Latin taught in schools for the reading of Classical poetry employs a 1st Century pronunciation, for example, Cicero is "kickero" and Caesar is "kysar." Many, or most, Latinate biological terms had not yet been invented in that era.

By contrast, spoken Latin was quite different during the post-1500 heyday of anatomy and taxonomy, for example, many European regional dialects, including English Latin, incorporated a soft-"c", a Romance soft-"g", and altered sound values of "v", "ti", "ae", "oe", etc.

Regional European Latin pronunciations were strongly influenced by analogy with the native tongue, and the Anglo-Latin long-"i" and long-"a", as in "sinus" and "nasal," are particularly idiosyncratic, although the English pronunciation is more faithful to classical syllabic stress compared to some European dialects.

Today, an Anglo-Latin pronunciation survives in the many Latinate biological names that permeate the English language (biceps, Geranium, rhinoceros) and this pronunciation is usually applied by English-speakers to Latin scientific names. There is no "wrong" Latin dialect.

More information on Classical Latin is available here.

RULES FOR THE ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION OF BIOLOGICAL LATIN: (Also see References )

Several authors have identified rules that describe the traditional English pronunciation of Latin words. Usage varies among individuals and continues to evolve, but the descriptive rules serve as a convenient pronunciation benchmark.

Letter Sounds:

Letter sounds are as in English words (and therefore vary with dialect).

The digraphs AE and OE are treated as the letter E.

"LONG" English E as in me, we, be: Caesar, anaemia, caecum, aether, chamaeleon, larvae, vertebrae, foetus, amoeba, phoenix, diarrhoea.

"SHORT" English E as in met, wet, set: aesthetic, aestivate, aestuary haemorrhage, oesophagus, oestrogen.

The AE ending is found in many taxonomic names: dog family, Canidae, ("CAN-id-ee" not "caniday"), rose family, Rosaceae ("ro-SAY-see-ee"), cat subfamily, felinae ("fe-LINE-ee"), olive tribe, oleeae ("ol-EE-ee-ee"), etc.

[AE and OE are often now written simply as E: anemia, fetus, ameba, estrogen.]

C or G preceding AE or OE is pronounced as though followed by E:

Caesar = "seesar"

caecum = "seekum"

coelom = "seelom"

algae = "aljee"

Note that NOT all AE and OE combinations are digraphs. The mosquito genus Aedes contains three syllables, a-e-des, "a-EE-dees."

CH is pronounced as K: chorus, echo, chrysanthemum.

TH as in thorax, thymus, thuja ("THOO-ja")

A final vowel is always voiced, as in flora, hero, Apollo.

fungi = "FUNJ-eye," i as in alibi, alkali

cocci = "COCKS-eye," i as in alibi, alkali

ovale = "oh-VAY-lee," e as in Simile, Daphne, hyperbole, anemone, Aphrodite, Chloe

difficile = "dif-ISS-il-ee," (as in the bacterial species name Clostridium difficile, C. difficile -"see dif-ISS-il-ee"), e as in Daphne, hyperbole, anemone, Aphrodite, Chloe

stapes = "STAY-peez" e as in Achilles, meninges, diabetes

Some initial consonants are silent when followed by a consonant.

pterosaur = "TER-o-saur"

pseudopod = "SOO-do-pod"

pneuma = "NEW-ma"

gnathous = "NATH-ous"

phthegma = "THEG-ma"

chthamalus = "THAM-al-us"

ctenoid = "TEN-oid"

mnium = "NY-um"

tmema = "MEE-ma"

Stress and Vowel length

English pronunciation conserves the classical Roman accent position (the penultimate law), but vowel length rules are unique, and are much more regular than those of Classical Latin.

NOTE: Traditional syllable division points may be modified on this page to better phoneticize the words.

