LATIN PRONUNCIATION
Alphabet
The Latin alphabet is very similar to the English alphabet. In
Latin there is no j or w. Latin uses i for both i and j, and v for both w
and v. K, y and z are rarely used.
Vowels
Latin & English have the same vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Each vowel
has 2 sounds: long & short. Long vowels are marked with a macron
above the vowel and take longer to say than a short vowel.
Long
Short
a= a in father (ah as in blah)
e = e in they
(ay as in day)
i, y = i in machine (ee as in see)
o = o in note
(oh as in oh)
u = u in rude
(oo as in zoo)
a = a in adrift
e = e in bet
i = i in sit
o = o in omit
u = u as oo in
look or put
Diphthongs
A diphthong is a blending of two vowels in order to form a
single sound.
ae = aye, or i in like
au = ow in now
oe = oy in joy
ei = ei in vein
eu = eu in feud (ay-oo, as one syllable)
ui = uee in queen
Consonants
The following will sound as they do in English:
B, D, F, H, K, L, M, N, P, Z
These are the exceptions:
c and ch = k (hard)
g = g in go (hard)
i = y in yes
s = s in sill (soft)
t = t in ton
v=w
x = ks
th = thick
ph = philosophy
bs = ps
bt = pt
Syllables
A Latin word contains as many syllables as it has vowels &
diphthongs. (Exceptions: Consonant i is not counted as a vowel, nor
u when it sounds like an English w after g, q, or sometimes s).
When dividing a word into syllables:
1. A single consonant (t) is placed with the following vowel.
pater = pa / ter
2. Double consonants (tt) are separated: dimitte = di / mit / te
3. If there are 2 or more consonants, the first is generally
placed with the preceeding vowel: nostrum = nos / trum
4. Exceptions: iu /be /o
lin /gua
per / sua / de / o
Accent
The last syllable of a Latin word is called the ultima, the next to last
the penult, the one before that the antepenult.
Syllables are classified as long or short (depending on how long it
took to say them).
A syllable is long by nature if: it has a vowel marked with a macron or
is a diphthong.
A syllable is long by position if: it has a short vowel followed by 2
consonants or X.
Otherwise the syllable is considered short.
Latin words of three or more syllables are accented as follows:
1. On the next-to-last syllable (penult) if it is long: di / mit / te
2. On the third-to-last syllable (antepenult), if the penult is short:
ad / ve / ni / at
On a 2 syllable word:. on the first syllable: nos / ter
N.B. (Nota Bene = note well):
The final syllable (ultima) is never accented except in 1 syllable
words: rem