| a poco | a little; gradually | grazioso | gracefully |
| a tempo | in time; generally implies a return to the original rate of speed | l’istesso | the same |
| accelerando | gradually faster | larghetto | slow, but not as slow as largo |
| adagietto | slow, but not as slow as adagio | largo | very slow |
| adagio | very slow | legato | smooth and connected |
| agitato | agitated; rapid | lento | very slow |
| al fine | to the finish | maestoso | majestically |
| alla | in the style of | marcato | marked; with emphasis |
| allargando | gradually slower and broader | marziale | martial |
| allegretto | light and moderately quick, but not as fast as allegro | meno | less |
| allegro | rapid; lively | mezzo | medium; half |
| andante | moderately slow, but moving | moderato | moderately |
| andantino | generally a little quicker than andante | molto | very |
| animato | animated; spirited | mosso | motion; movement |
| appassionato | intensely; passionately; with deep feeling | non troppo | not too much |
| brilliante | brilliantly | pianissimo | very softly |
| cantabile | in a singing style | piano | softly |
| chromatic | by semi-tones | poco | a little |
| coda | the final added measures of a musical composition | poco a poco | little by little |
| con anima | with animation; spirit | prestissimo | very fast; more so than presto |
| con brio | with spirit; brilliantly | presto | very fast |
| con forza | with force | rallentando | gradually slower |
| con grazia | with grace | ritardando | gradually slower |
| con spirito | with spirit; brilliance | ritenuto | a steady pace, but slower than the preceding tempo |
| crescendo | gradually louder | rubato | temporary irregularity of time, lengthening some notes at the expense of others |
| da capo | from the beginning | segno | the sign |
| dal segno | from the sign | sempre | always; continually |
| decrescendo | gradually softer | sforzando | forced; with emphasis |
| diminuendo | gradually softer | simile | the same |
| dolce | sweetly | soli | more than one performer in unison |
| energico | energetically | solo | a composition or passage for one performer |
| etude | a study | sostenuto | sustained |
| fermata | a hold or pause | staccato | separated, detached style |
| forte | loud | subito | suddenly |
| fortissimo | very loud | tacet | silent |
| furioso | furiously | tempo | time; speed |
| grandioso | grand or noble style | tenuto | sustain full value |
| grave | very slow or solemn | vivace | vivacious; lively |