Latin uses almost the same alphabet as English, so you can already read it. We use Church (Ecclesiastical) Latin pronunciation, the way Latin is sung and prayed in church today.
Vowels
Latin vowels are always “pure”. They don’t slide like English vowels do.
| Letter | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | ah as in “father” | pater (father) |
| e | eh as in “met” | et (and) |
| i | ee as in “machine” | in (in) |
| o | oh as in “for” | nomen (name) |
| u | oo as in “moon” | unus (one) |
| ae, oe | eh as in “met” | caelum (heaven) |
Consonants that differ from English
| Spelling | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| c before e, i, ae, oe | ch as in “church” | caelum → CHEH-loom |
| c anywhere else | k | corpus → KOR-poos |
| g before e, i, ae, oe | j as in “gentle” | regina → reh-JEE-nah |
| gn | ny as in “canyon” | Agnus → AH-nyoos |
| sc before e, i | sh | descendit → deh-SHEN-deet |
| ti before a vowel | tsee | gratia → GRAH-tsee-ah |
| qu | kw | qui → kwee |
| j (or i before a vowel) | y | Jesus → YEH-soos |
| h | silent, except k in mihi and nihil | hodie → OH-dee-eh |
Practise
Read these aloud slowly, then at normal speed:
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Notice excelsis: xc before e sounds like ksh, so we say ek-SHEL-sees.
Homework
Fill in the worksheet and practise reading the Gloria line every day this week.