What does piazza mean?
Word: Piazza
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Piazza means an open public space among the buildings of a town, especially in Italy.
How do you spell piazza?
Syllables: pi - az - za
Tricky part: Two vowels follow the p, and each is said on its own. Children often drop one of them or put them the wrong way round.
Watch out for: paizza, peazza
Memory tip: Think of the end of the word Italian: i and then a, in that order. The same pair comes straight after the p.
Piazza in a sentence
Example 1: We sat on the steps of the piazza in Rome and shared a bag of roasted chestnuts.
Example 2: Pigeons scattered across the piazza when the street musicians began to play.
Example 3: The new shopping centre in our town has a small piazza with fountains and benches.
Fun Fact
Piazza, plaza and the everyday English word place all go back to one Latin word for a broad street.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Read the three statements and choose the correct option:
1. A fountain is a structure that sends water up into the air. 2. A piazza is a narrow covered lane between two rows of houses. 3. A balcany is a platform built on the outside wall of an upper floor.
a) only 1 and 3 are correct
b) only 1 is correct
c) only 2 and 3 are correct
d) all three are correct
Show answer
b) only 1 is correct. A piazza is wide and open, not a narrow lane, and statement 3 should have balcony with an o.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) pizza
b) piaza
c) stanza
d) bonanza
Show answer
b) piaza. Stanza and bonanza take one z and pizza takes two; the Italian square takes two as well.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
zaizpa
a) a long row of stone columns along the front of a large building
b) a raised walkway that carries people above a busy road
c) a high bank built along a river to hold the water back
d) a paved square where the people of a town meet, with no roof above it
Show answer
d) a paved square where the people of a town meet, with no roof above it. The six letters rearrange into the Italian word for this meeting place.
Word Tally
You get 3 marks for each misspelt word you find in the list. How many marks do you get?
piazza, spagetti, gondola, mozzarela, cappucino
a) 12
b) 9
c) 6
d) 3
Show answer
b) 9. Three words are wrong: spaghetti needs an h, mozzarella a double l and cappuccino a double c.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What are you most likely to see in a piazza on a sunny evening?
a) sailors tying up their fishing boats
b) lorries unloading at a busy dock
c) farmers ploughing their rice fields
d) people strolling and sitting at cafes
Show answer
d) people strolling and sitting at cafes
2. Why would a piazza suit a street performer?
a) the roof keeps out the evening rain
b) tickets are checked at the door
c) the walls shut out all the noise
d) crowds can gather round on all sides
Show answer
d) crowds can gather round on all sides