1. Words of two syllables are stressed on the first syllable:

Femur ="FE-mur"

Sinus = "SI-nus"

Rosa = "RO-sa"

(a) The vowel of the first syllable is short if followed by two or more consonants:

Comma (o as in cot) [Compare to coma, with one m, below]

Fossa (o as in cot)

Hosta (o as in cot)

Rattus (a as in cat)

Vespa (e as in met)

Septum (e as in met)

Cistus (i as in mit)

(b) The vowel of the first syllable is long if followed by a single consonant:

Coma (o as in go) [Compare to comma, with double-m, above]

Ovis (o as in go)

Rosa (o as in go)

Crocus (o as in go)

Vagus (a as in gate)

Ramus (a as in gate)

Fagus (a as in gate)

Canis (a as in gate)

Badis (a as in gate)

Salix (a as in gate)

Felis (e as in me)

Femur (e as in me)

Sedum (e as in me)

Brevis (e as in me)

Lepus (e as in me)

Iris (i as in hi)

Pinus (i as in hi)

Plica (i as in hi)

Crisis (i as in hi)

2. Words of more than 2 syllables:

(a) are stressed on the next to last syllable IF:

the vowel of that syllable is followed by two or more consonants (making the vowel short).

Maxilla = "mac-ZILL-a"

Patella = "pa-TELL-a"

Chlorella = "Klo-RELL-a"

Lamella = "la-MELL-a"

Medulla = "med-ULL-a"

Laterallus = "lat-er-AL-us" (compare to lateralis, single l, below.)

Tyrannus = tir-ANN-us" (compare to montanus, single n, below.)

Narcissus = "nar-SIS-sus"

Canadensis = "ca-na-DEN-sis"

Macrophyllum = "mac-ro-FILL-um"

(b) are stressed on the next to last syllable IF:

the Classical Latin vowel was long (or transliterates to a Latin long vowel, for example, Greek eta and omega), including some digraphs. The vowel is treated as an English "long" vowel, e.g., saliva, arena.

(Applies to many Latin inflectional suffixes: americanus, lateralis, alpinus, rosinae.)

Ultimatum = "ul-ti-MAY-tum"

Maculata = "mac-you-LAY-ta"

Hiatus = "hi-AY-tus"

Ornatus = "or-NAY-tus"

Umbellata = "um-bell-LAY-ta"

Saliva = "sal-EYE-va"

Sativa = "sat-EYE-va"

Arena = "a-REE-na"

Pectoralis = "pec-to-RAY-lis"

Lateralis = "lat-er-AY-lis" (Compare to laterallus, double-l, above.)

Montanus = "mon-TAY-nus" (Compare to tyrannus, double-n, above.)

Brachialis = "bray-kee-AY-lis"

Foramen = "fo-RAY-men"

Lupinus = "lu-PIE-nus"

Alpinus = "al-PIE-nus"

Bovinae = "bov-EYE-nee"

Homininae = "hom-in-EYE-nee"

Hominini = "hom-in-EYE-nye"

Hominina = "hom-in-EYE-na"

Equisetum = "ek-wi-SEE-tum"

Ctenopoma = "ten-op-OH-ma"

Oenothera = "en-o-THEE-ra"

Ureter = "you-REE-ter"

Masseter = "ma-SEE-ter"

Australopithecus = "Aus-tral-oh-pith-EE-cus"

Duodenum = "du-oh-DEE-num"

Chimaera = "ky-MEE-ra" [ae digraph]

Amoeba = "am-EE-ba" [oe digraph]

Haliaetus = "hal-ee-EET-us" [ae digraph]

(c) are stressed on the third to last syllable if 2a and 2b do not apply.

