18

Technically, "I" in the Italian language is pronounced "eee."

So, it would be "ee-tal-ee-an."

Italians just add a strong O on the end, so it is Italiano.