VOICE Letters, or Vowels,

A, E, I, O, U, and Y.

A ſounds like the French e in bête, as in ca-ble, fa-ble, ſa-ble, ba-ker, ha-ven, la-dy, ma-ker.

E like the French i in mille, as in be, he e-vil, le-gal, &c.

I. The Engliſh ſound of i muſt be acquired by ear or imitation.

O like the French o, or au, as in go, ſo, no lo-cal mo-ment, &c.

U like ew in few, pew, &c. as in du-ty fu-ry hu-man, &c.

Y, when a vowel, like the Engliſh i, as in buy, guy, (wherein u is mute,) dry, fry, my, dye, &c. in diſſyllables accented on the laſt ſyllable, as ally, comply, deny, &c. and in all words compounded with the Latin word fio, as deify, magnify, ſpecify, &c.

Double Voice-Letters, called Diphthongs.

Au and aw like the foreign a, as in maul, paul, ſprawl, law, ſaw, paw. See Rule IV.

Oi and oy, as in oil, boil, boy. See Rule V.

Oo like the French ou, as in boot, broom, loop, poor. See Rule VI.

Ou, ow, as in bound, crown. See Rule VII.

Improper Diphthongs, wherein only one of the vowels are ſounded.

Ai, ay, and ey, like the Engliſh a, or French ai, as ai in Bail, dainty, gain, nail, ſail, Ay in may, pray, ſay, way. Ey in prey, grey, they, whey, convey, obey, ſurvey. See Rule VIII.

Ae, ea, ee, ei, ie, and oe, like the Engliſh e, or foreign i, as ae aether, ea in pea, ſea. Ee in eel, deep, feet, meet, ſteep. Ei in ceiling, ſeize, receive. Ie in ſhield, grieve, grief, reprieve, Oe in foetus, ſubpoena, &c. ex⯑cept in the end of a word ie is like i, as in die, lie, and oe is like o, as in foe, hoe, toe. See Rule IX. and its exceptions.

Eu, ew, and iew, like a ſingle u long, as in Europe, dew, view. See Rule X.

Oa like o long, as in boat, coat, grown, moan, &c. See Rule XI.

Ue like a ſhort e, as in gueſs, gueſt. See Rule XII.

Ui like a ſhort i, as in build, guild. See Rule XII.

A TABLE of VOWELS, DIPH⯑THONGS and TERMINATIONS, the Engliſh ſound of which cannot be eaſily expreſſed in foreign letters, and ſhould therefore be learned by ear, viz.

I long, ^* as in bible, mitre, nitre, pirate.

O and u ſhort, before a conſonant in the ſame ſyllable, as in odd, nod, lord, &c. and in mud, ſtrut, ſtun, urn, &c.

Oi and oy, which have both the ſame ſound, as in oil, boil, coil, boy, coy, hoy, &c.

Ou and ow (not like the French ou, in the pronunciation of which the lips are almoſt cloſed, but) with an open articulation, as in pound, our, gown, power.

Alſo the following terminations, viz.

• -ire,
• -tion
• -cious
• -tious

as in dire, fire, ſalvation, delicious, fictitious, &c.

Engliſh Alphabet.

