Aa Ææ Bb Cc Dd Ðð Ee
a ash be ce de eth e
a æ b c d ð e
[ɑ/ɑː] [æ/æː] [b/v] [k/ʧ] [d] [θ/ð] [e/eː]
Gg Hh Ii Ll Mm Nn Oo
yogh há i ell emm enn o
ʒ (g) h i l m n o
[ɡ/ɣ/j/ʤ] [h/ç/x] [ɪ/iː] [l] [m] [n/ŋ] [o/oː]
R r Ss ߊ T t Uu Ww Xx Yy
err ess te u wynn eks yr
r s t u ƿ (w) x y
[r] [s/z] [t] [u] [w] [ks/xs/çs] [y/yː]
Ff Ænglisc / Anglisc / Englisc
eff [ˈæŋliʃ]
f Old English
[f/v]
Pp
pe
p
[p]
Þþ
thorn
þ
[θ/ð]
Vowels and diphthongs
a ā æ ǣ e ē i ī
[ɑ/ɑː] [æ] [æ/æː] [æː] [e/eː] [eː] [ɪ/iː] [iː]
o ō u ū y ȳ ea ēa
[o/oː] [oː] [u/uː] [uː] [y/yː] [yː] [æɑ/æːɑ] [æːɑ]
eo ēo ie īe io oe ōe
[eo/eːo] [eːo] [iy/iːy] [iːy] [iu/iːu] [ø/øː] [øː]
[e/eː]
Consonants
b c cȝ/cg d ð f ff ȝ/g
[b/v] [k/ʧ] [ʤ/j/ɡ] [d] [θ/ð] [f/v] [fː] [ɡ/ɣ/j/ʤ]
h k l m n p qu/cƿ r
[h/ç/x] [k] [l] [m] [n/ŋ] [p] [kw] [r]
s ss sc t þ/th ƿ/w x z
[s/z] [sː] [ʃ/sk] [t] [θ/ð] [w] [ks/xs/çs] [ts]
Some abbreviations used in Old English maunscripts
̅ g̅ / ȝ̅ þon
and/ond þæt -m or –n ge-/ȝe- þonne
eg. sūne = sumne
Old English pronunciation
Eall folc weorþaþ freo and efne be are and
rihtum geboren. Gerad and ingehygd sind
heom gifeþu, and hie þurfon to oþrum on feore
broþorscipes don.
Transliteration (Latin alphabet)
Eall folc weorþaþ frēo and efne bē āre and rihtum ġeboren. Ġerād and inġehyġd sind
heom ġifeþu, and hīe þurfon tō ōþrum ōn fēore brōþorsċipes dōn.
Translation (Modern English)
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Original manuscript style in an Old English font
H
þrym ge frunon huða æþelingas
ellen H
fremedon. oft scyld scefing
sceaþena
þreatum monegü mægþum
meodo setla
ofteah egsode eorl syððan ærest
wearð
fea sceaft funden he þæs frofre
gebad
weox under wolcnum weorð
myndum þah
oð $ him æghwylc þara ymb
sitten dra
Modern English version
LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
gave him gifts:
H
Modern Font with Old English letters
ǷÆT ǷE GARDE
na ingear dagum. þeod cyninga
þrym ge frunon Huða æþelingaſ ellen
fremedon. oft ſcyld ſcefing ſceaþena þreatum
monegū mægþum meodo setla ofteah egſode
eorl syððan æreſt ƿearð
fea ſceaft funden he þæſ frofre gebad
ƿeox under ƿolcnum ƿeorð myndum þah oð
þæt him æghƿylc þara ymb ſittendra
ofer hron rade hyran scolde gomban
gyldan
