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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Twelve (12) PDF Guides To Pronouncing Latin

Jeff Ostrowski · May 1, 2015

ULTON J. SHEEN read every word St. Thomas Aquinas ever wrote, at least once. He often repeated the Latin phrase «TIMEO VIRUM UNIUS LIBRI» (a phrase attributed to the Angelic Doctor) and I encourage you to look it up when you get a chance—it will become obvious why I mention it here.

Most Catholic priests pronounce Latin as follows:

(PDF) Guide No. 1   * * Very Good
Proper of the Mass (Carlo Rossini, 1933)

(PDF) Guide No. 2
Parish Book of Chant (CMAA, 2008)

(PDF) Guide No. 3
Mass & Vespers (Solesmes, 1957)

(PDF) Guide No. 4
Complete Proper of the Mass (Green & Koch, 1946)

(PDF) Guide No. 5
the Liber Usualis (Solesmes, 1961)

(PDF) Guide No. 6
A Textbook of Gregorian Chant (Dom Gregory Suñol, 1929)

(PDF) Guide No. 7
Basic Gregorian Chant (Sister Demetria, 1960)

(PDF) Guide No. 8
Chants of the Church (Solesmes, 1953)

(PDF) Guide No. 9
Gregorian Chants for Church and School (Goodchild, 1944)

(PDF) Guide No. 10
A New School of Gregorian Chant (Johner, 1925)

(PDF) Guide No. 11
Fundamentals of Gregorian chant (Heckenlively, 1950)

(PDF) Guide No. 12 • 47-Page Book
Correct Latin Pronunciation acc. to Roman Usage (De Angelis, 1937)

Fr. Carlo Rossini’s version is probably the best.

PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION to the “common pitfalls” Americans fall into, like saying “ihn” instead of “een” for the Latin word in. Or saying, “ih-mack-yoo-lah-tuh” instead of “ee-mah-coo-lah-tah” for the Latin word immaculáta. Or saying “Doe-mee-nay” instead of “Doh-mee-neh” for the Latin word Dómine. That being said, these rules can be taken too far. I’ve served the Latin Mass for priests from all over the world: Australia, Austria, Germany, France, England, America, Mexico, China, Puerto Rico, and so on. It is rare to hear a priest say “CHEH-lee” for the Latin word cæli. Most say “chay-lee,” and there’s no use losing sleep over this!



Keywords: “Latin Pronunciation Guide”

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: PDF Guide to pronouncing Latin, Proper Pronunciation of Lingua Latina Last Updated: December 5, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

The representative Protestant collection, entitled “Hymns, Ancient and Modern”—in substance a compromise between the various sections of conflicting religious thought in the Establishment—is a typical instance. That collection is indebted to Catholic writers for a large fractional part of its contents. If the hymns be estimated which are taken from Catholic sources, directly or imitatively, the greater and more valuable part of its contents owes its origin to the Church.

— Orby Shipley (1884)

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