Latin

Alphabet

Letter Name
a a
b be
c ce
d de
e e
f ef
g ge
h ha
i i
(k) (ka)
l el
m em
n en
o o
p pe
q qu
r er
s es
t te
u u
v ve
x ix
y i græca
z zeta

j is not distinguished—neither in spelling nor pronounciation—from i in Old Latin.

Pronounciation

See the pronunciation chart on the previous page for how to read the English letters.

Old Latin pronounciation in parenthesis.

Letter Sound
a e (á)
æ, e, œ e
ǽ, é, œ́ í (e)
á eí (á)
au áƿ
b b
c, k, q c
ch tsh, c (c)
cæ, ce, cœ se (tshe)
sí (tshe)
ci, cy se (tshí)
cí, cý sí (tshí)
cu cíe
d d
ei í
eu eƿ
f f
g, gh g
gæ, ge, gœ gie
gií (gie)
gi, gy gie (gií)
gí, gý gií
(gn) (ní)
(gl) (í)
gu gƿ
h
i, y e (í)
í, ý áí (í)
j gi (í)
(k) (c)
l l
m m
n n
nc, nch ngc
ng, ngh ng
nx ngs, ngsð
o eí (ó)
ó ó
ou ú (óú)
p p
ph f (p)
qu cƿ
r r
s s, sð
t t
th þ (t)
tia, tio she, she (shíá, shíó)
tía, tío shíá, shíó
u e (ú)
ú ú
v v
w ƿ
x cs, gsð
z

Where a word’s initial letters are two consonants—i.e. bd, chth, cn, ct, gn, mn, phth, pn, ps, pt, x (cs, gz)—the second consonant takes precedence & the first is muted.

Where s is between two vowels it is pronounced as z.

Abbreviations

Latin Meaning
cf. conferatur “compare”
e.g. exempli gratia “for example”
ed. eadem “same” (femle)
& et “and”
&c. et cetera “and so (on)”
i.e. id est “that is”
id. idem “same” (male)