The spelling of "DECEM TALES" can be confusing for those unfamiliar with Latin. The correct pronunciation is [ˈdɛ.ke.m ˈta.les], with the stress falling on the second syllable of each word. "Decem" means "ten" in Latin, while "tales" refers to "tales" or "stories." Put together, "DECEM TALES" means "ten stories" in English. In IPA phonetic transcription, the ˈ symbol indicates primary stress, while the . symbol indicates a syllable boundary.