Today it is quite frequent, especially in informal speech, to replace Genoese forms in -ç- with Italianizing ones in -c-. Thus, for example, the genuine form çentro [ˈseŋtru] “center” is replaced with the Italianism centro [ˈtʃeŋtru], çerto [ˈsɛːrtu] “certain” replaced with certo [ˈtʃɛːrtu], etc.

In this dictionary, also in order to promote the recovery of genuine forms, those with -ç- are given, also considering that graphically they do not differ much from those which may occasionally have wider circulation, thus not creating reading difficulties even for those accustomed to the Italianized forms.

In line with this approach, it was decided to transcribe and present with -ç- even those forms that in pronunciation, at least historically, presented the realization -[s]- as opposed to -[tʃ]- of Italianizing origin, such as proçesso [pruˈsɛsˑu] “process” as opposed to processo [pruˈtʃɛsˑu] or soçietæ [susjeˈtɛː] “society” as opposed to societæ [sutʃeˈtɛː], even though in general usage the affricate consonant pronunciation has now become standard; the same applies to borrowings from other languages such as biçicletta [bisiˈkletˑa] “bicycle” (< from French bicyclette [bisiˈklɛt]).

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 S. Lusito, Aspetti teorici e pratici della redazione di un dizionario genovese-italiano della lingua contemporanea. Metalessicografia di una varietà di koinè, Edizioni dell’Orso, 2025, §6.