The Most Common Mistakes English Speakers Make in Italian (And How to Fix Them)

One of the advantages of teaching Italian to English speakers is that I start to notice patterns very quickly.Different students, different levels — but the same mistakes come back again and again.

The good news? Once you become aware of them, these mistakes are easy to fix, and correcting them immediately makes your Italian sound more natural.

One mistake I hear constantly is the overuse of subject pronouns. In English, saying I or you is necessary. In Italian, it often isn’t. When a student says “Io vado al lavoro”, the sentence is not wrong, but it sounds heavy. Italians usually say “Vado al lavoro”. The verb already tells us who is speaking. Dropping the pronoun makes your Italian lighter and more natural.

Another very common issue is confusing essere and stare. Many students want one clear rule, but Italian doesn’t work that way. Essere describes identity and permanent characteristics, while stare is about temporary states and location. I often hear “sono bene”, but Italians say “sto bene”. This small correction makes a big difference in how natural you sound.

Prepositions are another area where English interferes a lot. Students often translate directly and say “dipende da di” or “vado a casa di mia madre a piedi” with unnecessary words. Italian prepositions follow their own logic, and the only real solution is exposure, practice, and gentle correction over time. This is exactly why guided conversation is so important.

Then there’s the verb fare. English speakers tend to overuse it because “to do” works everywhere in English. In Italian, however, fare is often replaced by more specific verbs. We don’t fare una decisione — we prendere una decisione. We don’t fare una foto — we scattare una foto. Learning these combinations helps your Italian sound much more precise.

Finally, one of the most subtle mistakes is sentence rhythm. Many students speak Italian using English word order. Italians often move information around to emphasize meaning, and this takes time to absorb. The more you listen, read, and speak with feedback, the more natural this rhythm becomes.

I always tell my students: making mistakes is not a problem. Repeating the same mistake without noticing it is. Once you become aware, improvement happens very fast.

And if you want help identifying and correcting your personal patterns, that’s exactly what we work on in my lessons — calmly, clearly, and without pressure.

👉 Book your Italian lesson and start correcting mistakes that really matter.