# In Excelsis Deo: How to pronounce it and what does it mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183 "2003-12-20T16:09:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/81 "2013-12-04T21:55:36Z")
**Vaevictis** : too strong. There really is room for some minor individual variation in pronunciation. Not everyone agrees with the hard c’s and v’s that sound like w’s. Some people say vie cissim, and others say “we kissem.” Many of us pronounce Cicero as “Sis er oh” and not “Kick er oh.” It’s much too strong to declare that such people (either set) cannot “read write or teach.” (Gosh, you left out a comma; does this mean you cannot read, write, or teach English?) Millions of people prefer the “traditional” pronunciation. (I say “Bet el gee-yous” instead of “Beetle juice.” There’s room here for all.) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/82 "2013-12-04T22:19:31Z")
I thought it was Ex Kelseas Isn’t c a hard k sound in classical latin? It’s gaee-us ee-ulee-us Kai-sahr right? Or is it different due to the preceding “x”? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/83 "2013-12-04T23:21:33Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > When we sang the John Rutter “Gloria”, my choir director coached “GLOW-r’ya Een Egg-shell-seas Deh-oh, et een Tare-ah Pox Ho-mean-ee-boos BONE-ay VO-loon-tot-teas” for aesthetic reasons. One of the tenors tried to correct him on his Latin and was told “you can pronounce it however you like in class, but you’ll sing it as I tell you, or it will sound like crap.” > > The “g” sound in “excelsis” is identical to a vocalized “k” sound, which means the note can be carried through the consonant. Forgoing the sharper “DAY-oh” for “Deh-O” keeps overzealous high soprani from ‘pinching’ the vowel sound into “Dayeee-Oh” and turning a pleasant note into a screech. > > We were so aggressively drilled on these pronunciations that I still sing them reflexively in that form. This. There is church Latin and there is sung church Latin and they are different. In fact there is sung English, French, and German and they are also not the same as the spoken modern languages. The different diction and vowel sounds help the physical apparatus of voice production to sound like the language only prettier. In classical voice anyway. If you are singing the cowboy gloria just do your thang. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/84 "2013-12-05T00:11:17Z")
Basically, asking how something is pronounced in Latin is like asking how something is pronounced in English. There are a plethora of historical and regional dialects that muddle the question. So basically the answer is “which Latin”? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/85 "2013-12-05T00:19:38Z")
> [@altor](#): > > In several guides to church Latin pronunciation, I have seen the recommendation that the combo **xc** be pronounced **ksh** as in boo **ksh** elf. > > Thus it would be: **gloria in ek-shelsis day-o** > > But I’ve never actually heard this pronunciation, only **eks-chelsis** as **Polycarp** indicates. That’s how I learned it in school. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but if it was good enough for the nuns it’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![LarryECollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@LarryECollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LarryECollins)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/86 "2014-12-19T06:04:20Z")
I studied 2 years of Latin and have sung in numerous choirs which sang in Latin. Let me see if I can provide some “helps” on remembering how to pronounce “in excelsis”. Latin only has pure vowel sounds. A = ah E = eh I = ee O = O U = Oo 1. So “in” is always pronounced “een”, not English “ihn” 2. the words “exit” is from Latin, so pronounce the “ex” in the same manner. 3. Most people correctly pronounce “cello”. The rule for ecclesiastical (church) Latin is “c” is pronounce as a hard “c” before the vowels “a”, “o”, and “u” - yielding “cah”, “coh”, “coo”. Before “i” and “e” the “c” is pronounced as “ch”, yielding “chee” and “cheh”. THEREFORE, the “c” in “exCElsis” is pronouced just as is in “cello”. There are no eggshells involved! So the correct pronunciation is “EEN-EX-CHEL-SIS”. Remember “EXit” and “CEllo” and you’ll neither forget or be wrong! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/87 "2014-12-19T06:41:08Z")
Bravo! Quite right! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/88 "2014-12-19T06:51:05Z")
Do people just always have to post without reading the thread? Gah! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/89 "2014-12-19T08:49:56Z")
If this triple-resurrected thread has only taught me one thing, and I rather think that it has, it’s how much I miss reading posts by **Polycarp**. RIP ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/90 "2014-12-19T18:18:01Z")
