{"id":35,"date":"2021-06-24T11:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T11:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anatomical-latin.com\/?page_id=35"},"modified":"2021-06-25T01:52:54","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T01:52:54","slug":"pronunciation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/anatomical-latin.com\/?page_id=35","title":{"rendered":"Pronunciation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How to Pronounce Anatomical Latin and Medico-Scientific Terms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pronunciation of medico-scientific terms is a source of great anxiety for students. Practice is the best way to gain familiarity with the nuances of pronunciation of Latin and Greek words in medical English. Most medical dictionaries contain phonetic spellings of terms to help with pronunciation: intraocular <\/strong>(\u012dn-tr\u0103-\u014fk\u2032\u016b-l\u0115r). The letters and symbols in a phonetic spelling represent the sound of a word, rather than its spelling.  Phonetic spellings contain diacritical marks indicating whether a vowel is long and short. Long vowels have a macron ( \u00af ) placed over them. Short vowels are indicated by diacritical mark called a breve ( \u02d8 ).  Syllables are separated either by an accent mark or a hyphen. The accent mark ( \u2032 ) is used to indicated which syllable in a word is stressed. The phonetic spellings in this textbook can be found in the parenthesis following each term.  In addition to these phonetic spellings, you will find audio-files on the textbook\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical and scientific terms that retain their classical spelling are generally pronounced according to English letter sounds. Latin anatomical terms are pronounced according to English grammar. Thus, the pronunciation of scientific Latin differs from the pronunciation of classical Latin used today in the reading of ancient literature. For example, today the term biceps<\/strong> is commonly pronounced b\u012b-s\u0115ps, but in the Latin of ancient Rome it would have been pronounced b\u012d-keps. For those with a background in classics, there is a desire to maintain classical pronunciations. However, for the sake of effective communication, it is best to learn the Anglo-Latin pronunciation of scientific Latin terms since med-speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to bear in mind that the English pronunciation of medico-scientific terms has never been fully standardized, and therefore, it may vary from region to region. Because of this, one should not consider that there is an invariable \u201ccorrect pronunciation\u201d. The following are general principles to help you produce a reasonable pronunciation when faced with an unfamiliar term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vowels<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pronunciation of vowels follows the rules of English. Vowels can be considered long ( \u00af ) or short ( \u02d8 ).  Long vowels are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long a (\u0101) sound as in ra<\/strong>te<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long e (\u0113) sound as in bee<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long i (\u012b) sound as in eye<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long o (\u014d) sound as in o<\/em><\/strong>ver<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long u (\u016b) sound as in you<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sounds for short vowels are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short a (\u0103) sound as in a<\/em><\/strong>lone<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short e (\u0115) sound as in e<\/em><\/strong>lm<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short i (\u012d) sound as in i<\/em><\/strong>t<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short o (\u014f) sound as in to<\/strong>n<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short u (\u016d) sound as in cu<\/strong>t<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vowel which does not have a diacritical mark will have a flat sound:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      a sound as in ba<\/strong>nana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      e sound as in ope<\/strong>n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      i sound as in ani<\/strong>mal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      o sound as in go<\/strong>t<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      u sound as in pu<\/strong>t<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the letter y<\/em> substitutes for the Greek letter \u03c5 (upsilon), it is generally pronounced with a long e (\u0113) sound, as in bradycardia<\/strong> and pachyderma<\/strong>. However, in some cases it retains a short i sound (\u012d) as in symbol<\/strong> and symbiotic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Vowel<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terms which preserve Latin or Greek spellings the final vowel is voiced as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Vowel<\/strong><\/td>Example<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
a<\/em> = \u201cah\u201d  sound<\/td>amoeba <\/strong>(\u0103-m\u0113\u2032b\u0103)  <\/td><\/tr>
i<\/em> = \u201ceye\u201d sound<\/td>fungi <\/strong>(f\u016dn\u2032j\u012b, or f\u016dn\u2032g\u012b)  <\/td><\/tr>
e<\/em> = \u201cee\u201d sound as in hee<\/strong>l<\/td>syncope <\/strong>(s\u012dn\u2032k\u014d-p\u0113)  <\/td><\/tr>
es<\/em> = \u201cease\u201d sound<\/td>phalanges <\/strong>(f\u0103-l\u0103n\u2032j\u0113z)  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Diphthongs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination of two vowels to make a single sound is termed a diphthong. Because many students struggle with the modern pronunciation of classical diphthongs special attention should be given to the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diphthong<\/strong><\/td>Example<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
au<\/em> as in \u201ctaught\u201d<\/td>caudal (kawd\u2032\u0103l)  <\/td><\/tr>
eu<\/em> as in \u201cneuter\u201d<\/td>aneurysm (\u0103n\u2032\u016b-r\u012dzm)  <\/td><\/tr>
oi<\/em> as in \u201cboy\u201d<\/td>koilonychia (koy-l\u014d-n\u012dk\u2032\u0113-\u0103)  <\/td><\/tr>
ae<\/em> and oe<\/em> as in \u201cheel\u201d<\/td>paederus (p\u0113d\u2032\u0115r-\u016ds), coelom (s\u0113\u2032l\u014fm)  <\/td><\/tr>
ei <\/em>as in \u201ceye\u201d<\/td>leiomyoma (l\u012b-\u014d-m\u012b-\u014d\u2032m\u0103)  <\/td><\/tr>
ui <\/em>= as in \u201cquick\u201d<\/td>equine (\u0113\u2032kw\u012bn)  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

