Here are 13 excellent books to learn Italian that are the best for self-study. If you’re the one who wants to learn the language on your own, then you shouldn’t skip these books.
The list below will help you have a general knowledge with basic vocabulary, grammar and daily conversation. Then you would be upgraded to the next level with some intermediate Italian books. Let’s find out in the list below!
1/ Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide – Level: Beginners
- Full name: Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide
- Author: Edoardo A. Lèbano
- Price: $16.99
- Rating: ⭐4.5
- Level: Beginners
As a self-study guide book, this is by far at the top of the best Italian books for beginners. The book covers in-depth grammar, extensive vocabulary, pronunciation with step-by-step lessons, common usage, and basic rules of speech, and all beginners need to jumpstart their Italian learning.
2/ The Everything Learning Italian Book – Level: Beginners
- Full name: The Everything Learning Italian Book: Speak, write, and understand basic Italian in no time
- Author: Ronald Glenn Wrigley
- Price: $8.45
- Rating: ⭐4.2
- Level: Beginners
For someone who is an utter beginner, this is the best book to learn Italian with easy-to-understand lessons, and tons of exercises. So as “The Everything Learning Italian” book claims, it has enough materials for an overall solid foundation. Furthermore, The best part of the book is of course the supplementary CD for pronunciation and interactive exercises support.
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3/ ITALIAN in 10 minutes a day – Level: Beginners
- Full name: ITALIAN in 10 minutes a day
- Author: Kristine K. Kershul
- Price: $25.99
- Rating: ⭐4.6
- Level: Beginners
This is the best Italian grammar book for those who want to learn right from the most basic knowledge. It includes an encyclopedia, digital language learning software, flashcards, and a basic glossary of over 2,000 frequently used vocabulary words,… All you need is to spend 10 minutes a day practicing more over and over again, and we are certain that it can help you encounter any second language barriers!
4/ Italian Short Stories for Beginners – Level: Beginners
- Full name: Italian Short Stories for Beginners: 20 Captivating Short Stories to Learn Italian & Grow Your Vocabulary the Fun Way!
- Author: Lingo Mastery
- Price: $14.95
- Rating: ⭐4.6
- Level: Beginners
“Italian Short Stories for Beginners” is one of the best books to learn Italian by yourself with many values and wonderful lessons. It is compiled of 20 attractive stories that will allow you to expand your word bank smartly with real-life situations and basic dialogues. Furthermore, the book also provides learners with audio tools to improve their grasp of the language tongue.
5/ Italian Vocabulary Builder – Level: Beginners
- Full name: Italian Vocabulary Builder: 2222 Italian Phrases To Learn Italian And Grow Your Vocabulary
- Author: Lingo Mastery
- Price: $14.95
- Rating: ⭐4.4
- Level: Beginners
Another recommendation in the list of best books is “Italian Vocabulary Builder”, which is a fairly comprehensive workbook for self-study beginners. The book offers some study strategies and helpful advice on how to enhance your learning. Additionally, it also includes a frequently-used list of 2222 keywords and common phrases. It also adequately explains them in English.
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6/ Conversational Italian Dialogues – Level: Beginners, Intermediate
- Full name: Conversational Italian Dialogues: Over 100 Italian Conversations and Short Stories
- Author: Lingo Mastery
- Price: $14.95
- Rating: ⭐4.3
- Level: Beginners, Intermediate
“Conversational Italian Dialogues” is an easy and simple Italian book for beginners. It contains over 100 conversational Italian stories with dialogues and situations that definitely appear in real life, so you can use these conversation models to practice and communicate well anywhere in Italy. Besides, an adequate explanation in the English version ensures that learners can keep up and get knowledge out of this learning material.
7/ Italian Tutor: Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook – Level: Beginners, Intermediate
- Full name: Italian Tutor: Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook
- Author: Maria Guarnieri, Federica Sturani
- Price: $24.99
- Rating: ⭐4.5
- Level: Beginners, Intermediate
“Italian Tutor” book is a reminder that grammar is not a pain, but a joy! There are many effective learning features such as 200 activities ranging in vocabulary and grammar points, visuals and infographics for practice, learning hints and tips, and more! So if you find a reference material that focuses well on both Italian grammar and exercises, this book will definitely not let you down.
8/ Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners – Level: Intermediate
- Full name: Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners
- Author: Olly Richards
- Price: $14.99
- Rating: ⭐4.5
- Level: Intermediate
Olly Richards is a brilliant linguist who can speak eight languages fluently, and each of his books has received highly rated from readers all over the world. “Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners” is not an exception, it contains eight stories with a variety of exciting topics for intermediate learners. Reasonably-written content along with grammar points and extremely useful intermediate vocabulary, we are sure that just perusing it every day, the book will definitely upgrade your knowledge to a level unseen before.
9/ Merriam-Webster’s Italian-English Dictionary – All levels
- Full name: Merriam-Webster’s Italian-English Dictionary, Newest Edition, Mass-Market Paperback
- Author: Merriam-Webster
- Price: $6.99
- Rating: ⭐4.6
- Level: All levels
This bilingual dictionary is an essential tool for learners who want to delve deeper into the Italian language. “Merriam-Webster’s Italian-English Dictionary” provides 40,000 words with 57,000 adequate translations. Furthermore, it also provides IPA pronunciations and numerous examples to learn through specific contexts.
10/ 4 Best FREE Italian books for Beginners
Learning Italian is not an easy process, but many people have overwhelmed it by self-study! Let’s discover the beauty of Italian languages through some suggestions for the top 4 FREE Italian books for beginners below.
1/ Italian with Elisa is a multimedia language course that helps you enjoy interesting stories, wonderful culinary discoveries, as well as – many fascinating things that have not been revealed in this article. We believe you will be surprised with what you discover in this book!
2/ Italian All-in-One For Dummies: Another Italian book for beginners is “Italian All-in-One For Dummies” that is free online. No matter what your level is, we believe that you will gain useful knowledge through perusing this book. It’s because the book offers an online companion site and additional content that allows you to download the audio tracks and practice opportunities for you to use Italian like a native speaker.
3/ An Elementary Grammar of the Italian Language: Another option for learning the vocabulary of Italian is by “Word of the Week” ebook. It is designed so that you can learn a common word or phrase every day. Furthermore, the distinctive illustrations that mirror the vocabulary definition also make it easier to visualize and less boring.
4/ Italian Reader: Short Stories (English-Italian Parallel Text): Elementary to Intermediate
Italian is considered one of the most romantic and soft languages in the world. What’s better than learning Italian through the 8 best collections of short stories written by the most talented storytellers? The book supports 2 versions in both English and Italian, so let’s get a start and enjoy it right now!
Above are the 13 best books to learn Italian that we want to share with you. Hopefully they will be your great companions in your learning process. Now you have these excellent books covered, let’s roll up your sleeves and start your journey!
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