For words deriving from Latin forms in -ismu(m) or from Ancient Greek in -ισμός, as well as for more recent analogous formations, there are commonly in Genoese two possible outcomes: a direct Genoese form ending in -iximo [-ˈiːʒimu], with the insertion of an epenthetic vowel (traditionally considered popular, nowadays mostly out of use in the capital, but still widespread in several outlying areas and in literary contexts), and a learned or semi-learned form in -ismo [-ˈizmu]. Thus for example, for the Italian word “meccanismo,” the Genoese forms mecaniximo [mekaˈniːʒimu] and mecanismo [mekaˈnizmu] exist. In this dictionary, both forms are given, without particular preference for one over the other.

In Genoese it is frequent for -[l]- to shift to -[r]- before guttural and labial consonants: thus, words such as ingleise [iŋˈɡlejze] “English,” biçicletta [bisiˈkletˑa] “bicycle” and complicâ [kuŋpliˈkaː] “complicate” can also be pronounced ingreise [iŋˈɡrejze], biçicretta [bisiˈkretˑa] and compricâ [kuŋpriˈkaː]. In the DEIZE both spellings are reported when equally widespread among speakers. On pronunciation alternations in contemporary Genoese shared by the speaker community, and on their lexicographic representations (partly taken up in DEIZE), see in particular Lusito (2025, § 6).