Classical Pronunciation
Say every letter, and give each letter the same sound every time.
How It Works
| Letters | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a, e, i, o, u | pure, as in Spanish: ah, eh, ee, oh, oo | amicus = ah-MEE-koos |
| c | k, always | Cicero = KIK-eh-ro |
| g | hard, as in go, always | Gaius = GAH-ee-oos |
| v | w | vinum = WEE-noom |
| qu | kw | quis = KWIS |
| ae, oe, au | eye, oy, ow | Caesar = KYE-sar |
| s | always as in sit | rosa = RO-sa |
The r is tapped or rolled. A double letter is held a little longer, as in anno. Church Latin sounds different in several places: see Church pronunciation.
Examples (5)
- Caesar villam videt.
Caesar sees the house.
Caesar is KYE-sar, villam is WIL-lam and videt is WIH-det. Every letter is pronounced.
- Vinum bonum est.
The wine is good.
The v sounds like w: WEE-noom BO-noom est.
- Quis est?
Who is it?
The qu sounds like kw: KWIS est.
- Gaius librum legit.
Gaius reads a book.
The g is hard: GAH-ee-oos LIB-room LEH-git.
- Poena magna est.
The penalty is great.
The oe sounds like oy: POY-na MAHNG-na est.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The classical sounds belong to the spelling, so the spelling rules come first.
Related Patterns
- Church Pronunciation
The same letters in Church Latin.
Foundations - Soft and Hard C and G
The two journeys compared for c and g.
Level 1 - Two Vowels, One Sound: ae, oe, auTwo Vowels, One Sound
The two-vowel sounds side by side.
Level 1 - Long and Short Vowels
How long a vowel is held.
Foundations - Which Syllable Is Stressed
Which syllable gets the push.
Level 1
Practice Classical Pronunciation in Bubblegum
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