For most native English speakers, to learn Italian language pronunciation is a challenge within reach compared to many other languages. Only a small number of consonant sounds do not have direct English equivalents; however, the wide exposure to Italian cuisine, movies, and music has given a number of people at least some familiarity with these different sounds. As for the vowels, they all can be found in English! While there are five written vowel letters “a, e, i, o, u”, there are seven distinct vowel sounds. These other two sounds come from the “open” and “close” pronunciations of the letters “e” and “o”. What is an “open” or “close” vowel sound? Let’s find out by taking a closer look at how to pronounce all the Italian vowels.