L-vocalization in Italian

One of the phonological features which differentiates Italian from other Romance languages is l-vocalization. Many languages have l-vocalization in the syllable coda, but Italian exemplifies the process in the syllable onset. The original consonant cluster of Latin became a sequence of a consonant and vowel in Italian. L-vocalization in Italian can be illustrated by comparing the vocabulary of French and Italian. Here are examples:

blanc bianco (white)
clair chiaro (clear)
clef chiave (key)
fleur fiore (flower)
fleuve fiume (river)
plaisir piacere (pleasure)
plat piatto (plate)
pluit pioggia (rain)
plus più (more)
temple tempio (temple)

The examples illustrate that many consonant clusters in French are a consonant and vowel in Italian. This is the result of l-vocalization. The consonant clusters are also preserved in Spanish in words such as blanco (white) and flor (flower). In Portuguese the consonant cluster often has an r as in branco (white) and prato (plate). The feature of l-vocalization is one which serves to distinguish Italian from other Romance languages.