52 Common Italian Words That Are Actually English

14th January 2025

There are loads of Italian words that are actually English. See how they’re used in travel, tech, entertainment, and more, plus tips on how to pronounce them the Italian way.

No.168

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You know way more Italian words than you think! Because there are loads of Italian words which are actually English. 

You can start adding these to your Italian right away—it's a quick way to learn some extra words. 

You’ll also see how to pronounce them the Italian way. (Oh yes, they may be English words, but Italians say them with an Italian accent.)

Italian Words (that are actually English) for Travel

When you plan your next trip to Italy, you can use these travel-related words which are borrowed from English.  

Il taxi Eel TAK-see
L’hotel Loh-TEL
Il tour Eel TOOR
L’info point LEEN-foh point
La location Lah loh-KAY-shon
La reception Lah reh-SEP-shun
Il weekend Eel wee-KEND
Il check-in Eel chek-EEN
Il check-out Eel chek-OUT

For example: 

La colazione all’hotel è inclusa -Breakfast at the hotel is included

Prenotiamo un taxi alla reception - Let’s book a taxi at reception

A che ora è il check-in? -What time is check-in?

To make sure you’re covered with almost every travel phrase you need, you can also check out this post on travel phrases and how to pronounce them .  

Italian Words (that are actually English) for Technology

Loads of Italian words related to technology are the same as English. 

Il computer Eel kohm-PYOO-tehr
Internet EEN-ter-net
Online On-LINE
Il mouse Eel MAO-ss
Il link Eel leenk
Il WiFi Eel WHY-fye
Il bluetooth Eel BLOO-tooth
Lo smartphone Loh SMART-fohn
La foto*  Lah FOH-toh
Il video  Eel VEE-deh-oh
L’email Lee-MEHL
L’app LAHpp
La password  La PAHS-word
I social* Ee SOH-chahl
Il/la follower Eel/la FOH-loh-wehr
Il post  Eel pohst

* I social is the way Italians say “social media”. 

* Foto is the word for “photo”, just with a slightly different spelling 

For example: 

Hai la password per il WiFi? -Do you have the WiFi password? 

Il link per il tour è nell’email -The link for the tour is in the email

Posso fare una foto? -Can I take a picture?  

Italian Words (that are actually English) for Business and Work

Italians love to use English words to talk about business. In fact, business itself can be used as an Italian word!

To chat about what you do for a living, or things you have to do for work, these Italian and English words are really useful. 

Il meeting Eel MEE-ting
Il business Eel BIZ-ness
Il team building Eel TEEM beel-deeng
Il marketing Eel MAHR-keh-teeng
La start-up La stahr-t UP 
L’influencer LEEN-floo-en-ser
Il budget Eel BAH-jeht

For example: 

Lavoro in una start-up di tecnologia -I work in a tech start-up

Ho un meeting alle 10 -I have a meeting at 10

Questa influencer ha milioni di follower* -This influencer has millions of followers

💡Good to know

*In Italian, words which come from English stay the same in the singular and plural. 

Italian Words (that are actually English) for Activities and Entertainment 

You can start talking about your hobbies and interests in Italian by using these words. 

Il film Eel FEELM
Il/La fan   Eel/La FAHN 
Lo show Loh SHOW
La playlist Lah play-LIST 
Lo shopping Loh SHOP-ping
L’hobby LOH-bee
Il catering Eel KAH-tehr-ing
L’happy hour LAP-pee OW-er

For example: 

Il mio hobby preferito è leggere -My favorite hobby is reading

Guardo sempre un film la sera -I always watch a film in the evening Sono un vero fan della musica italian a -I’m a real fan of Italian music

Italian Words (that are actually English) for Relationships

You can use these words to talk about your or your friends’ relationships.  

Il/La partner Eel/lah PART-ner
Single SEEN-gull
L’ex L’eks

For example:

Io e il mio partner adoriamo l’Italia!       -My partner and I love Italy!

Sono single e vorrei conoscere nuove persone  -I’m single and I’d like to meet new people

How to pronounce Italian words that are actually English

It’s not a big deal at all if you don’t say these words with a perfect Italian accent. They are English words after all! 

But if you want to sound really Italian, it’s worth trying to get the pronunciation right. 

You can use these pronunciation rules to help. They work for any Italian word, not just the ones borrowed from English. 

  • Roll the “r” . This might seem easier said than done, but there is a way to get there. You can follow the tips in this blogpost on how to roll your r’s like an Italian

  • H’s are silent , like in the word hotel (“oh-tel”) 

  • Open your mouth wide! Italians open their mouths way more than in English and this makes their vowels sound crisp and clear. Like in the word “computer”. In English, the first “o” turns into more of a “u” sound: k u m-pyoo-tur . But in Italian, the “o” stays nice and clear, like “oh,” so it’s k o hm-pyoo-tur . You can click here to find out more tips on how to pronounce vowels the Italian way . (If anything just to have fun trying). 

  • Italian words (not borrowed from English) usually end in a vowel. If they’re saying an English word that doesn’t end in a vowel, they sometimes add one. For example, location or app sometimes come out more as loh-kay-shon-uh or lahpp-uh

If you want to practice Italian pronunciation more in depth, you can also see how to pronounce these other common Italian sounds

52 Common Italian Words That Are Actually English: Review

Let’s review some of the Italian-English words you’ve learned and how to use them!

Travel

  • Il taxi: Eel TAK-see

  • L’hotel: Loh-TEL

  • Il check-in: Eel check-EEN 

For example: Prenotiamo un taxi alla reception -Let’s book a taxi at reception.

Technology

  • Il computer: Eel kohm-PYOO-tehr

  • La password: Lah PAH-sword

  • L’app: Lahpp

For example: Hai la password per il WiFi? -Do you have the WiFi password?

Business & Work

  • Il meeting: Eel MEE-ting

  • Il budget: Eel BAH-jeht

  • Il marketing: Eel MAHR-keh-teeng

For example: Ho un meeting alle 10- I have a meeting at 10.

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