Do you ever wonder how to pronounce a Latin quote?You can run into a lot of Latin terms in some fields.It takes some dedication to study Latin pronunciation since there are no native speakers to guide you.Classical Latin is the focus of this pronunciation guide.Most of the differences you need to know to speak or sing Church Latin are included.
Step 1: Say V as W.
The English 'w' is pronounced the same way as the consonant v.The word via is pronounced wi-a.The letter V was used in place of the U in original Latin texts.Modern Latin textbooks usually use the letter U for the vowels and V as the consonants.
Step 2: When it is a vowels, say i or j as y.
Modern writers use the letter j in Latin to avoid confusion.It is always pronounced "y" if J shows up.If you are reading Latin as it was originally written, the letter "y" and "V" are sometimes used.The name Iulius is pronounced "yoo-lee-us."
Step 3: Standardize your pronunciations of vowels.
The Latin letters are almost always pronounced the same way: C is hard, as in "cat."koom G is always hard.S is always a voiceless "s" sound as in "snake."spuma is always rolled.This sound is not found in most English dialects, so beginners can say it as they would say "R."
Step 4: Keep your H and H together.
The only problem with a Latin h is that it always stays an h."th" or "ch" do not have any special meaning in Latin.Just say the first letter of the alphabet.If you want a perfect pronunciation, you should include the h in the following vowels.
Step 5: As they appear, pronounce other consonants.
You can say the vowels as you would in "proper" English.It's important to keep the sounds distinct.Classical Latin 't' is always pronounced as a hard "t," and never softer than that.Some corner cases are not important for beginners.These are covered in the extra rules later on if you want to become a Latin pronunciation expert.
Step 6: A textbook can mark long and short vowels.
The easiest way to learn how to pronounce Latin vowels is to read.The Latin vowels have long and short pronunciations.The long vowels are marked with a macron over them, so a is always the short pronunciation and is the long one.Since the vowels are different in Church Latin, it's a good idea to skip that section if your main goal is to speak it.Speak with an advanced Latin student if you can't find a text like this.If you prefer that method, you can look up the complex rules for identifying long and short vowels.
Step 7: Short vowels are pronounced.
A circumflex is used to top short vowels in beginner textbooks.The vowels are always pronounced the same way, as follows: A as in lick alike E and in let I as off U as the "oo" in foot.
Step 8: The vowels are long.
Textbooks mark vowels with a horizontal line.As in father, the same sound as short a, but held for a longer time, long vowels are pronounced as follows.
Step 9: Know your diphthongs.
A diphthong is a combination of two vowels.You don't have to guess at a vowels sound in Latin pronunciation.The combinations are always pronounced with the word eye.As the word ow, saepe means sai-peh.laudat is low-daht EI as in ray.I accomplish is a synonym for oil.In all other vowels, say them as separate vowels.A combination of short and long vowels does not produce dipthongs."pota" is a word that means po-ay-tah.
Step 10: The first syllable of a two-syllable word should be stressed.
The word Caesar is pronounced KAI-sar.This is true for all two-syllable words.
Step 11: Light and heavy are what you should identify.
Latin poets used this classification to build their meter.If a syllable has a long vowels or a diphthong, it is heavy, which is why most Latin students learn to recite poetry eventually.It is heavy if a syllable is followed by a double word.The letter x is a double letter.The syllable is light if both of those are true.It's important not to confuse them with long and short vowels.
Step 12: If it's heavy, stress the second to last syllable.
The penult is the second-to-last syllable of a word.Stress this syllable if it's heavy.Abutor is pronounced ah-BOO-tor because the penult has a long vowels.I make blind is pronounced ok-KAI-ko because the penult has a diphthong.The penult is followed by a double consonant and that's why recusandus is pronounced reh-koo-san-dus.
Step 13: If the penult is not light, stress the syllable before it.
If the penult is a light syllable, it is not stressed.The antepenult is the third-to-last syllable.The guard is called Praesidium.The accent falls on the syllable before the penult.
Step 14: You can learn advanced pronunciation rules.
Many Latin students never learn low priority corner cases.You can impress Caesar with an excellent accent if you plan to time travel back to ancient Rome.The letters "t" and "bs" are pronounced the same way.As in "wing nut", "gn" was pronounced "ngn".The combination "ns" and "nf" had the same effect as the letter "m" at the end of a word, according to some scholars.Double vowels that "flow" into an l or r do not count as double vowels for syllable stress.
Step 15: There are soften vowels before ae, e, and i.
Church Latin has been used in Catholic ritual for many centuries.Modern Italian is a form of Latin that has undergone thousands of years of change.If C appears before ae, e, oe, and i, it will be in chain, instead of a hard c as in cat, which is one of the most noticeable differences from Classical Latin.In the same way, G is soft as in gem.Sh is the same as scold in sheep.As in accord, CC becomes tch.Instead of ksk, XC becomes ksh.
Step 16: You can learn your vowels.
The long and short forms of Church Latin vowels are similar to Classical Latin.If you follow someone's lead or go with your instincts, you'll be fine.Singers tend to hold the same sound for a long time instead of changing it.The system is A as in father.The letter E is in red.I or Y is asleep.Not as in go.The "oo" is in the boot.
Step 17: Say your name as V.
Church Latin says the letter V in English.
Step 18: You can learn to pronounce TI and GN.
The sounds of onion are closer to modern Romance languages in Church Latin.The "tsy" in patsy is pronounced by TI followed by any additional vowels.TI is still pronounced "tee" if it starts with s, x or t.
Step 19: You can learn nihil and mihi.
The two words are similar to a k: nikil and miki.In all other words, H is silent.
Step 20: Keep double vowels separate.
The diphthongs are still used in Church Latin.Both vowels are distinct forAU, EI, and EU.If you're stressed out in a song, hold the note on the first sound and move through the second for a moment at the end.In the word Hei, it is pronounced as a diphthong.