N.B.<\/strong> The vowel combination of ie<\/em> is not a Latin diphthong. With Latin words, it is pronounced as two separate vowels. For example, paries<\/strong>is pronounced p\u0101\u2032r\u0113-\u0115s, and facies<\/strong> is pronounced f\u0101\u2032sh\u0113-\u0113z. The vowel combination oi <\/em>is not a diphthong in Latin, which explains why in some words derived from Latin the vowels are pronounced separately, as in introitus (\u012dn-tr\u014d\u2032\u012d-t\u016ds). That said, by convention oi <\/em>is typically pronounced \u201coy\u201d for most words derived from Greek and Latin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consonants<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consonants pose problems for students because they are often unsure which sound should be used. The following list English rules for how consonants in words derived from Greek and Latin are pronounced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consonant<\/strong><\/td>Examples<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
c<\/em> before a<\/em>, o<\/em>, or u<\/em> = k<\/em><\/td>cavus (k\u0101\u2032v\u016ds)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
c<\/em> before ae<\/em>, oe<\/em>, e<\/em>, i<\/em>, or y<\/em> = s<\/em><\/td>coelom (s\u0113\u2032l\u014fm)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
cc<\/em> before e<\/em>, i<\/em>, or y<\/em> = ks<\/em><\/td>cocci (k\u014fk\u2032s\u012b)  <\/td><\/tr>
ch <\/em>= k<\/em><\/td>chiroplasty (k\u012b-r\u014d-pl\u0103s\u2032t\u0113)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
g<\/em> before a<\/em>, o<\/em>, or u<\/em> = g<\/em><\/td>gonad (g\u014d\u2032n\u0103d)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
g<\/em> before ae<\/em>, oe<\/em>, e<\/em>, i<\/em>, or y<\/em> = j<\/em><\/td>angina (\u0103n-j\u012b\u2032n\u0103)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
ph<\/em> = f<\/em><\/td>tenophyte (t\u0115n\u2032\u014d-f\u012bt)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
rh <\/em>orrrh= r<\/em><\/td>angiorrhexis (\u0103n-j\u0113-or-\u0115k\u2032s\u012ds)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
s + i <\/em> before another vowel =  zh<\/em>\u0103<\/em> as in leisure or z\u0113<\/em>\u0103<\/em><\/td>aphasia (\u0103-f\u0101\u2032zh\u0103)  
polyphrasia (p\u014fl-\u0113-fr\u0101\u2032z\u0113-\u0103)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
sc <\/em>+ i<\/em> or e <\/em>before another  vowel = s<\/em><\/td>misce (m\u012ds\u2032\u0113)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
th <\/em>= th<\/em><\/td>thenal(th\u0113\u2032n\u0103l)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
t <\/em>+ i<\/em>  before another vowel = sh<\/em><\/td>aproctia(\u0103-pr\u014fk\u2032sh\u0113-\u0103)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
x <\/em>as thefirst consonant of word = z<\/em><\/td>xerosis (z\u0113-r\u014d\u2032s\u012ds)  <\/td><\/tr>
x <\/em>in the middle of a word =<\/em> ks<\/em><\/td>taxis(t\u0103k\u2032s\u012ds)  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of a word, the first consonants of the following cluster of consonants are often silent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consonant cluster and sound<\/strong><\/td>Examples<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
chth <\/em> = th<\/em><\/td>chthonic  (thon\u2032ik)  <\/td><\/tr>
ct = t<\/em><\/td>ctenocephalides  (t\u0115n-\u014d-s\u0115f-\u0103l\u2032\u012d-d\u0113z)  <\/td><\/tr>
gn<\/em> = n<\/em><\/td>gnathic (n\u0103th\u2032\u012dk)  <\/td><\/tr>
mn<\/em> = n<\/em><\/td>mnemic (n\u0113\u2032m\u012dk)  <\/td><\/tr>
phth <\/em>= th<\/em><\/td>phthisis (th\u012d\u2032s\u012ds)  <\/td><\/tr>
pn<\/em> = n<\/em><\/td>pneumonia (n\u016b-m\u014d\u2032n\u0113-\u0103)  <\/td><\/tr>
ps=s<\/em><\/td>psoriasis (s\u014d-r\u012b\u2032\u0103-s\u012ds)  <\/td><\/tr>
pt<\/em>= t<\/em><\/td>pterygoid (t\u0115r\u2032\u012d-goyd)  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

