In some formal English article, there are some Latin phrase or words. Usually these latin language is abbreviation form, like et al.（et alii）etc.（et cetera）i.e.（id est）e.g.（exempli gratia）. If you need to read aloud this article to others, how do you speak them? Do you read their latin pronunciation or corresponding English? If you see e.g. , you prefer to read "exampli gratia"or "for example"? In addition, some latin pronunciation sounds like other English words, like the "et alii "sounds like "at all", does it may cause misunderstanding if I read et alii. Can I read it as "and so on ",or "and other person" to avoid this?

Question

In some formal English article, there are some Latin phrase or words. Usually these latin language is abbreviation form, like et al.（et alii）etc.（et cetera）i.e.（id est）e.g.（exempli gratia）.  If you need to read aloud this article to others, how do you speak them? Do you read their latin pronunciation or corresponding English? If you see e.g. , you prefer to read "exampli gratia"or "for example"?  In addition, some latin pronunciation sounds like other English words, like the "et alii "sounds like "at all", does it may cause misunderstanding if I read et alii. Can I read it as "and so on ",or "and other person" to avoid this?

Answer

Some just the letters - e.g., i.e.

Others in full - et cetera, et al

Answer

I agree with Sarah… it’s a great question! And I would do the same… I think some people ‘may’ say the Latin but this would be rare… perhaps only people who’ve received a particular kind of education or up-bringing…

‘Et al’ would not be confused with ‘at all’ because the pronunciation is quite different… et is like in ‘net’ and, as Sarah said, al is like in ‘pal’.

Answer

That's a great question! :-) I think different people probably do different things, but here's what I would do:
When I see e.g. I would either say 'e.g.' or I would say 'for example'. I would never say the Latin words.
When I see i.e. I would just say 'i.e.'
And when I see et al I would say 'et al' (the 'al' rhymes with the American word 'pal').

I hope that helps! It'll be interesting to see what other people say!

Answer

If they are written as letters, read them as letters. "E.g." is spoken as "eee gee."

DO NOT expand them into the Latin words they stand for, that would be weird and would not be understood.

The only exception is "etc." which you should read as "etcetera," and which is a common expression in ordinary spoken English which everybody understands.

As to whether to substitute the common English phrases, it somewhat depends on the audience. I think it's acceptable, and even a good idea--unless you are speaking is a very formal context where you are making a point of reading the words exactly.

If the text you are reading contains these written out in full Latin words you can just pronounce them whatever way pops into your head.

There is a cultural detail. In the 1800s and into the early 1900s, members of the elite in England and the US were supposed to learn Latin; it was actually an entrance requirement for universities. So up to, perhaps, 1950, knowing some Latin, using Latin phrases, making literary allusions to classic Latin works, and so on, was a marker of class and social standing. This is not true any more.

Academics who reads a lot of material that use expressions "i.e." and "e.g." and "et. al." and "ibid." are familiar with them. Nonacademics are not and may actually not know them.