• A a like ai, ay, ey, or the French ê.
• B b Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu.
• C c like K before a, o, u,—ca, co, cu.
• C c like S before e, i, y,—ce, ci, cy.
• D d Da, De, Di, Do, Du, Dy.
• E e like ae, ea, ee, or the foreign i.
• F f like Ph, or Greek Φ, Fa, Fe, Fi, Fo, Fu, Fy.
• G g like gh, or Greek Γ, before a, o, and u, as Ga, Go, Gu,
• G g like g ſoft, or j, before e, i, and y, as Ge, Gi, Gy, except a few words; viz. geeſe, gewgaw, geld, gelt, get, (with its compounds,) gibberiſh, gib⯑bous, giddy, gift, gig, giggle, gild, girl, give, forgive, gilt, gimblet, gimp, gird, girt, girdle, begin, gizzard, Gideon, Gibbons, Gilbert, Gilpin.
• H h Ha, He, Hi, Ho, Hu, Hy, but is mute in a few words; as hour, honour, honeſt, heir, herb, humour, hoſtler, thyme, John, Thomas, Thomaſin, and Thames. Alſo in Greek words, when pre⯑ceded by r, as rheum, rhyme, rhetoric, myrrh, &c. and laſtly at the end of words, as ah, hah, Iſaiah, Sarah, &c.
• I i Engliſh, or long, like the Greek [...], or ſome⯑thing like the French i before n in prince.
• [7]J j conſonant like g ſoft, Ja, Je, Ji, Jo, Ju, Jy.
• K k Ka, Ke, Ki, Ko, Ku, Ky.
• L l La, Le, Li, Lo, Lu, Ly.
• M m Ma, Me, Mi, Mo, Mu, My.
• N n Na, Ne, Ni, No, Nu, Ny.
• O o long, like the foreign o.
• P p Pa, Pe, Pi, Po, Pu, Py.
• Q q Qua, Que, Qui, Quo, Qu, Quy.
• R r Ra, Re, Ri, Ro, Ru, Ry.
• S s Sa, Se, Si, So, Su, Sy.
• T t Ta, Te, Ti, To, Tu, Ty.
• U u like ew in dew, few, new, &c.
• V v conſonant, Va, Ve, Vi, Vo, Vu, Vy.
• W w Wa, We, Wi, Wo, Wu, Wy.
• X x Xa, Xe, Xi, Xo, Xu, Xy.
• Y y Ya, Ye, Yi, Yo, Yu.
• Z z Za, Ze, Zi, Zo, Zu, Zy.
• Ch Cha, Che, Chi, Cho, Chu, Chy, ex⯑cept in words derived from the Greek tongue, wherein it ſounds like c hard or k.
• Ph like f, Pha, Phe, Phi, Pho, Phu, Phy.
• Sh Sha, She, Shi, Sho, Shu, Shy.
• Th ſometimes like Greek Θ, (or hard,) as in thank, think, thigh, &c. and ſometimes like dth, (or ſoft,) as in thou, they, that, this, though, or tho', thus, thence.
• Wh Wha, Whe, Whi, Who, Whu, Why.

(EXCEPTIONS to RULE I.)

Particular exceptions concerning a at the end of a ſyllable.

A is like the French a, or Engliſh diphthong aw, in wa-ter; it has a medium-ſund be⯑tween aw and the Engliſh a in fa-ther, and the laſt ſyllable of pa-pa, mam-ma; and it ſounds like a ſhort e, or foreign é, in a-ny and ma-ny.

Particular exceptions concerning i.

I ſounds like the Engliſh e, or foreign i, in ac-qui-eſce, bi-er, pi-er, ti-er.

General exceptions concerning i.

I is pronounced ſhort before another vowel in the termination of all words of more than two ſyllables when it is not radical; as in a′-mi-a-ble, de-mo-ni-ac′, ca′r-ri-age, ſo′-ci-al, Wi′l-li-am, Sty′g-i-an, da′l-li-ance, va′l-i-ant, Span′-i-ard, a′-pi-ary, ſo′-ci-al, in-ſid-ia′-tor, al-le-vi-a′-tion, ma′r-ri-ed, a′-li-en, co′n-ſci-ence, am′-bi-ent, gla′-ſi-er, ſpe′-ci-es, ſe-rag′-li-o, ax′-i-om, poſ-te′-ri-or, wa′r-ri-our, con′-ſci-ous, i′d-i-ot, pre′-mi-um, &c. But, in the proper names Ma⯑ri′-a and So-phi′-a, when given to En⯑gliſh [13] women, it is pronounced according to rule. Alſo in af-fi-ance, and the deriva⯑tives from the diſſyables ending in y, which are mentioned in the example; as al-li′-ance, com-pli′-ance, de-ni′-al, de-fi′-ance, and re-li′-ance, wherein the i^* re⯑tains the ſound of the y in the original words, and is accented accordingly.

Particular exceptions concerning o.

O is like oo in do, (and its compounds,) to, and who, though the latter (who) is pro⯑nounced according to the rule in the nor⯑thern parts of England.

U is like the Engliſh ou (hereafter explain⯑ed) in the firſt ſyllable of cu-cumber.

General exception concerning y.

Y, at the end of all words of two or more ſyllables, (except thoſe mentioned in the ex⯑ample,) is pronounced like a ſhort i, as in carry, envy, commiſſary, &c. the ac⯑cent being laid on one of the former ſyllables.

A Repetition of RULE II. reſpecting Vowels, or Voice-Letters, in ſyllables ending with a conſonant.

The vowels are pronounced ſhort in all ſyllables ending with a conſonant, (except in the par⯑ticular caſes hereafter noted,) and the three firſt vowels have the foreign articulation, without any other material difference ex⯑cept that of being pronounced ſhort.

