Pronunciation Guidelines

Here are some guidelines for Latin pronunciation:

“veni, vidi, vici” ("I came, I saw, I conquered") pronounced “way-nee, wee-dee, wee-kee”

- No j or w in Latin.
- “I” before a vowel = y sound (e.g. “iam” is pronounced “yahm”)
- V = w (e.g. “villa” = “weella”)
- K, y, z rare à k, y and z = Greek letters

Most sounds similar to English:

B before s/t = “p” (urbs = “urps”; observat = “opserwat”)
C is ALWAYS hard (cadit = “kadit”)
G is always hard (as in “get”) – gemit
I= y before vowel (via = “wee-ya”)
R=rolled (ramus)
S like “sing” not like a “z” (servus = “ser-woos”)
V=w (villa = “wee-lla”)

Vowels à macrons (the lines over the letters) vs. without macrons. Letters with macrons = 2x longer

Short: Long:
A= “alike” (ad) ā= “father” (clāmat = “claaahhhmaht”)
E= “pet” (ex) ē = “date” (dēscendit = “day-sken-dit”)
I = “sip” (Italia) ī = “sleep” (īratus = “ee-rah-toos”)
O= “for” (arborem) ō = holy (in hortō)
U = foot (ubi) ū = boot (ūlūlat = “ooo-loo-laht”)

Dipthongs: 2 vowels making one sound. Examples in English? “th” “sh” “ng”
Ae = “sky” (amicae = “ah-mee-keye”) au = “How” (audit = “oww-dit”)
Ei = say (deinde “day-n-day”)