Animal = "AN-im-al"

Camera = "CAM-er-a"

Hyperbole = "Hi-PER-bol-ee"

Rhinocerus = "rhi-NAW-ser-us"

Esophagus = "es-OFF-ag-us"

Geophagus = "jee-OFF-ag-us"

Euphagus = "YOOF-ag-us"

Eupoda = "YOOP-od-a"

Bicolor = "BICK-ol-or"

Archilochus = "ark-ILL-ok-us"

Pardalis = "PAR-dal-is"

Helostoma = "hel-OST-oh-ma"

Stomata = "STOM-at-ah"

Echinodermata = "e-ki-no-DER-mah-ta"

Parenchyma = "pa-REN-kim-ma"

Streptomyces = "strep-TOM-is-eez"

Scleropages = "skler-OP-aj-ees"

Troglodytes = "tro-GLOD-it-ees"

Haematopus = "he-MAT-op-us"

Alcyon = "AL-see-on"

Clematis = "CLEM-ma-tis"

Saccharomyces = "sac-ka-ROM-is-eez"

Difficile = "dif-ISS-il-ee"

Oxalis = "OX-al-is"

Monticola = "mon-TIC-ol-a"

Pterophyta = "ter-OFF-fit-a"

Pterodroma = "ter-ODD-dro-ma"

Bryophyta = "bry-OFF-fit-ta"

Gastropoda = "gas-TROP-od-a"

Copepoda = "co-PEP-od-a"

Disporum = "DIS-po-rum"

Chiroptera = "ky-ROP-ter-a"

Epiphysis = "e-PIF-is-is"

Cerebrum = "SER-eb-rum"

Spermophilus = "sper-MOF-il-us"

Sylvilagus = "sil-VIL-ag-us"

Spilogale = "spi-LOG-al-ee"

Hemionus = "hem-EYE-on-us"

Hernandieae = "her-nand-EYE-ee-ee"

Neotoma = "ne-OTT-om-a"

Cyclamen = "SICK-la-men"

The stressed vowel is short (trisyllabic shortening rule) except: if U as in uterus, humerus, numeral, jugular ; if preceding a vowel (hemionus, Gaviidae); or if as in media, splenius, radius, planaria, phobia, mammalia, cepacia, rosaceae etc. (Stressed vowel - A, E or O - followed by a single consonant, then two or more vowels, of which the first is E, I or Y.) And note the "SH" sound that may be given to c and t followed by i: dementia, motion, Botia = "bosha", acacia = "akaysha", species = "speeshees".

Notes:

Some double consonants (and "mute" consonants followed by l or r) are treated as single consonants (e.g., TH, PH, CH, BR, DR, TR, PL, QU):

Matrix = "MAY-trix" = Rule 1b rather than 1a.

Sacrum = "SAY-crum" = Rule 1b rather than 1a.

Zebra = "ZEE-bra" = Rule 1b rather than 1a.

Glabrum ="GLAY-brum" = Rule 1b rather than 1a.

Mitral = "MY-tral" = Rule 1b rather than 1a.

Nigra = "NY-gra" = Rule 1b rather than 1a.

Vertebra = "VER-te-bra" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Palpebra = "PAL-pe-bra" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Agnatha = "AG-na-tha" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Perognathus = "pe-ROG-na-thus" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Zalophus = "ZAL-lo-fus" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Enhydra = "EN-hid-dra" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Callitriche = "ca-LIT-rik-ee" = Rule 2c rather than 2a.

Veratrum = "ve-RAY-trum" = Rule 2b rather than 2c.

The letter X is treated as two separate consonants because it has a "KS" sound:

Axis, Taxus (short "a" as in cat) following Rule 1a rather than 1b.

Chionodoxus (short "O" as in cot) following 2a rather than 2b

Commemorative names (eponyms):

Taxa may commemorate personal names or surnames such as Alice Eastwood's Daisy, Virginia's Warbler, and Wilson's Honeycreeper. These names are treated as Latinized possessive nouns (Alice's = aliciae, Wilson's = wilsoni).

The Latin inflection may alter the syllable to be stressed and may alter vowel length in the name, (Colwellia, from Colwell, Lawsonia, from Lawson). Although English letter sounds might be applied to non-English names, many speakers try to conserve the original. (Weisella was named for the German Norbert Weiss, which would have been be pronounced "Vice" in Germany). Echeveria (English "ekkevEEria") in the original Spanish would be ~"etch-ev-er-EE-a."

