MediumVowels
Guai a quei buoi dai piedi tuoi! Quei tuoi buoi hanno bei bui occhi.
Woe to those oxen near your feet! Those oxen of yours have beautiful dark eyes.
Pronunciation Focus
Diphthongs 'ua', 'uo', 'ei', 'oi'
Tip for English Speakers
💡Italian diphthongs glide smoothly between two pure vowels. 'Buoi' is 'boo-oh-ee' with no pauses. 'Guai' is 'goo-ah-ee'. Each vowel must be heard — don't swallow any of them.
Did You Know?
Italian has many more diphthongs than English. Words like 'buoi' (oxen) contain three vowels pronounced in rapid succession — a triphthong that sounds effortless to native speakers.
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