• A has a ſhort articulation of the Engliſh aw, or rather of the Italian a, as in add, bad, lad, mad, &c.
• E has exactly the ſound of the Italian or French é, as in bed, fed, led, red, &c.
• I has a ſhort articulation of the French i or Engliſh e, as in bid, did, hid, kid, &c.
• The ſhort ſound of the two other vowels (viz. o and u) muſt be acquired by ear, (ſee page 5,) as in odd, got, not, rob, &c. and in mud, grub, ſtrut, ſtun, &c.

EXCEPTIONS to RULE II.

Particular exceptions concerning a before a conſonant.

A is like the French ai in a′n-gel, baſs, cám-brick, Cám-bridge, da′n-ger, and [15] mán-ger. It has a medium ſound between aw and the Engliſh a in han't, (for have not,) máſ-ter, and pláſ-ter,; and is like aw in hal-ſer, (wherein l is mute,) falſe, and pal-ſy.

General exceptions concerning a before a con⯑ſonant.

A has the ſound of aw likewiſe before ld and lt, as in bald, cal-dron, al-tar, &c. in all primitive monoſyllables ending in ll, (except ſhall and mall, which are pronoun⯑ced according to rule,) as in all, gall, fall, &c. and before lk, (wherein l is mute,) as balk, ſtalk, walk, talk, &c. but, before lf, lm, lve, and before nd in words deri⯑ved from the Latin word mando, it is ſounded like the Italian a, only ſomewhat ſhorter, as in half, calm, ſalve, com⯑mand, demand, &c.

Particular exceptions concerning e before a conſonant.

E is like a ſhort i in England, pretty, yes, and yet, and like a ſhort a in yel-low.

General exception concerning e before s.

E is long before s in the ultimate of plural nouns, and third perſons ſingular [16] of verbs when preceded by c, s, z, or g, as in fá-ces, ^* hór-ſes, aſ-ſí-zes, rá-ges, &c. but, in all other terminations with ſilent e, (except in Latin words,) the es may be ſounded in the ſame ſyllable, as bride, brides; ride, rides; name, names; &c.

Particular exceptions concerning i before a conſonant.

I retains its Engliſh or long ſound in blithe, endict and indict, (wherein c is mute,) mild, pint, and wild; alſo in child and Chriſt, but not in their derivatives, chil⯑dren, chriſten, and Chriſtian.

General exceptions concerning i before a con⯑ſonant.

I is long in all primitive words (and their compounds and derivatives) ending in nd, as bind, rind, wind, &c. though in wind, the ſubſtantive, and its compounds, it is ſometimes pronounced ſhort.

It is alſo long before gh, as in high, nigh, light, &c. in which gh is mute, having no other uſe than that of lengthening the i.

It is long alſo before gn at the end of a word, and the g is mute, as in be-nign, ſign, [17] and its compounds conſign, deſign, &c. and their derivatives in -er, -ed, -edly, and -ment, but no others; for in re-ſig-na-tion, conſig-na-tion, ſig-ni-fied, &c. the i is ſhort according to rule, and the g is pronounced.

General exceptions concerning o before a con⯑ſonant.

O retains its long ſound in all words ending in ld and lt, as behóld, bold, cold, bolt, colt, &c. and in all their compounds and derivatives.

Particular exceptions of o before a conſonant.

O is long in boll, bolſter, comb, (wherein b is mute,) control, droll, folk, (where⯑in l is mute,) force, fort, ghoſt, groſs, holſter, hoſt, moſt, only, poſt, poll, pat-roll, port, roll, ſcroll, ſloth, ſport, and ſword, (wherein w is mute,) ſtroll, toll, and troll, and in their compounds, &c. But in compt and its compounds, ac-compt, &c. it ſounds like the Engliſh diphthong ou, as if ſpelt count, ac⯑count, &c.

O has the ſound of a ſhort u ^* in af-frónt, at-tór-ney, bomb, bór-age, bó-rough, [18] bró-ther, co-lour, cóm-fits, cóm-fort, cóm-pany, cóm-paſs, cón-duit, cón-ey, cón-ſta-ble, cóz-en, cóv-e-nant, cóv-er, cóv-et, cóv-ey, diſ-cóm-fit, dóz-en, góv-ern, hón-ey, Lón-don, Món-day, món-ey, monk, món-key, món-ger, món-grel, month, móth-er, ón-ion, óth-er, óv-en, póm-mel, póth-er, róm-age, ront, ſon, ſhóv-el, ſlóv-en, ſmóth-er, ton, thó-rough-ly, won, wón-der, word, world, work, worm, wór-ſted, worth, wóm-an, (in the ſin⯑gular only, the plural being pronounced as if ſpelt wím-men,) wór-ry, wort, wór-ſhip, and their compounds, &c. except diÓs;-cov-er and re-cóv-er, which are pronoun⯑ced according to rule.

