Pronunciation
How to determine which syllable of a word is accented:
A syllable is long by nature if it contains a long vowel (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) or a diphthong (ae, au, ei,
eu, oe, ui).
A syllable is long by position if it is followed by 2 or more consonants (x=cs, and so it is
considered 2 consonants).
A syllable is short if it is neither long by nature nor long by position.
All Latin words of more than 1 syllable are accented on the 2nd-to-last or 3rd-to-last syllable.
Therefore, all words of 2 syllables are accented on the 1st syllable.
For words of 3 or more syllables: if the 2nd-to-last syllable is long, then it is accented; otherwise,
the 3rd-to-last syllable is accented.
Short and long vowels:
A vowel will usually be short if it is followed by:
a vowel
moneō
nd
monendus
nt
monentur
m (at the end of a word)
monēbam
r (at the end of a word)
monērer
t (at the end of a word)
monet
These rules are important particularly in the formation of verbs. In all of the examples given, the
vowel would be long if it were not for these rules.
A vowel will usually be long if it is followed by:
nct
iūnctus
nf
īnferō
ns
īnsula
nx
iūnxī