Italiano standard · Tuscan-based
The national standard of Italy, historically based on Florentine Tuscan. The reference variety in education and national media.
Sicilian
Also known as: Sicilianu
The variety of Sicily, often counted as a separate Italo-Romance language. Carries strong Greek, Arabic, Norman, and Spanish influences from the island's history.
Shareable facts
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Sicilian?
Sicilian is a dialect of the Italian language.
Where is Sicilian spoken?
Sicilian is primarily spoken in Italy.
Which region is Sicilian associated with?
Sicilian is part of the Europe region on DialectAtlas.
Is Sicilian known by other names?
Yes — Sicilian is also referred to as Sicilianu.
What are the other dialects of Italian?
Italian also includes Standard Italian, Romanesco, Neapolitan, Venetian, Lombard, Sardinian. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Italian dialects
See on the atlas →Roman Italian
The Italian of Rome. A Central Italian variety widely heard through national cinema and television, occupying a middle position between Tuscan and Southern varieties.
Napulitano
The variety of Naples and surrounding Campania. Often classified as a distinct Italo-Romance language; a major literary and operatic medium.
Vèneto
The Romance variety of the Veneto region. Linguistically distinct enough from Italian that many linguists classify it as a separate language.
Lombardo
The Gallo-Italic variety of Lombardy and Italian-speaking Switzerland. Internally split between Western (Milan) and Eastern (Bergamo) groupings.
Sardu
The Romance variety of Sardinia. The most conservative Romance language, often cited as the closest living variety to Latin in several phonological respects.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →267 km away
A Semitic language descended from medieval Maghrebi Arabic, with extensive Italian and English influence. The only Semitic language written in Latin script and the only one official in the EU.
305 km away
The Albanian variety of the Arbëreshë communities of southern Italy, descended from 15th-century settlers fleeing the Ottoman conquest. A medieval Tosk Albanian preserved through five centuries of relative isolation.
313 km away
The variety of Naples and surrounding Campania. Often classified as a distinct Italo-Romance language; a major literary and operatic medium.
316 km away
The Maghrebi Arabic of Tunisia. Notable for vowel reductions, a rich set of French and Italian loanwords, and a literary written tradition unusual among colloquial Arabic varieties.
427 km away
The Italian of Rome. A Central Italian variety widely heard through national cinema and television, occupying a middle position between Tuscan and Southern varieties.
436 km away
The Romance variety of Sardinia. The most conservative Romance language, often cited as the closest living variety to Latin in several phonological respects.