a – father (pater)

e – met (ecclesiam)

i – police (fili)

o – or (omnipotens)

u – mood (unum)

y – baby (lacrymosa)

ae – get (bonae, coeli)

oe – get (bonae, coeli)

c – (before e, ae, oe, I, y) church (coeli)

c – (before a, o, u) cat (confiteor)

cc – (before e, ae, oe, I, y) catch (ecce), (before other letters) bookkeeper (occasum)

ch – character (Christe)

g – (before e, ae, oe, I, y) generous (virgine); ( before a, o, u) gone (ergo)

gn – canyon (dignati)

h – not pronounced, except: (mihi – miki and nihil – nikil)

j – yes (Jesu)

qu – quiet (qui)

r – trilled

s – sea (sanctus)

s (between two vowels) zest (miserere)

sc – (before e, ae, oe, I, y) show (ascendit)

sc – (before a, o, u) scat (scutum)

ti – (preceded by s, t, x or followed by a consonant) patio (hostias)

ti (unaccented, followed by vowel and preceded by any letter other than s, t, or x) Betsy (gratias)

th – Thomas (theatrum)

v – victor (vivo)

x – extra (rex)

x – ( in words beginning with “ex” and followed by a vowel: eggs (exaudi)

sc – before e, ae, oe, I, y) bookshelf (excelsis); also eggshell

xc – (before a, o, u) excuse (excussorum)

z – lads (zizania)

Diphthongs

In “au”, “eu”, and “ay”, the two vowels form one syllable, but both vowels are pronounced, with emphasis on the first:

au (ah’ –oo): lauda

eu (eh’ –oo): euge

ay (ah’ –ee): Raymundus (Ray-mun-dus)

In “ei”, “ii”, “eo”, “ou”, “ai”, and in certain cases, “ae” and “oe”, each vowel keeps its own sound and is a separate syllable:

ei (eh’ –ee): diei

ii (ee-ee): filii (fi-li-i)

eo (eh’ –o as in or): Deo (De-o)

ou (o’ as in or-oo): prout (pro-ut)

ai (ah’ –ee): ait (a-it)

ae (ah-eh’): Michael (Mi-cha-el)

oe (o-eh’): poema (po-em-a)

Double Consonant

When pronouncing the same consonant doubled, it must be doubled in intensity: e.g., illa (eel-lah)

LATIN PRONUNCIATION