How to Study Pronuciation

You may wish to listen to the sound clips first, then read the explanations, or you may wish to start with the explanations and proceed to the sound clips. It's a good idea to do both, in any case, since the ear can be deceptive if you don't have an idea of what you're hearing, and since explanations can not give a real idea of what sounds are like. When using the sound clips, listen to each several times, and try to produce pronunciations as much like what you are hearing as possible. Speak out loud if your situation permits this, since this improves auditory memory. The written forms of the words you will hear are provided to help you learn the connection between spelling and pronunciation, but beware of following the spelling of the written word rather than the oral pronunciation in the sound clip, which is often surprisingly different.
If you are unable to access the sound clips for technical or other reasons, you will have to make do with the explanations below. These should guide you to a pronunciation of Old English that will be acceptable in most situations where you are likely to pronounce it, but you should also either try to get hold of a tape-recording to imitate, or telephone me to have me polish your pronunciation over the phone.