Studiously observe the length of the vowel before the terminations gnus, gna, gnum.
Remember that the final syllable in m, when not elided, is to be pronounced as lightly and rapidly as possible, the more lightly and indistinctly the better.
Remember that s must not be pronounced as z, except where it represents z in Greek words, as Smyrna (Zmyrna), Smaragdus (Zmaragdus), otherwise always pronounce as in sis.
Remember in pronouncing v to direct the lower lip toward the upper lip, avoiding the upper teeth.
In general, in pronouncing the consonants conform to the following scheme:
| b | as in blab. |
| b | before s or t, sharpened to p, as urbs = urps; obtinuit = optinuit. |
| c | as sceptic (never as in sceptre). |
| ch | as in chemist (never as in cheer or chivalry). |
| d | as in did, but made more dental than in English. |
| d | final, before a word beginning with a consonant, in particles especially, often sharpened to t as in tid-bit (tit-bit). |
| f | as in fief, but with more breath than in English. |
| g | as in gig (never as in gin). |
| gn | in terminations gnus, gna, gnum, makes preceding vowel long. |
| h | as in hah! |
| i | (consonant) as in onion. |
| k | as in kink. |
| l | initial and final, as in lull. |
| l | medial, as in lullaby, always more dental than in English. |
| m | initial and medial, as in membrane. |
| m | before q, nasalized. |
| m | final, when not elided, touched lightly and obscurely, somewhat as in tandem (tandm); or as in the Englishman’s pronunciation of Blenheim (Blenhm), Birmingham (Birminghm). |
| n | initial and final, as in nine. |
| n | medial, as in damnable, always more dental than in English. |
| n | before c, g, q, x, as in concord, anger, sinker, relinquish, anxious, the tongue not touching the roof of the mouth. |
| n | before f or s, nasal, lengthening the preceding vowel, as in renaissance. |
| p | as in pup. |
| q | as in quick. |
| r | as in roar, but trilled, as in Italian or French. (This is most important.) |
| s | as in sis (never as in his). |
| t | as in tot, but more dental than in English (never as in motion). |
| th | nearly as in then (never as in thin). |
| v | (u consonant) nearly as in verve, but labial, rather than labio-dental; like the German w (not like the English w). Make English v as nearly as may be done without touching the lower lip to the upper teeth. |
| x | as in six. |
| z | nearly as dz in adze. |
| Doubled consonants to be pronounced each distinctly, by holding the first until ready to pronounce the second. |
As Professor Ellis well puts it: “No relaxation of the organs, no puff of wind or grunt of voice should intervene between the two parts of a doubled consonant, which should more resemble separated parts of one articulation than two separate articulations.”
“Duplication of consonants is consequently regarded simply as the energetic utterance of a single consonant.”
[ Elision.]
Professor Ellis believes that the m was always omitted in speaking and the following consonant pronounced as if doubled (quorum pars as quoruppars). Final m at the end of a sentence he thinks was not heard at all. Where a vowel followed he thinks that the m was not heard, the vowel before being slurred on to the initial vowel of the following word.