Old English Core Vocabulary: Pronunciation


Soundfiles of Old English Texts being read aloud:

Recording of Joshua Tyra reading from the Old English Gospel of Luke

Recording of Christine Rauer reading Beowulf lines 2516-2558

Recording of Christine Rauer reading Beowulf lines 2559-2599a

Link to Oxford CLASP project recordings page

 

Pronunciation rules:

Þ, þ (letter known as 'thorn') = th

Ð, ð (letter known as 'eth') = th

Æ, æ (letter known as 'ash') = 'a' as in apple

sc = sh, i.e. the Old English word 'fisc' is pronounced as modern English 'fish'

cg = dg, i.e. the Old English word 'ecg' is pronounced as modern English 'edge'

r = should be rolled, as in Italian, Welsh, Spanish, Russian etc.

a, e, i, o, u = pronounced as in most other foreign languages (ie. German, Latin, Italian, Russian etc.). Thus, 'a' as in 'but'; 'e' as in 'let'; 'i' as in 'in'; 'o' as in 'on'; 'u' as in 'full'

g next to i or e = pronounced 'y', as in 'yellow'

g next to a, o, u = pronounced 'g', as in 'garden'

c next to i or e = pronounced 'ch', as in 'child'

c next to a, o, u = pronounced 'k' as in 'king'

h in initial position: as 'ch' in 'loch'. Examples: hwær, hwit, hwa

stress: on first syllable, unless first syllable is a prefix. Typical prefixes: ge-, be-, on-, a-, etc.


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