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Italian speaking practice with shadowing

Italian shadowing means speaking along with an Italian recording while following its words, rhythm and pauses. Begin with a captioned line you understand; repeat after the speaker before trying to speak along.

Try this line first

scopriamolo insieme

Listen and record

0:23–0:25 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Meaning: “let’s find out together”

Three more lines, from short to long

Try the first line twice, then choose a longer line below. Return to this guide to choose the next exercise.

Next line

questo è l'obiettivo

Listen and record

5:59–6:02 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Meaning: “this is the goal”

Next line

si tiene distante dalle persone

Listen and record

4:32–4:34 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Meaning: “keeps their distance from people”

Next line

e i tuoi amici che aggettivo userebbero per descriverti

Listen and record

5:45–5:50 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account

Meaning: “and your friends, what adjective would they use to describe you?”

Italian shadowing for beginners: a 10-minute routine alone

All four lines above come from one Easy Italian video about describing yourself, so they make a short routine you can do without a partner, shortest first: copy a real speaker, then change the line to say something true about you. At A1, stay with the first two steps for a few days.

  1. Warm up with “scopriamolo insieme” (“let’s find out together”): listen, then record it after the speaker twice. Say the last vowel of each word clearly, the o and the e. Choose 0.75× under “More options” if the words run together.
  2. Record “questo è l'obiettivo” (“this is the goal”). Then say your own goal out loud: “Il mio obiettivo è …” (parlare italiano, viaggiare in Italia).
  3. Record “si tiene distante dalle persone” (“keeps their distance from people”). Then say whether it is true of you: Io non mi tengo distante dalle persone. or Io mi tengo distante dalle persone.
  4. Finish with the longest line, “e i tuoi amici che aggettivo userebbero per descriverti” (“and your friends, what adjective would they use to describe you?”). Say it after the speaker until you no longer stop in the middle, then choose “With the speaker” and say it along. Then answer it: “I miei amici direbbero che sono …” (simpatico or simpatica, timido or timida).

Sada compares your takes of the video lines with the captions. It does not score the sentences you make up, so say those aloud and match the speaker’s melody by ear.

Italian shadowing by level: A1, A2, B1 and B2

Start from your level, not from the hardest video. The levels here are our estimate of these lines and videos, not an official rating.

  • A1: start with the two shortest lines, after the speaker, not with them: “scopriamolo insieme” and “questo è l'obiettivo”. Choose 0.75× under “More options” if you need it, and say each line three times before moving on.
  • A2: the four lines on this page in order, shortest to longest. Then open the Easy Italian video on words to describe yourself (A2–B1) and repeat it line by line after the speaker.
  • B1: the same video, now “With the speaker” at normal speed. Then try the Easy Italian street interview about Turin (B1) after the speaker.
  • B2: the Easy Italian interview on what makes someone Italian (B1–B2) “With the speaker”. The speech is natural and fast, and every video here has automatic captions, so listen to the original before you trust the text.

At every level: record, then open Compare and play your take against the original. Sada shows the words it heard and missed and your timing; it does not grade individual sounds.

Video and caption sources

Exercise text and ranges checked against the captions Sada uses on 2026-10-04. Captions may change; automatic captions can contain errors.

Italian sounds to listen for

  • Double consonants: “anno” (year) is not “ano”: a doubled letter is held longer. Getting this wrong changes the word.
  • Pure vowels: a, e, i, o, u are full and clear, even at the end of a word: “grazie” ends in a clear e.
  • gli and gn: The gli in “figlio” is close to the “lli” in “million”; the gn in “bagno” to the “ny” in “canyon”.
  • The melody: Italian is almost sung: copy the rise and fall of the sentence before worrying about each letter.

How to practise

  1. Open an exercise from this guide. The link selects the exact line, with “After the speaker” chosen. Read it once and check that you understand it.
  2. Press Record. Listen first, then say the line after the 3, 2, 1 count; recording stops automatically. Press Stop if you need to end early.
  3. Keep the speaker’s pauses and rhythm. Use a comfortable voice; headphones help keep the original out of your recording.
  4. Record a take, then open Compare and play your recording and the original. Review words and timing; Sada does not grade individual sounds.
  5. Record the same line again, changing one thing you heard. Return here for a longer line; choose “With the speaker” when you are ready to speak along.

How well does Sada hear this language?

Compare shows recognised and missed words against the captions, plus timing feedback when usable word timings are available. It does not grade individual sounds or certify your accent. Automatic captions and recognition can be wrong, including around accents, apostrophes and numbers: replay the original and your take before deciding what to change. Earlier synthetic-voice tests (2026-09-25) are not evidence of accuracy for learner recordings.

Other languages

All languages →

Questions people ask

Does Sada work for Italian?

Yes. These checked Italian lines open with “After the speaker” selected: you hear the line, then record it and compare. Feedback depends on the captions and speech recognition; it is not a grade of individual sounds.

Are videos with automatic captions OK?

Yes, Sada works with YouTube’s automatic captions. Hand-written captions are more accurate, so start with those when a video has them.

How do I start Italian shadowing as a beginner?

Start with a short line you understand, said after the speaker rather than with them, at 0.75× if you need it, three times before you move on. The routine on this page begins with a two-word line and ends with an eight-word question, all from one Easy Italian video. Speak along with the speaker once a line feels easy.

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