A two-fold aspect of the pronunciation of vowels ‘e ’ and ‘o’ in Italian

The following article discusses one of the most characteristic problems of Italian phonemics concerning two vowels ‘e ’ and ‘o ’. They are either open or closed vowels. This relevant feature depends on the vowel position, accent and the vowel nature. However, with regard to the differences in the pronunciation of ‘e ’ and ‘o’ in two main kinds of language (Rome/Florence and Milan/Turin) “happy medium” rules are suggested. They can be applied in teaching Italian as a foreign languag