Help:IPA/Latin

Template:IPA key The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Classical Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see {{IPA-la}} and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation § Entering IPA characters.

See Latin phonology and orthography and Latin regional pronunciation for a more thorough look at the sounds of Latin.

Consonants^[1]
IPA	Latin alphabet		Examples	English approximation
IPA	Class.	Eccl.	Examples	English approximation
b	b		bellum	bean
d	d		decem	deck
dz		z^[2]	zēlus	adds
dʒ		g^[3]	gēns	giant
f	f		faciō	fan
ɡ	g		gravis	gear
h	h^[4]		habeō	her or hour
j	i^[5]	j^[5]	jūvo	yes
k	c, k		caput	scar
kʰ	ch^[2]		charta	car
kʷ	qu^[6]		quattuor	squash
kᶣ	qu^[6]		quī	(French) cuisine
l	l		lītus	leave
ɫ	l^[7]		multus	all
m	m^[8]		manus	man
n	n^[8]		noster	next
ŋ	n^[8]		longus^[9]	song
ŋ	g		ignis^[9]	song
ɲ		gn	ignis^[9]	onion
p	p		pāx	span
pʰ	ph^[2]		pharetra	pan
r	r		regiō	trilled or tapped r
s	s^[10]		sum	between sip and ship (retracted)
ʃ		sc^[3]	scindō	ship
t	t		tabula	stone
tʰ	th^[2]		thalamus	tone
ts		t^[3]	portiō	Botswana
tʃ		c^[3]	centum	change
w	u^[5]		uerbum	west
v		v^[5]	uerbum	vest
z	z^[2]		zēlus	between zone and genre (retracted)
z		s^[10]	miserēre	between zone and genre (retracted)

Vowels^[11]
IPA	Latin alphabet		Examples	English approximation
IPA	Class.	Eccl.	Examples	English approximation
a	a		anima	pasta
aː	ā		ācer, āctus	father
ɛ	e		est	met
e		ae/æ oe/œ e	est	met
eː	ē		ēlēctus	Scottish made
ɪ	i		incipit	mit
i		i y	īra, mīlle	mead
iː	ī		īra, mīlle	mead
ɔ	o		omnis	off
o		o	omnis	off
oː	ō		ōrdō	RP or Australian law
ʊ	u		urbs	put
u		u	lūna	cool
uː	ū		lūna	cool
ʏ	y^[2]		cyclus	Scottish cute
yː	ȳ^[2]		cȳma	Scottish cued
Vowels that precede vowels^[12]
e	eV		mea	Scottish mate
i	iV		Italia	peace
Diphthongs
ae̯	ae		caelum	sigh
oe̯	oe		poena	boy
au̯	au		aurum	cow
ei̯	ei		mei	say
eu̯	eu		deus	no English equivalent; Spanish euro
ui̯	ui		cui	ruin
Nasal vowels^[8]
◌̃ː	um un		mōnstrum	long nasal vowels

Prosody
IPA	Examples	Explanation
ˈ	Gāius [ˈɡaː.i.ʊs]	stress (placed before the stressed syllable)^[13]
.	Gāius [ˈɡaː.i.ʊs]	syllable marker, generally between vowels in hiatus^[14]

Notes

↑ Geminate (double) consonants are written with a doubled letter except for /jj/ and /ww/: anus /ˈanʊs/, annus /ˈannʊs/. In IPA, they may be written as double or be followed by the length sign: /nn/ or /nː/.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 Only found in Greek loanwords.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 In Classical Latin, ⟨c g t⟩ are always pronounced hard, as /k g t/. In Ecclesiastical Latin, ⟨c g sc⟩ are pronounced as soft [tʃ dʒ ʃ] before the front vowels ⟨e i y ae oe⟩, and unstressed ⟨ti⟩ before a vowel is pronounced [tsi].
↑ ⟨H⟩ was generally silent. Sometimes medial ⟨h⟩ is pronounced Template:IPAblink in Ecclesiastical Latin (mihi).
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3
In Classical Latin, ⟨i u⟩ represent the vowels /ɪ iː and /ʊ uː/, and the consonants /j/, and /w/. Between consonants or when marked with macrons or breves, ⟨i u⟩ are vowels. In some spelling systems, /j w/ are written with the letters ⟨j v⟩. In other cases, consult a dictionary.
- Consonantal ⟨i⟩, between vowels, stands for doubled /jj/: cuius [ˈkʊjjʊs]. The vowel before the double /jj/ is usually short, but it is sometimes marked with a macron. When a prefix is added to a word beginning in /j/, the /j/ is usually single: trā-iectum [traːˈjɛktũː].
- /w/ is doubled between vowels only in Greek words, such as Euander [ɛwˈwandɛr].
In Ecclesiastical Latin, ⟨i⟩ represents the vowel /i/, ⟨j⟩ represents the consonant /j/, ⟨u⟩ represents the vowel /u/ or (in the combinations ⟨gu su qu⟩) the consonant /w/, and ⟨v⟩ represents the fricative /v/.
↑ The labialized velar /kʷ/ was pronounced as labio-palatalized [kᶣ] before the vowels /ɪ, iː, ɛ, eː/.
↑ /l/ has two allophones in Classical Latin. The clear Template:IPAblink occurs when geminated to /ll/ and before the vowels /ɪ/ and /iː/, as well as before /ʏ/ and /yː/. Elsewhere, a dark (velarized) Template:IPAblink occurs: at the end of a word, before another consonant, and before all other native vowels including /ɛ/ and /eː/.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 In Classical Latin, the combination of a vowel and ⟨m⟩ at the end of a word, or a vowel and ⟨n⟩ before ⟨s⟩ or ⟨f⟩, represents a long nasal vowel.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 In both Classical and Ecclesiastical Latin, /n/ is pronounced as Template:IPAblink before /k, ɡ/. The digraph ⟨gn⟩ is pronounced as [ŋn] in Classical Latin, but [ɲ] in Ecclesiastical Latin.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 In Ecclesiastical Latin, /s/ between vowels is often pronounced Template:IPAblink.
↑ Classical Latin has long and short vowels. If vowel length is marked, long vowels are marked with macrons, ⟨ā, ē, ī, ō, ū, ȳ⟩, and short vowels with breves, ⟨ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, y̆⟩. Ecclesiastical Latin does not distinguish between long and short vowels.
↑ In Classical Latin, short ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩ have a more closed articulation, [e] and [i] when they occur before another vowel, instead of their normal Classical values of [ɛ] and [ɪ].
↑ In words of two syllables, the stress is on the first syllable. In words of three or more syllables, the stress is on the penultimate syllable if heavy, and on the antepenultimate syllable otherwise. There are some exceptions, most caused by contraction or elision.
↑ This does not indicate a glottal stop [ʔ]; glottal stops are not reconstructed for Latin prosody in word-internal hiatus.