I didn’t read all of the replies, so I don’t know if this was mentioned already. While the correct pronunciation is ek-shell-sees, my choir director always required us to pronounce it egg-shell-sees The reason? You get a horrible “s” sibilant sound while singing it. It sounds like a whole bunch of snakes hissing at that point. I also remember getting a really dirty look from the director when I forgot and mispronounced it in a performance. Didn’t help that I was in the first row, close to the center. 🙂 J. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/91 "2014-12-19T18:39:22Z")
I tend to gloss over discussions on how the ecclesiastical pronunciation works, so I’m only now realizing that the spoken pronunciation is supposed to differ from the sung pronunciation. Checce: [Four spoken pronunciation systems compared.](http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/mc/latinpro.pdf) [Sung pronunciation clarified.](http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/rehnotes/latin.html) Now, having put the time into learning the Restored Classical pronunciation, I feel entitled to be a bit snooty about ecclesiastical pronunciation – the fact that many Latinists well above my ability use it be damned. But now it turns out that there is an even more fucked-up sub-system? This will not stand! I mean, it’s stood for hundreds of years, but I have a good feeling about this century! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/92 "2014-12-19T20:40:55Z")
This zombie is clearly an annual on it’s way to becoming perennial. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/93 "2014-12-19T21:02:55Z")
As I mentioned last time this was revived, there are multitudes of Latin pronunciations. In my time as a professional chorister, I have sung in Classical, ecclesiastic (Italian), German, Spanish, Portuguese, and antique English varieties of Latin, all with differences subtle to profound. There is no one correct answer to this question. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/94 "2014-12-19T21:25:07Z")
**Lord Mondegreen** , for one, knows I would sing this any old way. Gladly. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/95 "2014-12-19T22:15:41Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > There is no one correct answer to this question. No way! I learned how to say this phrase when I took a dodgy course in Latin for a year or two from somewhere or other and I’m unequivocally certain that only the way I was taught is correct! :eek:😛 (Of course **fachverwirrt** is 100% right. I just felt compelled to unleash my inner sarcasm.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/96 "2014-12-20T03:54:16Z")
Now I need to know how to pronounce the English “exit”. Is it ek-sit or eg-zit? ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/97 "2014-12-20T04:27:22Z")
Just adding the fact that I miss My friend Polycarp also… ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/98 "2014-12-20T04:30:14Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Now I need to know how to pronounce the English “exit”. > > Is it ek-sit or eg-zit? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![MsKaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MsKaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsKaren)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/99 "2014-12-20T08:53:01Z")
For fun: EWTN Kids. Go to the school. Select the black book “Let’s Learn Latin” on the desk in the hallway. You don’t need to enter a classroom. Go to lesson 2 and click on the bee to hear the phrase pronounced by a child. 🙂 [http://www.ewtn.com/ewtnkids/home.asp](http://www.ewtn.com/ewtnkids/home.asp) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183/100 "2014-12-20T11:30:51Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > As I mentioned last time this was revived, there are multitudes of Latin pronunciations. In my time as a professional chorister, I have sung in Classical, ecclesiastic (Italian), German, Spanish, Portuguese, and antique English varieties of Latin, all with differences subtle to profound. > > There is no one correct answer to this question. I agree there is no one correct answer, but I think there is one that usually applies, and that is, for ecclesiastic phrases, use Ecclesiastical Latin. Sure, a choir director may have an informed reason to do something different, but I think that’s a good rule of thumb. The exception for the average singer would be when recordings indicate that tradition says otherwise–though I can’t think of any examples offhand. I’m also very surprised that you’ve sang in English Latin. I’ve never heard that except with short phrases that have entered the English language, like the phrases lawyers use, the names of the Roman gods, or names of logical fallacies. What have you sung in English Latin? Heck, can you name some songs and what regional variety of Latin you’ve sang them in? I really only encountered Ecclesiastical and Classical, albeit with slight variations depending on the director. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-excelsis-deo-how-to-pronounce-it-and-what-does-it-mean/220183.md?page=6)