Latin Alphabet & Pronunciation
The classical Latin alphabet consisted of 23 letters. The letters J and U were introduced during the Middle Ages to distinguish semivowels from vocalic I and V.
Consonant Values (Classical vs. Traditional)
| Letter | Position | Classical Value | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| C c | Always hard | /k/ as in cat | Caesar [ˈkae̯.sar], civis [ˈkiː.wɪs] |
| G g | Always hard | /ɡ/ as in get | Genus [ˈɡɛ.nʊs], ager [ˈa.ɡɛr] |
| V v | Semivowel | /w/ as in wine | Veni, vidi, vici [ˈweː.niː ˈwiː.diː ˈwiː.kiː] |
| S s | Voiceless | /s/ as in sun | Rosa [ˈrɔ.sa], basis [ˈba.sɪs] |
Diphthongs
Diphthongs are two vowel sounds blended into a single syllable:
- ae: pronounced as ai in aisle (e.g., praeda — booty, prey).
- oe: pronounced as oi in coil (e.g., poena — penalty).
- au: pronounced as ou in out (e.g., aurum — gold).
- eu: pronounced as eh-oo rapidly blended (e.g., Europa — Europe).
Rules of Accentuation (Stress)
In Latin, stress never falls on the final syllable (ultima). In two-syllable words, the accent is always on the first syllable (fá-ma, lú-na). In polysyllabic words, stress falls on the penult (second to last) if it is heavy/long, or on the antepenult (third to last) if the penult is light/short.