Infantulus - Alphabet & Pronunciation - Vowels (con'd)

Remember, when sitting for a test you are a "student" of that level. After you answer all the questions perfectly, you become a "teacher." When you know all the questions and answers exactly, you are qualified as an "examiner." I recommend that you memorize about one question every single day, and rehearse all questions and answers you have already learned, several times a day.  There are 21 questions in this first level; you have 16 more to learn after this one.
 
Vowels.
Q: What are the Latin vowels?
a, e, i, o, u, and y. The rest are consonants.

Q: How do they sound when short?

a sounds like the “ah” in aha,
e like the “eh” in met,
i like the “i” in bit,
o like the “oh” in omit,
u like the “oo” in foot, and
y like the “y” in Syrius. [like German ü; form lips for oo but say ee].

Q: A vowel is short before what letters?

A vowel is short before nd, nt, h, or another vowel. A vowel is also short before final m or t and, in multi-syllable words, l or r.

Q: Long vowels are marked by macrons. How do they sound?

ā (“a-macron”) sounds like the “aah” in father,
ē like the “ey” in they,
ī like the “ee” in machine,
ō like the “oh” in note,
ū like the “ooo” in rule, and
ŷ like “yy.” [like y, above, but held twice as long].

Q: A vowel is long before what letters?

A vowel is long before nf, ns, nx, and nct.

Keep practicing! You want a very strong foundation for your own studies, and you need to be able to recite thousands of facts like these quickly while working in front of your students. Your progress may seem slow to you at first, but keep steadily at it. You know what they say, We overestimate what we can do in the short run but underestimate what we can accomplish over a longer period. Consistent progress and repetition is the key. Especially in language study, the tortoise beats the hare.