American vs Universal-European
Pronunciation for Latin
One may ask why learn a specific pronunciation of Latin. The answer is that aiming for a formal and universal
pronunciation is intended to impress the discerning ear and to teach the initiate, young and old, the accepted
pronunciation when singing Latin.
Good Latin Pronunciation depends very much on how one says/sings vowels and certain consonants. We may think
that vowel sounds are the same everywhere, but nothing creates a real American accent in singing than how
long
vowels, R’s, accents, and L’s are sounded. Discriminating listeners don’t want an American accent in
hearing Latin or other foreign languages. They want a generally accepted formal pronunciation.
pronunciation comes from using “European” vowels.
And that
Also important are syllabification and accenting. Done properly these factors minimize some vowels to a short or
schwa sound. Singing a language with good “expression” – crescendo, decrescendo, that is the increase and decrease
of dynamics, and increase and decrease of tempo – is mature singing. Finding the high point of phrases and then
moving toward and away from them with changing dynamics and tempo is part of singing with expression. These
factors also help us create a performance that is pleasing to the palate of discriminating music listeners.
Long Vowels
American Vowels
European Vowels
Tend To Be Sung as DIPHTHONGs
-- 2 vowels closely sounded
X
Also tendency to sound too bright X
a
e
i
o
aa-eeee
with Rounded Mouth
and Little Jaw Movement
aa
nd
tendency to move to 2 sound
too soon; too bright)
eeeee
(too bright due to horizontal
oh-eeee
( moving to “eeee” too soon)
[ oh – as in
ee
(richer due to rounded mouth)
[some directors compromise and
use “eh” to minimize effect]
ohh-ee
opera]
oo-uuuu (moves to “u” too soon)
(single sound – rounded mouth;
jaw doesn’t move)
- wide mouth - too smiley)
oo
[oh – as in Opera]
(diphthong sound but holding
“oh” longer; “e” at last minute)
(never moves to “uuuu” - definitely
rounded mouth shape)
[some directors prefer “aw” sound]
uuuu
u
(in addition to 2 sounds,
Sung as Single Sounds
û
[as in “t ne” or “mousse” rather
than as in “moon”]; avoid
tightening of upper lip as in French pronunciation)
uu
(single sound; rounded mouth;
move lower jaw, not upper lip)
The challenge for a novice is to develop an awareness of vowel differences by comparing his
sound against those around him. He compares against recordings of the great choruses and vocal
soloists. He practices and listen to pronunciation of American and European sounds, especially
the long vowels. He strives to turn himself into a discriminating and discerning listener.
Short Vowels in Latin and English
a
e
i
o
u
oh [not apple]
eh
ih
o
uh
ab
sed
bis
quod
sub
different
same
English: apple
bet
Latin:
ah
same
sit
different
pond
eh
ih
oh
[Still need to keep rounded mouth; drop jaw a bit.]
different
shut
uh
Two General Rules in Pronunciation
1. “North-South” Rule – The mouth is naturally shaped in an “east-west” direction (relatively
speaking). This is part of the way we inadvertently pronounce words with an American accent.
For the production of “formal diction” we need more of a “north-south” orientation with our
mouth to balance with the east-west. This will create a more rounded shape to our mouth.
This is the shape we want for singing. Our bright /e/ and /i/ when “rounded” are more
pleasant to hear.
Shaping the mouth “north-south” should not be a constraining action. At one point, you may
remember, Sarah Brightman received instruction from a new voice teacher to reshape her
mouth as she sang. Muscularly it was tight and was like a brass player blowing through his
mouth piece. Shaping the mouth “north-south” should be natural and not nearly as
constraining. Until it becomes a habit, though, it may seem like a task one is struggling to
reproduce.
