p, b, ph, (Labials).
Mutes, t, d, th, (Dentals).
c, k, q, g, ch, (Gutturals).
Liquids, l, r,
Nasals, m, n,
f, (Labial).
Spirants, s, (Dental).
h, (Guttural).
Semivowels, j, v.

a. The Double Consonants, x and z, being compound sounds, do not admit of
classification in the above table.

SOUNDS OF THE LETTERS.

3. The following pronunciation (often called Roman) is substantially that
employed by the Romans at the height of their civilization; i.e., roughly,
from 50 B.C. to 50 A.D.

1. Vowels.

a as in _father_; a as in the first syllable _aha_;
e as in _they_; e as in _met_;
i as in _machine_; i as in _pin_;
o as in _note_; o as in _obey_, _melody_;
u as in _rude_; u as in _put_;
y like French _u_, German
_ue_.

2. Diphthongs.

ae like _ai_ in eu with its two elements, e and u,
_aisle_; pronounced in rapid succession;
oe like _oi_ in _oil_; ui occurs almost exclusively in
ei as in _rein_; _cui_ and _huic_. These words may
au like _ow_ in _how_; be pronounced as though written
_kwee_ and _wheek_.

3. Consonants.

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, qu are pronounced as in English, except that
bs, bt are pronounced _ps_, _pt_.

c is always pronounced as _k_.

t is always a plain _t_, never with the sound of _sh_ as in Eng.
_oration_.

g always as in _get_; when ngu precedes a vowel, gu has the sound of
_gw_, as in anguis, languidus.

j has the sound of _y_ as in _yet_.

r was probably slightly trilled with the tip of the tongue.

s always voiceless as in _sin_; in suadeo, suavis, suesco, and in
compounds and derivatives of these words, su has the sound of _sw_.

v like _w_.

x always like _ks_; never like Eng. _gz_ or _z_.

z uncertain in sound; possibly like Eng. _zd_, possibly like _z_. The
latter sound is recommended.

The aspirates ph, ch, th were pronounced very nearly like our stressed
Eng. _p_, c, _t_--so nearly so, that, for practical purposes, the latter
sounds suffic