Reading Aloud
CATEGORY
4
The reader
Consonant consistently
pronounces
Quality
consonants
appropriately.
The reader
consistently
Vowel Quality pronounces vowels
appropriately.
The reader
consistently and
Syllabification accurately divides
words in the
appropriate places.
The reader
consistently and
Word Accent accurately places the
stress on a syllable
within a word.
The reader provides a
smooth continuous
Continuity reading of the whole
text.
Phrasing
Confidence
Performance
3
2
1
The reader pronounces The reader attempts to The reader regularly
consonants with only a pronounce consonants fails to pronounce
few inconsistencies or with many errors.
consonants.
errors.
The reader pronounces
vowels with only a few
inconsistencies or
errors.
The reader regularly
divides words in the
appropriate places
although a few errors
occur.
The reader usually
places the stress on the
correct syllable within a
word.
The reader attempts to The reader regularly
pronounce vowels with fails to pronounce
many errors.
vowels.
The reader frequently
divides words in the
inappropriate places.
The reader seems to
arbitrarily divide
words in completely
inappropriate places
.
The reader occasionally The reader rarely
places the stress on the places the stress on
correct syllable within a the correct syllable
word.
within a word.
The reader provides a The reader provides a The reader provides
reading of the text with reading of the text that a reading of the text
some interruption.
is more often than not a that is "syllable by
"word by word"
syllable" at best.
reading.
The reader
The reader recognizes The reader may
The reader does not
consistently
the relationships among recognize the
seem to recognize
recognizes the
most words and words relationships among
the relationships
relationships among groups and usually
words and words
among words and
words and words
communicates this in groups but infrequently words groups and
groups and
his or her reading.
communicates this in therefore rarely
communicates this in
his or her reading.
communicates this
his or her reading.
in his or her reading.
The reader
The reader
The reader
The reader
consistently
demonstrates a general demonstrates an
demonstrates little
demonstrates an
understanding of the
understanding of parts understanding of the
understanding of the passage by using
of the passage by
passage and fails to
entire passage by
appropriate intonation occasionally using
use appropriate
using appropriate
patterns, pauses, and appropriate intonation intonation patterns,
intonation patterns, other indicators of
patterns, pauses, and pauses, and other
pauses, and other
comprehension.
other indicators of
indicators of
indicators of
comprehension.
comprehension.
comprehension.
The reader gives an The reader gives a good The reader gives a
The reader gives a
outstanding
performance that would performance suitable performance that
performance that
be suitable for most
for a street corner in the compels his
rivals the recitationes cenae in Rome.
Subura.
listener's ears to seek
given by Vergil
legal action.
himself!
When the rubric uses language such as "appropriately" and "accurately" students and
instructors will consult Vox Latina: The Pronunciation of Classical Latin by Sidney Allen
(Cambridge U Press) for descriptions of the "appropriate" and "accurate" pronunciations. In
some cases Allen may suggest or refer to alternate pronunciations or debates among scholars
regarding proper pronunciation; students should strive for consistency in pronunciation.
LATIN PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Tips for learning Pronunciation:
1) Study these rules and practice them
out loud at home.
Consonants
c
g
h
i
r
v
English
k (cat)
hard g (go)
silent (hour)
y (young)
rolled (Raoul)
w (will)
Latin
Caesar
Gaius
hortus
Iulius
ramus
veni vidi vici
2) Write them down in your own notes: if
you want to, use your own examples, as
long as they follow the rules above.
3) Pay attention in class and respond
when I ask you to repeat what I say.
4) Volunteer in class when I ask for
somebody to read in Latin: This is the
BEST way for me to listen to you
individually and to help you with the
areas you have trouble in.
Vowels
a
ā
e
ē
i
ī
o
ō
u
ū
English
aha
aha
pet
they
skit
ski
for
holy
put
true
Latin
pater
māter
ego
vēni
iterum
īra
omnes
hortō
ubi
ūnus
ae
au
ei
sky
how
say
amicae
audit
deinde
5) If you don’t understand what letter
goes with what sound, then ask me in
class and I will help you.
6) PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE!! At home, at school,
with your friends (believe me, they will
think it’s cool, even if it sounds strange
at first!) or anywhere!
Remember: Everybody has an accent in their
native language, whether we hear it or not. Our
native languages and other learned languages
(Spanish, French, Arabic, etc.) will influence
how strange or familiar these pronunciations
sound to us.
Nobody is perfect, and nobody is
awful. We are ALL learning and some of us
have already studied languages with similar
pronunciation, but that doesn’t matter. Please
don’t be embarrassed to try and please don’t
be intimidated by others – if you practice you
will become good at this very quickly.
I look forward to and am excited about
the day that we can all speak with our Latin
accents and understand each other – so let’s
get going!