2. “Drop-the-Jaw” Rule – This requirement in diction is related to the first rule. If we shape
the mouth north-south, we will tend to drop the jaw more than when speaking. This strategy
helps avoid the utterance that one makes with unaccented syllables, the schwa sound. Try
these 2 words and note the difference in pronouncing the vowel “o”:
con-trite
/kƏn/------
ex-con
----/kohn/
In this comparison, the jaw drops further on the syllable that is accented. The two sounds of
the letter “o” represent the difference between the schwa and the short vowel on accented
and unaccented syllables. Adding good word and phrase expression - with focus on accenting
the right syllables - results in this rule occurring naturally.
R’s –
The influence of an “R” is very non-denominational, i.e., it happens in most
American dialects regardless of what vowel lies before it. Look at these words and
exaggerate the “r” sound.
Here
Her
Hurt
Fur
Poor
Stir
Par
Pair
er
er
er
er
er
er
er
er
The tendency with this consonant is to “turn” it, regardless of the position of the “r” in a
word, as an “er” sound. Get rid of the “ghost” vowel before an “r” by flipping R’s when at
the beginning of words; moving R’s to the next syllable when in the middle; and muting R’s
at the end of words by using an “uh” or “aw” sound. Here are a few words involving the
“r” in all three positions. The solution is a matter of changing how we pronounce the
“vowel” before the “r”, moving the “r” to the next syllable, and avoiding the tendency to
accent the syllable.
R’s at the beginning:
Solution – get rid of the “ghost” vowel before the “r” by flipping it
eRange eReal
eRighteous
eRoam
eRoute
eRut
eRaucous
R’s in the middle:
Solution – move the “r” to the next syllable and flip it
Spir – it
Ma – ter –i – al
Glor –i – a
becomes
becomes
becomes
Spi – rit
Ma – te – ri – al
Glo – ri – a
(spih-riht)
(mah-tih-ree-ahl)
(glaw-ree-ah)
R’s at the ending:
Solution – modify the vowel but mute the “r”
For
Far
Fear
Fir
Fur
becomes
becomes
becomes
becomes
becomes
/faw/
/foh/
/feeyuh/
/fƏ/
/fƏ/
(“y” helps connect vowel sounds)
R’s on the end of Blends:
Solution – eliminate the “ghost” vowel before the “r”;
use /uh/ or /Ə/ instead; move the “r” to the actual vowel
Tree
Draw
Crawl
Free
Sprain
Pray
/ter – ee/
/der – aw/
/ker – awl/
/fer – ee/
/sper – aan/
/per – aa/
becomes
becomes
becomes
becomes
becomes
becomes
/tuh – ree/
/duh – raw/
/kuh – rawl/
/fuh – ree/
/spuh – raan/
/puh – raa/
(almost like 2 syllables w/ accent on 2nd)
(move “r” to our fake 2nd syllable)
(turn ghost vowel into a short vowel)
(flip the “r”)
Accenting –
Another phenomenon that corrupts a universal/European pronunciation is
the improper accenting of syllables. Note the words below; the second column represents
singing with “expression.” Americans unfortunately often accent 2-syllable words with an
accent on both syllables. This changes the vowel. Unaccented syllables should be short vowel
sounds. The difference between a syllable with a short vowel and a syllable that is accented is
like a “pick up note” or like kicking off to or coming off of one position to another. The
positions are not equal; the syllables are not equal. Therefore, the vowels are not equal.
The English language rarely has back-to-back accented syllables except in poetry (spondee).
Treating/accenting syllables equally often results in pounding both syllable instead of being
expressive (almost a marcato). Double-accenting words sometimes detaches syllables instead
of creating a smooth connected sound (legato). Voice teachers often talk about “singing on
the vowels” and “singing from vowel to vowel”. It’s easier to sing this way if we avoid overaccenting words and pounding individual syllables. Treating syllables and vowels differently
helps a singer perform as the voice teacher expects. This problem is one reason why American
church choirs, regardless of denomination, don’t sing chant very well.
Ne-ver
=
/neh – vuh/ -
Spir-it
=
/spi – rit/
=
/rih – tuhn/ -
Return /eree-tern/
Before /beee-foruh/
-
mute “r” at the end; unaccent the syllable
move and flip “r” in the middle
flip “r” at the beginning; mute “r” at the end
-
=
/bih – faw/ unaccent the syllable; mute “r” at the end
The vowel in the new/correct unaccented syllable is also changed in some cases from long to short.
