Learn TRICKY Italian words that change meaning with one letter... PASTA or PESTO?

Today I want to talk about some Italian words that change meaning with the change of one single letter! Sometimes this is due to the doubling up of a consonant or sometimes a change in a vowel creates a whole new different word.

Keep in mind that there are a LOT of these words! I’m going to list a few of them so that you can begin to remember them and use them correctly.

I will start off with the ones that change with the doubling up of a consonant sound… I will list the most common ones… you will see the word on the screen and you will also see the translation. If you wish to you can stop the video each time you hear me say the word so that you can practice saying it with me!

Ok… if you are ready let’s begin with the words:

1. ROSA (pink) - ROSSA (red)
2. POLO (polo t-shirt) - POLLO (chicken)
3. NOTE (music notes) - NOTTE (night)
4. SERA (evening) - SERRA (greenhouse)
5. NONO (ninth number) - NONNO (grandpa)
6. CANE (dog) - CANNE (canes)
7. CASA (house) - CASSA (cash desk)
8. TORI (bulls) - TORRI (towers)
9. SETE (thirst) - SETTE (seven)
10. PAPA (dad) - PAPPA (baby food)
11. TONO (tone) - TONNO (tuna)
12. PALA (shovel) - PALLA (ball)
13. RENE (kidney) - RENNE (reindeers)
14. PANI (bread plural) - PANNI (clothes)
15. CAPELLO (hair strand) - CAPPELLO (hat)

In order situations there are words that change meaning with the simple change of a letter, this change can be of a vowel, a consonant or maybe simply by adding a little letter to the word.

I will show you ten of these!

I listed the ones that my students sometimes confuse but once again there are many many more if you want to you can write in the comments extra ones that you know or that you have found during your language learning journey.

1. PALCO (stage) - PARCO (park)
2. PASTA (pasta) - PESTO (pesto sauce)
3. PIZZA (pizza) - PIAZZA (Italian downtown square)
4. TESTO (text) - TESTA (head)
5. MELO (apple tree) - MERLO (black bird)
6. PERA (pear) - PERLA (pearl)
7. TIPO (type) - TOPO (mouse)
8. GENE (gene) - GENTE (people)
9. PORTARE (to bring) - POTARE (to trim)
10. MARTE (mars) - MORTE (death)

Did you know all of these words? A helpful exercise that you can do to remember these words with their correct meaning is to insert them into sentences… for example:

• "Per il concerto hanno allestito un palco in mezzo al parco della città".
• (Translation: For the concert they set up a stage in the middle of the city park)

or make two separate sentences:

• "Devo portare una torta a scuola per il mio compleanno".
• (Translation: I have to bring a cake to school for my birthday)
• "Devo potare le rose nel mio giardino perché sono appassite".
• (Translation: I have to trim the roses in my garden because they are withered)

If you need to review how to create sentence check my previous video on word order! 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WORD ORDE VIDEO 

Let me know if you find more words… if you want to write your own sentences in the comments! I will read them and correct them for you!

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