The following discussion indicates approximately the sounds of Latin
and how the letters were used by the Romans of the classical period
to represent those sounds
There are several differences between pronunciation in medieval and ecclesiastical Latin
Vowels in Latin had only two possible pronunciations,
long and short
Long vowels were generally held about twice as long as short vowels
compare half notes to quarter notes in music
vowels are marked in the most beginning texts with a "macron," or "long mark." ā
Vowels without a macron are short. a
Students should regard macrons as part of the spelling of a word
since the differences of pronunciation they indicate are often crucial to meaning
liber is a noun meaning book
while līber is an adjective meaning free
The pronunciations are approximately as follows
ā as in father : dās, cāra
ē as in they : mē, sēdēs
ī as in machine: hīc, sīca
ō as in clover: ōs, mōrēs
ū as in rude: tū, sūmō
y as in French tu or German über
a as in Dinah: dat, casa
e as in pet: et, sed
i as in pin: hic, sicca
o as in orb: os, mora
u as in put: tum, sum