Composition of the Latin alphabet
Modern medical dictionaries and textbooks use the traditional reading of the Latin alphabet adapted for Russian practice. The alphabet includes 25 letters.
| Shape | Name | Pronunciation (Russian equivalent) |
|---|---|---|
| A a | a | a |
| B b | be | b |
| C c | ce | k or ts |
| D d | de | d |
| E e | e | e |
| F f | ef | f |
| G g | ge | g (always hard) |
| H h | ha | Ukrainian "g" or German "h" |
| I i | i | i |
| J j | jot | j |
| K k | ka | k |
| L l | el | l (always soft) |
| M m | em | m |
| N n | en | n |
| O o | o | o |
| P p | pe | p |
| Q q | qu | k |
| R r | er | r |
| S s | es | s or z |
| T t | te | t |
| U u | u | u |
| V v | ve | v |
| X x | ix | ks (double consonant) |
| Y y | upsilon | i |
| Z z | zeta | z |
When studying letter shapes, rely exclusively on printed forms. Handwritten and calligraphic fonts can be misleading (e.g., visually confusing I and J).
Pronunciation and letter naming features
Latin phonetics is based on the principle "as it is written, so it is read". Vowel sounds are pronounced almost identically to their Russian equivalents. However, there are important nuances that distinguish Latin from modern European languages:
- Naming specific letters. Russian medical school enforces strict names for certain symbols: the letter H h is called "ha" (not "ash"), Y y is called "upsilon" (not "igrek"), and Z z is called "zeta" (not "zet").
- Differences in pronunciation. The same letter in Latin and, for example, English can produce completely different sounds. Thus, Latin G g is always pronounced as [g], and J j always represents the sound [y] (not "j").
- Double consonants. The letter X x (ex) is considered a double consonant grammatically and phonetically, as it represents two sounds at once — [ks].
- Latinization. If a term comes from another language (Greek, Arabic, or French), it is necessarily latinized. This means the word is graphically and phonetically restructured according to the strict rules of Latin grammar.
Capitalization
Capitalization rules in Latin have a clear structure. Capital letters must be used for:
- Any proper names.
- Geographical names.
- Names of peoples.
- Names of months.
- Adjectives derived from all of the above categories.
Important rule for pharmaceutical terminology: In prescriptions and pharmacopoeial monographs, all names of medicinal plants and drug substances are traditionally capitalized.
Briefly: answers to topical questions
In which cases is the Latin letter C pronounced as the [ts] sound, and when as [k]?
The letter C has two reading variants depending on the following letter or position in the word.
| Condition | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before vowels e, i, y and digraphs ae, oe | [ts] | Cicero |
| Before vowels a, o, u, consonants, and at the end of a word | [k] | causa, caput costae |
In which positions does the Latin letter S become voiced and pronounced as [z]?
The Latin letter S becomes voiced and pronounced as the [z] sound in two main positions.
- Between vowels (incisúra, vesíca, rosa, causa, risus) — in the intervocalic position.
- Between vowels and the consonants m, n (chiásma, platýsma) — this rule applies exclusively to words of Greek origin.
In other cases (at the beginning and end of a word, next to other consonants, as well as with the doubling of ss), the letter S retains its voiceless pronunciation [s].
How are the Latin diphthongs ae, oe, au, eu pronounced in medical Latin?
In medical Latin, reading rules are explicitly described only for the digraphs ae and oe, which are pronounced as a single sound.
- Digraph ae (vértebrae) — pronounced as the [e] sound.
- Digraph oe (fóetor) — pronounced as the [e] sound (close to the German ö or French oe).
If the vowels in ae and oe belong to different syllables, they are read separately, which is indicated by a special sign above the letter (aër, díploë). For the diphthongs au and eu, sources provide only word examples without transcription (áuris, pléura, neurocránium).
How to correctly pronounce the Latin letter combinations ch, ph, rh, th?
In study materials, a direct pronunciation rule is given for only one of these digraphs found in words of Greek origin.
- Digraph ph (os sphenoidále) — represents the [f] sound.
For the remaining letter combinations, explicit rules are not described, but their pronunciation can be determined from the provided practical transcriptions:
- Digraph ch (chiásma, concha) — read as [kh] (transcriptions indicate [khiázma], [konkha]).
- Digraph th (thyroideus) — read as [t] (transcription indicates [tiroideus]).
For the digraph rh (rhinencéphalon), reading rules and transcriptions are absent in the text.
Class and exam questions
Why are there 25 letters in the medical Latin alphabet instead of 26?
The letter W w ("double u"), which makes the alphabet 26 letters long, is not part of native medical Latin. It is found exclusively in terms and surnames borrowed from modern languages (e.g., Wolff syndrome, Willebrand disease).
How to correctly name the letters H, Y, and Z?
In the domestic medical tradition, these letters are called "ha", "upsilon", and "zeta" respectively. The variants "ash", "igrek", and "zet" are considered an error within this discipline.
Are the concepts of "letter" and "sound" mixed up?
No, these are fundamentally different terms. A letter is a graphic symbol (e.g., "ce"), while a sound is a phoneme that we pronounce when reading (in this case, [k] or [ts]).
What else to study on this topic
- Detailed rules for reading vowels and diphthongs
- Variability in the pronunciation of consonants C and S
- Syllable formation and reading
- Principles of latinization of Greek and Arabic terms
Master the entire topic in the "Latin Language" course
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- Complete study guide on the "Latin Alphabet" topic and 2,323 more pages of the subject
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Other topics in the section "Alphabet. Phonetics. Reading Vowels and Consonants"
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