Parole insolite

Ready to test your Italian spelling? ✍️

In this interactive audio quiz, you’ll hear me pronounce 16 Italian words that sound remarkably similar to uncommon English words.

These elegant words share Latin roots, so if you know the fancy English version, you might just guess the Italian one!

Listen carefully, choose the right spelling, and see how many you can get right!

Translation and correct Italian spelling

Here’s the full list of Italian words from this quiz, along with their English meanings.

Click or tap on each Italian word to hear how it’s pronounced.

ardore (ardour) calunnia (calumny) colloquio (colloquy) cupidigia (cupidity) equivoco (equivocal) espiazione (expiation) filiale (filial) giocoso (jocose) imperturbabile (imperturbable) impetuoso (impetuous) mendicante (mendicant) penitente (penitent) perifrasi (periphrasis) protuberante (protuberant) tacito (tacit) usura (usury)