WATCH “DOUBLE-CLUTCHING” – 2 accents – accenting both syllables
Before
Delight
Become
Beside
Believe
L’s –
/bee – fo-er/
/dee – laheeet/
/bee – cum/
/bee – saheeed/
/bee – leeeevuh/
should be
should be
should be
should be
should be
/bih – faw/
/dih – lohhhet/
/bih – cohm/
/bih – sohhed/
/bih – leevuh/
Another uniquely American pronunciation problem is the use of the letter “L”. The
tendency here is to “swallow” the vowel by moving to the consonant /l/ sound too soon. It
also reduces the projection of the sound because the sound is placed toward the back of the
mouth instead of being forward where it should be. Think about where the vibrations in the
mouth fall when singing words with an “l”. The length of a vowel’s sound is shortened in
duration because of the tendency to go to the “l” too soon. The tongue also twists slightly.
To rectify this problem, consciously sing the vowel longer than when speaking a word with
an “l”.
Beginning
Lull
Lend
Loan
Light
Middle
Delight
Doleful
Dialogue
Parlor
End
Ball
Playful
Idol
Little
Blend
Place
Slight
Flounder
Blend
Another problem is the placement of the tongue. Make the tip of the tongue touch the
back of the upper front teeth. Sung incorrectly, the tongue tends to curl up and touch the
roof of the mouth in the middle. Also the tongue pulls back and arches slightly and thus
blocks the sound coming forth from the vocal chords.
Experiment with the placement of the tongue and with sounding vowels longer. Watch and
listen with a mirror as you practice singing and saying words with “L”. Experiment with
these basics of American versus European vowels and consonants. Consciously listen to
good recordings. Consciously listen to your fellow singers. But always aim for the European
sound for singing Latin or foreign languages.
Compare and Become Aware!
Latin Vowels
Latin has practically the same vowel sounds as used in English. Only the short “a” as in
/a-puhl/ doesn’t exist in Latin. The confusion is that the sounds we’re used to hearing don’t
match the letters we’re used to seeing. There are patterns one can follow. Let’s begin with
a neat rhyme to remember two of the Latin long vowels.
I
is pronounced
E
is pronounced
/ee/
/aa/
as in the word
as in the word
“machine”. (rounded-mouth)
“obey”.
(rounded-mouth)
I use 2 e’s to show long vowels. For vowels that are too bright and lack the rounded sound, I use
Two Latin vowels use one sound for their short and long.
Long and short “a” are same sound; duration of vowel differs -
eeee .
/oh/ vs /ohhh/
[The sound is /oh/ , not the English /ah/ as in “apple”.]
[The doctor says open your mouth and say /ohhh/ as in “opera”.]
Long and short “o” are same sound; duration of vowel differs -
/o/ vs /ooo/
[Avoid turning single vowel sounds into diphthongs. It’s ugly.]
[In English a short “o” = /oh/ but that’s also the sound of the Latin long & short “a”.]
The Latin ending “-ae” is pronounced like the English letter I = /ahh-ee/.
[We can’t avoid this diphthong. So, hold the first vowel longer; don’t go to the 2nd
vowel too soon or sound it too brightly. Always pronounce with a rounded-mouth.]
Look at these endings used for Latin nouns. Note which are long and which are short.
Practice pronouncing these endings using the principles and suggestions made here.
