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All Things Medieval

[ Middle English Pronunciation Guide ]

Middle English Pronunciation Guide

[go to website listed below to hear sample sounds]

- pronounce all the letters: knyght = k-n-ich-t or k-n-ach-t; write = w-r-ee-t-a
except words of French origin: gn = n (e.g. signes, sovereigne);
initial h is silent (e.g. honour, heir)
- roll the r's
- doubling a vowel is the only way to indicate length (e.g. caas, moot)

y - at beginning of word makes past tense (e.g. yloved means loved = ee-l-ov-ed)
gh = like the ch in German "ich" or the ch in Scottish "loch" (e.g. knyght)
ch = as in church (e.g. chivalrie)
yng / ing = modern ing except when syllable is stressed (e.g. thing; singen = s-ing-ayn)
s = as in hiss not as a z (e.g. disshes)

BASIC VOWEL SOUNDS	a = ah	e = ay	i / y = ee
BASIC VOWEL SOUNDS	o = oh	u = ôô

This is a simplified table of sounds; there are subtle differences that are beyond a basic guide. Remember that spelling is not consistant so pronunciation contains guess work.

symbol	as in:	spelling	examples:
ä = ah	father	a, aa, er	fader, name, that, ferther, clerk, sterte	a
æ	hat, pass	a, ae	has, begge, great, heeth, baebe
ay / ey	mate, day	e, ee	grene, sweete, me, be, she, fredom	e
ah-ee *	aisle	ai, ay, ei, ey	day, lai feith, veyne
i *	my	ai, ay, ei,ey	fair, may, feith
ar	there	e, ea	bere, sea
a	sofa	first or final e	sonne, chivalrie, cause, yonge, name
e	met	e, ee	ryden, hem, end, gentil
eh-oo		7 words only	fewe, lewed, dew, shewe, beaute, hewe, shrewe
ee-oo	few	eu, ew, u	new, reule
ee	machine	i, y	passioun, shires, blithe, nyce, wif, ryde, icumen	i
i	bit	i, y	yloved, list, nyste, skille
au	cloth	o, oo	lore, goon, ofte, hooly
o = oh	sow, note	o, oo, ou, ow	bote, good, roote, thought, knowe	o
oo	root	u, ou, ow	juggen, resoun, flour, fowles, hous, vertu	u
o	book, full	o, oo, u	ful, nonne, love
ah-oo	house, how	au, aw	cause, drawe
aw-uh	Paul, awl	ou, ow	knowen, soule
oy	boy	oi, oy	joye, point, coy

Sources:

Baugh, Albert C., ed. Chaucer's Major Poetry. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1963
Available at NIC, contains good dictionary of ME words

"Middle English Pronunciation Guidelines" Website provides examples to hear.
http://www.jsu.edu/depart/english/treed/chpronounce.htm

Carol Hamill
180 Homer Road Victoria, BC V8Z 1V6	Phone: (250)658-2856 Email: hamill@island.net

last update: March 1, 2004