Pronouncing Letters (Consonants)

Question 1

bs and bt

Answer 1

pronounced ps and pt: (urbs, obtineō)

Question 2

c

Answer 2

always hard as in can, never soft as in city: cum, cīvis, facilis.

Question 3

g

Answer 3

always hard as in get, never soft as in gem: glōria, gerō

Question 4

g(n)

Answer 4

the letter g represented a nasalized ng sound as in hangnail: magnus

Question 5

h

Answer 5

a breathing sound, as in English, only less harshly pronounced: hic, haec.

Question 6

i (consonant)

Answer 6

functioned as a consonant with the sound of y as in yes when used before a vowel at the beginning of a word: iūstus

Question 7

j

Answer 7

as in English i; maior = major, Iūlius = Julius

Question 8

qu

Answer 8

the combination having the sound kw: quid, quoque.

Question 9

s

Answer 9

like English c; voiceless as in see, never voiced as in our word ease: sed, posuissēs, mīsistis

Question 10

t

Answer 10

the sound of t as in tired, never of sh as in nation or ch as in mention: taciturnitās, nātiōnem, mentiōnem.

Question 11

v

Answer 11

the sound of our w: vīvō, vīnum.

Question 12

x

Answer 12

the sound of ks as in axle, not of gz as in exert: mixtum, exerceō.

Question 13

ch

Answer 13

had the sound of ckh in block head, not of ch in church: chorus, Archilochus.

Question 14

ph

Answer 14

he sound of ph in uphill, not of ph in our pronunciation of philosophy: philosophia.

Question 15

th

Answer 15

the sound of th in hot house, not of th in thin or the: theatrum.