| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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7. Pronunciation Challenges: Confusions and Controversy
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| § 12. alumni / alumnae |
Alumni, the Latin plural of alumnus, is usually pronounced ( -l m´n ), according to the pronunciation rules for Anglicized Latin. Likewise alumnae, the Latin plural of alumna, is usually pronounced (-lm´n ). Confusion comes about in part because in English i has several possible pronunciations and ae is an unusual combination. Also, in classical Latin pronunciation, which attempts to approximate the pronunciation of ancient Roman times, the opposite would be true, that is, the final vowel sound of alumni would be (), and the final vowel sound of alumnae would be (). | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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