What's the pronunciation of "Ciao"?

[rehte]

How do you pronounce "Ciao"?
Some of my foreign colleagues use this word for greetings in their emails. What is its pronunciation? I am very puzzled.
Thanks.

 

[shalstudent]

Its pronounced as "Chou".
"Ch" as in Channel and "Ou" as in "owl".
It is used either as a greeting or parting such as goodbye.

 

[rehte]

Thank you very much!
It is not like a traditional English word.

 

[Anglika]

"Chow"

It isn't English. It is Italian.;-)

 

[CJ 4 life]

Its pronounced as "Chou".
"Ch" as in Channel and "Ou" as in "owl".
It is used either as a greeting or parting such as goodbye.

Absolutely incorrect. Its pronounciation includes 3 sounds. The first one is the "ch" of "channel", the second one is a "ah" as in the first part of the diphthong in "out", and the third one is a closed "o", like the first part of the diphthong in "know" (in American English of course). Just produce the three sounds one after the other.
I'm Italian, so I know this stuff.

 

[Anglika]

Absolutely incorrect. Its pronunciation includes 3 sounds. The first one is the "ch" of "channel", the second one is a "ah" as in the first part of the diphthong in "out", and the third one is a closed "o", like the first part of the diphthong in "know" (in American English of course). Just produce the three sounds one after the other.
I'm Italian, so I know this stuff.

Ah - but will an American [or a Brit] pronounce it in this way?

 

[dancewnd!]

the correct pronounciation is /t∫aυ/.... it is used especially in informal conversation...

 

[CJ 4 life]

the correct pronounciation is /t∫aυ/.... it is used especially in informal conversation...

Incorrect again! The final sound is a closed "o", not a "u"!!!

Ah - but will an American [or a Brit] pronounce it in this way?

I don't know, never heard an American (or Brit) pronounce it.

 

[dOlier]

Ah - but will an American [or a Brit] pronounce it in this way?

Yes!
At least this Hiberno-English speaker pronounces two vowels: ah oh

 

[Raymott]

Absolutely incorrect. Its pronounciation includes 3 sounds. The first one is the "ch" of "channel", the second one is a "ah" as in the first part of the diphthong in "out", and the third one is a closed "o", like the first part of the diphthong in "know" (in American English of course). Just produce the three sounds one after the other.
I'm Italian, so I know this stuff.

Naturally, you're right. But you'll have as much hope of getting English people to say it that way as you would have getting them not to pronounce the 'i' in names like Giovanni and Giuseppe.

 

[CJ 4 life]

Naturally, you're right. But you'll have as much hope of getting English people to say it that way as you would have getting them not to pronounce the 'i' in names like Giovanni and Giuseppe.

Looking up in the English dictionary, I found the "ch ah u" writing. So we can say that there are two ways to pronounce it: the Italian one (where the words comes from) and the American one, even though the two pronunciation are very very close to each other (you may not notice it).