1st Declension – F
2nd Declension – M
2nd Declension – N
a
a
ae
ae
am
a
us
e
i
o
um
o
um
um
i
o
um
o
ae
ae
arum
is
as
is
i
i
orum
is
os
is
a
a
orum
is
a
is
3rd Declension –
M&F
is
i
em
e
N
es
es
um / ium
ibus
es
ibus
4th Declension – M
us
us
us
ui
um
u
us
us
uum
ibus
us
ibus
- (e, al, ar)
is
i
i
4th Declension – N
u
u
us
u
u
u
ua
ua
uum
ibus
ua
ibus
a
a
um / ium
ibus
a
ibus
5th Declension – F
es
es
ei
ei
em
e
es
es
erum
ebus
es
ebus
When you were younger, your parents may have told you to “mind your Ps and
Qs” – a tavern-keeper’s mantra for keeping track of the pints and quarts
consumed by his customers. Here more aptly we advise you to “watch your
long vowels, the L’s and R’s, and accenting to avoid labelling your performance
of the classics merely “regional” in ability. Strive for a universal-European
pronunciation in your Latin and in other foreign languages.
Examples of Latin Words and Phonetic Spelling
Gloria
Populo
Domine
Domini
Superna
Deus
Rege
Sincero
Timeamus
Medio
Acies
Pietate
Se
Te
Me
Immensum
Corde
Ergo
Est
Mente
Rege
Secula
Jerusalem
Angeli
Dei
In
Quae
Alleluia
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
glo-ree-oh or
glaw – ree – oh
po-pu-lo
[short – long]
do – mee – neh [not Doe – meeee – neeee]
do – mee – nee
suu – pehr – noh
deh – uus
raa – geh
sihn – cheh – roo / seen – cheh – roo
tee – maa – oh – muus [rounded-mouth]
meh – dee – oo [rounded-mouth; single vowel sound]
oh – kee – aas
pee – aa – toh – teh
saa
[not saa-eeee] single sound; rounded-mouth
taa
[not taa-eeee] single sound; rounded-mouth
maa
[not maa-eeee] single sound; rounded-mouth
ih – mehn – suum
kor – deh
ehr – go
[not go-uuu]
ehst
mehn-teh
[both e’s are short]
reh – jaa
[first “e” is short; second “e” is long]
saa – kuu – loh
Yeh – ruu – soh – lehm
ohn – jeh – lee [single vowel sound; rounded-mouth]
deh – ee
[not deh-yee]
een
[keep mouth rounded]
Kwohhee
[sound 1st vowel longer]
oh – leh – luu – yoh [not Ahl-laaeee-lu-yuh]
Single vowel sound; rounded-mouth; drop the jaw
[Some directors want a different general sound for their chorus
and may make certain vowels long to “brighten” the sound and
aid projection.]
Long /o/ may be changed to /aw/ - drop the jaw
Short /i/ may be changed to /ee/ - but keep mouth rounded
Four most offensive pronunciations of Latin
Four Most Offensive Pronunciations of Latin
Dominus
-
/Doe – meeee – noose/
should be
“Doe a deer….” – diphthong
“meeee” – not rounded
“a hangman’s noose” – a bit French;
(related is Domine -
/Do – mee – nuhs/
/Daw – mee – nuhs/
/Doe – meeee – naaaaeeee/
alternative
/Do – mee – naa/ /Do – mee – neh/ )
Aeternum
-
/Aaaaeeee – tair – nuuum/ should be
/Aa – teh-r – nuum/
(Definitely flip “r”)
(related is Aeternam
[drop the jaw on last syllable]
/Aa – teh-r - nahm/ )
Alleluia
-
/Alll – laaaeeee – lu – yuh/ should be
/Ah – laa – loo – yah/
Kyrie Eleison
-
/ker-eeee-aaaa
aaaaeelaaa-eeee-saun/
should be
/Kee-ree-aa
(when 4 syllables
Aa-laa-sohn/
Aa-laa-ee-sohn/)
What Latin words have you heard being mispronounced week after week?
Have you caught yourself pronouncing or accenting a Latin word incorrectly?
Should we educate ourselves and those around us? Or wait for the director to correct?
Is it our collective responsibility to correct ourselves and others?
How?
Through good example if not through discussion.
Rounded Mouth
Avoid Diphthongs
Flip/Move/Mute
R’s
Avoid Over Accenting
Delay L’s
April 2014