N.B.<\/strong> When these combinations occur after a vowel or in the middle of a term, the first consonant typically are pronounced, as in apnea<\/strong> (\u0103p-n\u0113\u2032\u0103), hemoptysis<\/strong> (h\u0113-m\u014fp\u2032t\u012d-s\u012ds), and amnesia<\/strong> (\u0103m-n\u0113\u2032z\u0113-\u0103).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syllables<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Latin or Greek word has as many syllables as it has vowel sounds or diphthongs. Every syllable is pronounced. The following are guidelines for the recognizing and pronunciation of syllables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A single consonant between two vowels or diphthongs generally goes with the second one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

meatus <\/strong>(m\u0113-\u0101\u2032t\u016ds)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exception is the letter x<\/em> because it is treated as two consonants, ks<\/em>, and generally is attached to the previous vowel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

epistaxis <\/strong>(\u0115p\u2033\u012d-st\u0103k\u2032s\u012ds)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two adjacent consonants between two vowels or diphthongs are generally split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

verruca <\/strong>(v\u0115r-roo\u2032k\u0103)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following double consonants are treated as single consonants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

cr, br, dr, gr, kr, pr, tr     sacrum<\/strong> (s\u0101\u2032kr\u016dm);  nigra <\/strong>(n\u012b\u2032gr\u0103)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ch, ph, rh, rrh, th     gnathus <\/strong>(n\u0101\u2032th\u016ds);  trichoma <\/strong>(tr\u012dk-\u014d\u2032m\u0103)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

bl, cl, dl, gl, kl, ll, pl, tl   neuroclonic <\/strong>(n\u016b\u2033r\u014d-kl\u014fn\u2032\u012dk);  neuroglioma <\/strong>(n\u016b\u2033r\u014d-gl\u012b- \u014d\u2032m\u0103)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When there are three or more consonants between two vowels or diphthongs, all the consonants but the first consonant generally go with the second vowel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        antroscope <\/strong>(an\u2032tr\u014f-sk\u014dp\u2033)     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stess and Vowel Length<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to irregularities in the pronunciation of vowels, it is best to consult a dictionarly to determine which syllables are stressed and which vowels are long. The following are some general guidelines if a dictionary is not available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words of two syllables<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stress (\u2032) is on the first syllable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

fauces <\/strong>(f\u014f\u2032s\u0113z)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

cocci <\/strong>(k\u014fk\u2032s\u012b)<\/p>\n\n\n\n