LITURGICAL LATIN PRONUNCIATION

VOWELS
a as in father
e as in let (almost the a of gate)
i as in ski
o as in know (almost the o of God)
u as in dude (not the u in universe)
au is two syllables but functions as a diphthong and is placed under one
neume. Pronounce the U at the very end of the syllable.

CONSONANTS
As in English except:
c as in cow (hard K before a, o, u)
c as in cheese (soft before e, i, dipthongs)
ch as hard K. Christus = KREE-stoos
g as in goat (hard before a, o, u)
g as in George (soft before e, i, dipthongs)
gn as ny. Magnam like “many a”
h generally silent as in honest.
like K in two cases: mihi = meekee; nihil = neekeel
j like an i above (J no longer exists in more recent books.)
qu, ngu before vowel, U keeps its ooh sound as part of the next syllable.
sanguis = sahn-gooEEs qui = kooEE quam = kooAHm
ps both letters are pronounced. E.g. psallite, psalmum
s pronounced S, not Z. E.g. hosanna, sanctus
sc before e, e, æ, œ, y, like SH in shoot. E.g. ascendit, scimus.
th as single T, no H. E.g. catholicam, Sabaoth.
ti before another vowel: as tsi
x as KS. E.g. exercitus, exaudi.
When between two vowels, may be softened to GS.
y considered a vowel and pronounced like Latin I.
z as dz. E.g. zelum.
Note when C and G become “ch” and “j”: after i, e, æ, or œ.
ce, ci, cæ, cœ; ge, gi, gœ, gæ

There are as many syllables in a word as there are vowels or diphthongs (œ, æ)
fácie = three syllables, FA-chee-eh
An exception is when I is now used as a j consonant.
adiútor = adjútor – three syllables.

æ is sometimes written ae.

œ is sometimes written oe.
Both of these are one syllable and are pronounced like an E.

Accents
In two-syllable words, the accent is on the first syllable.
In words with three or more syllables, chant books will indicate the
final accent. (It is placed on the second to last syllables if it is
long, otherwise it is placed on the third to last syllable.)