Italian alphabet
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The Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters from the modern Latin alphabet:
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, z A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, Z
Substitutes for missing letters
- The letter J, when is pronounced like English consonantal Y as in most languages, is substituted by I; when the original word is English, it can be replaced with G when followed by the vowels I or E, or GI when followed by the vowels A, O, or U;
- The letter K is substituted by C when followed by the vowels A, O, U, or a CH when followed by the vowels I or E;
- The letter W is replaced by U as a consonant;
- The letter X represents a sound, /ks/, rarely encountered in Italian, and corresponds often to a /s/;
- The letter Y corresponds normally to a I.
Use of J, K, W, X and Y in Italian
Recent trends have it that foreign letters are seen as "exotic" and positive. Young people use often "K" instead of "CH" to save a character in SMS messages, and generally to "break the rules". "J" is, due to English influence, often pronounced /dʒ/, also in imported names such an Jessica (/dʒe'ssika/). In Italian orthography, it would be written Gessica. Nicknames often involve a final Y, as Miky for Michela. All these uses are normally not standard.
However, a small number of words coming from foreign languages, or derived from Greek or Latin, do make use of non-standard characters, and are considered correct: xilofono, xenofobia, yen.