I recently wrote a blog about the accent in Italian  verbs explaining that there weren’t any fixed rules, and that they had to be learned by heart. In order to show how important it is to get the accent in the right place, let’s have a look at a few words that change their meaning  completely depending on where you put the accent. Accents in the examples given below are highlighted in red:

ancora = anchor (noun): la nave ha gettato l’ancora = the ship has dropped its anchor;

ancora = still/some more (adverb): la nave è ancora nel porto = the ship is still in the port.

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pero = pear tree (noun): nel nostro frutteto c’è un bel pero grande = in our orchard there’s a nice big pear tree;

però = but, however (conjunction): le pere sono buone, però quest’anno ce ne sono state poche = the pears are good, but this year there weren’t very many.

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leggere = to read (infinitive): mi piace leggere poesie = I like reading poems;

leggere = light, weightless (adjective feminine plural): queste scarpe sono molto comode, sono leggere come piume = these shoes are very comfortable, they are as light as feathers.

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capitano = they happen (third person plural present tense of the verb capitare = to happen): sono cose che capitano = these things happen;

capitano = captain (noun): il capitano della nave è sul ponte di comando = the ship’s captain is on the bridge.

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principi = princes (noun, masculine plural of principe): i principi William e Harry sono inglesi = princes William and Harry are English;

principi = principles (noun, masculine plural of principio): è un uomo senza principi morali = he’s a man without any moral principles.

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ambito = limits, scope (noun): questo lavoro non rientra nell’ambito delle mie responsabilità = this job doesn’t fall within the scope of my responsibilities;

ambito = sought-after, coveted (past participle of the verb ambire = to aspire to): questo è un lavoro molto ambito = this is a very sought-after job.

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Papa = Pope (noun): il Papa ha celebrato la messa di Natale = the Pope celebrated Christmas mass;

papà = dad (noun): quello è il papà di Mario = that’s Mario’s dad.

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pure = too, also (adverb): è venuto pure Giovanni = Giovanni came too;

purè = purée (noun): mi piace il purè di patate = I like mashed potatoes.

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balia = wet-nurse (noun), nowadays used in a figurative way of speaking: sei un adulto, non hai più bisogno della balia = you are an adult, you don’t need a wet-nurse any more;

essere in balia of = to be at the mercy of (noun): durante l’alluvione eravamo in balia della natura = during the flood we were at the mercy of nature.

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retina = retina (noun), ‘a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye’: Fernanda ha avuto il distaccamento della retina = Fernanda suffered from a detached retina;

retina = hairnet (noun): mia nonna si metteva sempre la retina quando andava a letto = my grandmother always wore her hairnet in bed.

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subito = immediately, straight away (adverb): arrivo subito! = I’ll be there straight away!

subito = suffered (past participle of the verb subire = to suffer, to endure, to undergo): la macchina ha subito molto danno = the car suffered a lot of damage.

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impari = unequal, uneven, one-sided (adjective): è stata una partita impari = it was an unequal match;

impari = you learn (second person singular present tense of the verb imparare = to learn): se impari a guidare sarai più indipendente = if you learn to drive you’ll be more independent.