The classical accent may be determined by the Latin form of the name. For example, if the surname Wilson were Latinized as Wilsonius the pronunciation of wilsoni would be "wil-SO-nye." If Wilson were Latinized as Wilsonus, the pronunciation of wilsoni would be "WIL-so-nye." Archival records indicate inconsistency in latinization of names, so some flexibility exists in pronunciation, and there is precedent in both classical and modern Latin for conservation. Thus "WIL-so-nye" (Rule 2c ) is preferable to "wil-SO-ni," whereas andersoni is best treated as "an-der-SO-ni" rather than "an-DER-so-ni."

aberti = "a-BER-tye" = Rule 2a

aliceae = "al-IS-ee-ee" = Rule 2c

calderi = "CALL-de-rye" = Rule 2c

hendersonii = "hen-der-SO-nee-eye" = Rule 2c

lewisii = "lew-ISS-ee-eye" = Rule 2c

virginiae = "vir-JIN-ee-ee" = Rule 2c

Certain contractions ending in -ic, -id, and -it retain the vowel quality of the original:

Gravid, (a as in cat) from gravidus [rather than Rule 1b]

Tropic, (o as in cot) from tropicus [rather than Rule 1b]

Cephalic, (a as in cat) from cephalicus [rather than Rule 2c]

Hepatic, (a as in cat) from hepaticus [rather than Rule 2c]

Accentation of English contractions varies with suffix:

-POD, stressed third to last syllable:

Arthropod = ARTH-ro-pod
gastropod = GAS-tro-pod

-IC, stressed next to last syllable:

pacific = pac-IF-ic
cephalic = ce-FAL-ic
somatic = so-MAT-ic
exotic = ex-OT-ic

-ID, stressed third to last syllable:

annelid = AN-nel-id
hominid = HOM-in-id
salmonid = SAL-mon-id
elapid = EL-ap-id
colubrid = COL-u-brid

Classical and other Latin pronunciations

Some naturalists have advocated that scientific Latin pronunciation worldwide adopt the Latin taught in schools, a 1st Century BC pronunciation used to recreate the historic sounds of spoken poetry from that era. Letter sounds can differ greatly from English scientific Latin, and vowel length by position is irregular and more difficult to master. For example, Cicero is "kickero," Caesar is "Kysar," cervix is "kerwix," vertebrae is "wertebrye," major is "mahyoor," vagus is "wagos," Acer is "acker," Acacia is "akackia," Geranium is "gherahnium" (hard-G), Thuja is "Tooya," Vaccinium is "wakkeeniom," Rosa is ~"rossa," crocus is "crockus," Mustela is "moostayla," Myotis is "moo-otis," malus (apple) is ~"mallos," but malus (bad) is "mahlos." Some naturalists apply classical sound values to scientific names, and some employ hybrid pronunciations such as "fun-jee" for fungi. [The English pronunciation is "funj-eye" and the classical is ~"foongh-ee."]

Selected References for English Scientific Latin
(Many more references are listed in Lexicon of British Columbia Mammals ($14.95), which can be ordered HERE).

Collins, A. 2012. The English Pronunciation of Latin: Its Rise and Fall. The Cambridge Classical Journal 58:23-57.

Chandler, C. 1889. Pronunciation of Latin and Quasi-Latin Scientific terms.

Bulletin of the Scientific Laboratories of Denison University 4:161-176.

Else, G.F. 1967.The Pronunciation of Classical Names and Words in English.

Classical Journal 62:210-214.

Kelly, H.A. 1986. Pronouncing Latin Words in English.

Classical World, 80:33-37.

Return to Rules.

For those interested in the Classical pronunciation, an excellent reference is Vox Latina by Sidney Allen (1988, Cambridge University Press, 133 pages.)