Latin for Beginners

by Benjamin L. D'Ooge

Note. Give all the vowels and diphthongs their proper sounds and do not slur over them in unaccented syllables, as is done in English.

[7.] Consonants are pronounced as in English, except that

Consonants	Latin Examples
c is always like c in cat, never as in cent g is always like g in get, never as in gem i consonant is always like y in yes n before c, qu, or g is like ng in sing (compare the sound of n in anchor)	că´-dō, cĭ´-bŭs, cē´-nă gĕ´-mō, gĭg´-nō iăm, iŏ´-cŭs ăn´-cŏ-ră (ang´-ko-ra)
qu, gu, and sometimes su before a vowel have the sound of qw, gw, and sw. Here u has the value of consonant v and is not counted a vowel	ĭn´-quĭt, quī, lĭn´-guă, săn´-guĭs, suā´-dĕ-ō
s is like s in sea, never as in ease t is always like t in native, never as in nation	rŏ´-să, ĭs ră´-tĭ-ō, nā´-tĭ-ō
v is like w in wine, never as in vine x has the value of two consonants (cs or gs) and is like x in extract, not as in exact	vī´-nŭm, vĭr ĕx´-trā, ĕx-āc´-tŭs
bs is like ps and bt like pt ch, ph, and th are like c, p, t	ŭrbs, ŏb-tĭ´-nĕ-ō pŭl´-chĕr, Phoe´-bē, thĕ-ā´-trŭm

a. In combinations of consonants give each its distinct sound. Doubled consonants should be pronounced with a slight pause between the two sounds. Thus pronounce tt as in rat-trap, not as in rattle; pp as in hop-pole, not as in upper. Examples, mĭt´-tō, Ăp´pĭ-ŭs, bĕl´-lŭm.

SYLLABLES

[8.] A Latin word has as many syllables as it has vowels and diphthongs. Thus aes-tā´-tĕ has three syllables, au-dĭ-ĕn´-dŭs has four.

a. Two vowels with a consonant between them never make one syllable, as is so often the case in English. Compare English inside with Latin īn-sī´-dĕ.

[9.] Words are divided into syllables as follows:

1. A single consonant between two vowels goes with the second. Thus ă-mā´-bĭ-lĭs, mĕ-mŏ´-rĭ-ă, ĭn-tĕ´-rĕ-ā, ă´-bĕst, pĕ-rē´-gĭt.3

3. In writing and printing it is customary to divide the parts of a compound, as inter-eā, ab-est, sub-āctus, per-ēgit, contrary to the correct phonetic rule.