MediumS / SS
Sazio e sano, il sornione Sasà sussurrava segreti sulla siepe senza sosta.
Full and healthy, the sly Sasà whispered secrets over the hedge without stopping.
Pronunciation Focus
Voiced S /z/ between vowels (sazio, sornione) vs. voiceless S /s/ at word start
Tip for English Speakers
💡Between two vowels inside a word, S often becomes voiced /z/ (like English 'z'): 'sazio' = /ˈsattsjo/ but many central-northern speakers say /z/ in 'sornione'. At word start, S is always /s/.
Did You Know?
The voicing of intervocalic S varies by region: Tuscans and southerners keep it voiceless, while northerners voice it. Both are considered correct.
How to Practice
- 1.Read it slowly, word by word
- 2.Speed up gradually
- 3.Try saying it 3 times fast
- 4.Record yourself and compare