Alessandro is learning his fourth language this year! Reading and pronouncing all those sounds, dictongues , and all those vowels together can be off putting.
Hence, I’ve asked Gemini to create a reading help, by language.
Gemini answer
Okay, this is a great way to help your son! Learning multiple languages at once is fantastic, but yes, the different ways letters combine and sound can be tricky.
Here are four markdown tables, one for each language, focusing on some common pronunciation challenges for young learners. The phonetic descriptions are simplified approximations, often comparing to English sounds where possible, as precise phonetic symbols (IPA) might be too complex at this stage.
Tips for Practicing:
- Say the sounds slowly and clearly yourself.
- Have him watch your mouth as you make the sounds.
- Use mirrors so he can see his own mouth position.
- Make it fun – turn it into a game!
- Listen to native speakers (songs, simple cartoons).
🇩🇪 German Pronunciation Help
| 🇩🇪 Letter Combination | 🏴 Pronunciation (Approximate) | 🇩🇪 Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
ei | Like the English word “eye” | mein, Eis (ice) |
ie | Like the English sound “ee” in “see” | sie, Liebe (love) |
eu, äu | Like the English sound “oy” in “boy” | neu (new), Häuser, Mäuse |
ä | Like the English sound “e” in “bed” (short) or sometimes “ai” in “air” (long) | Männer (men), spät (late) |
ö | Say “eh” (like in “bed”) but round your lips like you’re saying “oo” | schön (beautiful), Öl (oil) |
ü | Say “ee” (like in “see”) but round your lips like you’re saying “oo” | Tür (door), fünf (five) |
ch (after i,e,ä,ö,ü) | Soft hiss, like a very soft ‘sh’ or the ‘h’ in “huge” | ich (I), Milch (milk) |
ch (after a,o,u,au) | Rougher sound from back of throat (no English equivalent, like Scottish “loch”) | ach, Buch (book) |
sch | Like the English sound “sh” in “ship” | Schule (school) |
sp, st (at start) | Like “shp”, “sht” | sprechen (speak), Stein (stone) |
🇮🇹 Italian Pronunciation Help
| 🇮🇹 Letter Combination | 🏴 Pronunciation (Approximate) | 🇮🇹 Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
ce, ci | Soft “ch” sound, like in “church” | cena (dinner), ciao |
che, chi | Hard “k” sound, like in “key” | che (what), chiesa |
ge, gi | Soft “j” sound, like in “jam” | gelato (ice cream), giorno |
ghe, ghi | Hard “g” sound, like in “go” | spaghetti, ghiro |
ca, co, cu | Hard “k” sound, like in “cat” | casa (house), cosa |
ga, go, gu | Hard “g” sound, like in “go” | gatto (cat), lago |
cia, cio, ciu | Soft “ch” + vowel (like “cha”, “cho”, “choo”) | ciambella (doughnut), cioccolato |
gia, gio, giu | Soft “j” + vowel (like “ja”, “jo”, “joo”) | giardino (garden), gioco |
gli | Like “lli” in “million” (but smoother) | figlio (son), aglio (garlic) |
gn | Like “ny” in “canyon” or Spanish “ñ” | gnocchi, bagno (bath) |
sc (before e, i) | Like English “sh” in “ship” | scena (scene), scimmia |
sc (before a,o,u,h) | Like English “sk” in “skip” | scarpa (shoe), scuola |
🇫🇷 French Pronunciation Help
| 🇫🇷 Letter Combination | 🏴 Pronunciation (Approximate) | 🇫🇷 Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
au, eau | Like the English sound “o” in “go” | chaud (hot), beau |
oi | Like the English sound “wa” in “wash” | moi (me), voilà |
ou | Like the English sound “oo” in “food” | vous (you), jour (day) |
u | Say “ee” (like in “see”) but round your lips tightly | tu (you), rue (street) |
eu, œu | Say “eh” (like in “bed”) but round your lips | neuf (new), coeur (heart) |
an, en, am, em | Nasal sound, like “ah” but through the nose (don’t close ’n’/’m’) | maman (mom), enfant |
in, ain, ein | Nasal sound, like “a” in “sang” but through the nose | vin (wine), pain (bread) |
on, om | Nasal sound, like “oh” but through the nose | bon (good), nom (name) |
ill (after vowel) | Often like the English “y” in “yes” | fille (girl), famille |
ch | Like the English sound “sh” in “ship” | chat (cat), chaud (hot) |
gn | Like “ny” in “canyon” or Spanish “ñ” | montagne (mountain) |
r | Sound made in the back of the throat (gargle softly) | rouge (red), France |
🏴 English Pronunciation Help (Common Issues for Learners)
| Letter Combination | Pronunciation (Approximate) | Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
th (unvoiced) | Put tongue between teeth and blow air (no voice) | think, bath, three |
th (voiced) | Put tongue between teeth and make a buzzing sound | this, that, mother |
sh | Hush sound, like sch in German or ch in French | ship, fish, she |
ch | Like ce/ci in Italian | chair, teach, choose |
r (e.g. Am. Eng.) | Curl tongue back slightly, don’t roll it | red, car, run |
ea (long) | Like the English sound “ee” in “see” | eat, sea, team |
ea (short) | Like the English sound “e” in “bed” | head, bread |
oo (long) | Like the French ou or “oo” in “moon” | food, school, too |
oo (short) | Shorter sound, like in “oo” in “good” | book, look, foot |
ow (like ‘ow’) | Like when you hurt yourself: “Ow!” | cow, now, down |
ow (like ‘oh’) | Like the English sound “o” in “go” | snow, low, grow |
| Silent letters | k in kn, w in wr, b in mb | knee, write, comb |
Remember, consistency and patience are key. Good luck to your son on his multilingual journey!
