2.3 Pronunciation rules and stress patterns

Old English pronunciation is a mix of familiar and unfamiliar sounds. Vowels come in short, long, and diphthong varieties, while most consonants are similar to Modern English. Some letters, like 'c' and 'g', have multiple pronunciations.

Stress in Old English usually falls on the first syllable of native words. This affects vowel quality and length, as well as consonant pronunciation. Reading aloud and listening to experts can help you get comfortable with these patterns.

Old English Pronunciation and Stress

Rules of Old English pronunciation

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• Old English vowels divided into short vowels ($a$, $e$, $i$, $o$, $u$), long vowels ($ā$, $ē$, $ī$, $ō$, $ū$), and diphthongs ($ea$, $eo$, $ie$)
• Most Old English consonants pronounced similarly to Modern English counterparts
• $c$ pronounced as $k$ (cyning) or $ch$ (cild)
• $g$ pronounced as $g$ (god) or $y$ (dæg)
• $[h](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:h)$ pronounced as $h$ (hus) or $kh$ (niht)
• $[s](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:s)$ pronounced as $s$ (sunu) or $z$ (hūs)
• $[þ](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:þ)$ and $[ð](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:ð)$ both pronounced as $th$ (þing, ðæt)
• Final $-e$ often silent in unstressed syllables (nama)
• $h$ before consonants often silent (hlāf)

Stress in Old English words

• Stress falls on the first syllable of most native Old English words (béorht, cýning)
• Prefixes typically unstressed (onginnan, ætíewan)
• Compound words stress the first element of the compound (gódspell, éaland)
• Loanwords from Latin or Greek may have different stress patterns than native Old English words (candel, mynster)

Impact of stress on pronunciation

• Vowel quality affected by stress with stressed syllables having clearer, more distinct vowel sounds (faran) and unstressed syllables having reduced or weakened vowel sounds (sóna)
• Vowel length influenced by stress with stressed syllables potentially having lengthened vowels (fōda) and unstressed syllables having shortened vowels (heofon)
• Consonant pronunciation affected by stress with consonants in stressed syllables more clearly articulated (stān) and consonants in unstressed syllables weakened or elided (wudu)

Reading Old English texts aloud

• Read aloud regularly to develop familiarity with Old English pronunciation and stress patterns
• Pay attention to stress patterns when reading, placing emphasis on stressed syllables (Hwæt!) and reducing or weakening unstressed syllables (we Gárdena)
• Listen to recordings of Old English texts read by experts and imitate the pronunciation and stress patterns
• Consult Old English pronunciation guides and resources, using IPA transcriptions to guide pronunciation (beadu /ˈbeɑdu/)
• Engage in classroom discussions and activities focused on practicing and refining pronunciation and stress in Old English texts