[geminated-1] Geminate (double) consonants are written with a doubled letter except for /jj/ and /ww/: anus /ˈanʊs/, annus /ˈannʊs/. In IPA, they may be written as double or be followed by the length sign: /nn/ or /nː/.

[greek-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 Only found in Greek loanwords.

[palatalized-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 In Classical Latin, ⟨c g t⟩ are always pronounced hard, as /k g t/. In Ecclesiastical Latin, ⟨c g sc⟩ are pronounced as soft [tʃ dʒ ʃ] before the front vowels ⟨e i y ae oe⟩, and unstressed ⟨ti⟩ before a vowel is pronounced [tsi].

[4] ⟨H⟩ was generally silent. Sometimes medial ⟨h⟩ is pronounced Template:IPAblink in Ecclesiastical Latin (mihi).

[semivowel-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 In Classical Latin, ⟨i u⟩ represent the vowels /ɪ iː and /ʊ uː/, and the consonants /j/, and /w/. Between consonants or when marked with macrons or breves, ⟨i u⟩ are vowels. In some spelling systems, /j w/ are written with the letters ⟨j v⟩. In other cases, consult a dictionary.
Consonantal ⟨i⟩, between vowels, stands for doubled /jj/: cuius [ˈkʊjjʊs]. The vowel before the double /jj/ is usually short, but it is sometimes marked with a macron. When a prefix is added to a word beginning in /j/, the /j/ is usually single: trā-iectum [traːˈjɛktũː].

/w/ is doubled between vowels only in Greek words, such as Euander [ɛwˈwandɛr].
In Ecclesiastical Latin, ⟨i⟩ represents the vowel /i/, ⟨j⟩ represents the consonant /j/, ⟨u⟩ represents the vowel /u/ or (in the combinations ⟨gu su qu⟩) the consonant /w/, and ⟨v⟩ represents the fricative /v/.

[6] Consonantal ⟨i⟩, between vowels, stands for doubled /jj/: cuius [ˈkʊjjʊs]. The vowel before the double /jj/ is usually short, but it is sometimes marked with a macron. When a prefix is added to a word beginning in /j/, the /j/ is usually single: trā-iectum [traːˈjɛktũː].

[7] /w/ is doubled between vowels only in Greek words, such as Euander [ɛwˈwandɛr].

[6] The labialized velar /kʷ/ was pronounced as labio-palatalized [kᶣ] before the vowels /ɪ, iː, ɛ, eː/.

[7] /l/ has two allophones in Classical Latin. The clear Template:IPAblink occurs when geminated to /ll/ and before the vowels /ɪ/ and /iː/, as well as before /ʏ/ and /yː/. Elsewhere, a dark (velarized) Template:IPAblink occurs: at the end of a word, before another consonant, and before all other native vowels including /ɛ/ and /eː/.

[nasalization-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 In Classical Latin, the combination of a vowel and ⟨m⟩ at the end of a word, or a vowel and ⟨n⟩ before ⟨s⟩ or ⟨f⟩, represents a long nasal vowel.

[gn-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 In both Classical and Ecclesiastical Latin, /n/ is pronounced as Template:IPAblink before /k, ɡ/. The digraph ⟨gn⟩ is pronounced as [ŋn] in Classical Latin, but [ɲ] in Ecclesiastical Latin.

[sz-10] 10.0 ^10.1 In Ecclesiastical Latin, /s/ between vowels is often pronounced Template:IPAblink.

[long-11] Classical Latin has long and short vowels. If vowel length is marked, long vowels are marked with macrons, ⟨ā, ē, ī, ō, ū, ȳ⟩, and short vowels with breves, ⟨ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, y̆⟩. Ecclesiastical Latin does not distinguish between long and short vowels.

[12] In Classical Latin, short ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩ have a more closed articulation, [e] and [i] when they occur before another vowel, instead of their normal Classical values of [ɛ] and [ɪ].

[13] In words of two syllables, the stress is on the first syllable. In words of three or more syllables, the stress is on the penultimate syllable if heavy, and on the antepenultimate syllable otherwise. There are some exceptions, most caused by contraction or elision.

[14] This does not indicate a glottal stop [ʔ]; glottal stops are not reconstructed for Latin prosody in word-internal hiatus.

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