O is ſounded like oo in tomb and womb, (wherein b is ſilent,) lo-ſer, gold, whom, and whoſe;^* and is mute in jeóp-ar-dy, leó-pard, and peó-ple, which are pro⯑nounced as if written jép-par-dy, lép-pard, pée-ple.

Particular exceptions of u before a conſonant.

U is like a ſhort i in bu-ſy, and its com⯑pounds, &c. and the s like z.

Repetition of RULE III. relating to VOWELS in ſyllables ending with ſi⯑lent e.

When e or ue follow a conſonant in the ſame ſyllable, the preceding vowel retains its o⯑riginal open, or long, ſound.

Examples.

Ace, face, re-céde, dice, vote, con-fúte, vague, vogue, col-légue, &c. Alſo ad-více, de-více, en-tíce, ſuf-fíce, ſac-ri-fíce, a-líve, con-níve, con-tríve, de-prive, de-ríve, re-víve, and ſur-víve, which are accented on the laſt ſyllable.

N. B. Derivatives from words ending in e for the moſt part retain their original ſound, even when the e is omitted, as ſpar-ing, -ed, from ſpare; waſt-er, -ing, -ed, from waſte; rang-er, -ing, -ed, from range; &c.

The vowel a is long, even before two conſo⯑nants, when they are followed by e in the ſame ſyllable, (except before -nce,) as in ache, haſte, waſte, change, grange, range, &c. and their compounds and de⯑rivatives.

EXCEPTIONS to RULE III.

General exceptions.

The four vowels, e, i, o, u, are ſounded ſhort before two conſonants, as in fringe, re-venge, ſolve, ſerve, tinge, ſludge, grudge, &c.

Words having the accent on the penultima ^* or antepenultima; ^† in all which the laſt ſylla⯑ble, being ſhort, is pronounced as if the e and ue final were abſent, as in cál-a-mine, Cáth-a-rine, cát-a-logue, déc-a-logue, de-póſ-ite, déſ-tine, de-tér-mine, diſ-frán-chiſe, dóc-trine, én-gine, ép-i-logue, éx-qui-ſite, grán-ite, har-ángue, fín-ite, and its compounds, már-it-ime, méd-i-cine, mín-ute, (not the adjective for ſmall,) mor-tiſe, péd-a-gogue, prác-tiſe, (verb,) pró-logue, pró-miſe, ſap-phire, ſy′n-a-gogue, tréa-tiſe, and u-rine.

Particular exceptions.

The following monoſyllables are likewiſe pronounced as if e final were abſent, viz. dare, (the verb,) give, gone, have, live, and one. ^‡

There, were, and where, are pronounced as if ſpelt with the diphthong ai, thair, [21] wair, and whair; but in all other words (ex⯑cept what are mentioned above) the vowels a, e, i, or y, when they come before re ^* final, are ſounded long according to the third rule, as in are, care, here, mere, deſire, fire, lyre, &c. as if ſpelt air, cair, heer, meer, deſier, &c.

Particular exceptions concerning i in ſyllables ending with ſilent e.

I is ſounded like ee in writhe and o-blige, though in the northern parts of England the latter is ſounded according to rule.

General exceptions concerning i in ſyllables ending with ſilent e.

I in all adjectives of more than one ſyllable ending in ile, and in all words (except thoſe mentioned in the above example) end⯑ing in ice and ive, is pronounced ſhort, as in ſér-vile, jú-ven-ile, ca-príce, mál-ice, én-dive, póſ-it-ive, &c.

Particular exceptions concerning o in ſyllables ending in ſilent e.

O like a ſhort u in a-bóve, come, cóme-ly, done, dove, glove, love, póre-blind, [22] ſome, ſhove, ſponge, tongue, worſe, and in the termination -dom; and like oo in loſe, move, prove, and Rome.

Of PROPER DIPHTHONGS.

Proper diphthongs have ſounds of their own, different from the long and ſhort ſounds of the Engliſh vowels.

Of improper Diphthongs.

Improper diphthongs take the ſound of but one of their vowels, the other being mute.

A TABLE of words, which are indepen⯑dent of the foregoing Rules and Excep⯑tions, with the common Pronunciation expreſſed in Italics.

BUOY, boey; victuals, vittles; colo⯑nel, curnel; George, Jorge; iſland, iland; lieutenant, leuftenant; quay, kee; two, too; yacht, yot; yeoman, yewman; yelk, or yolk, (of an egg,) yoke.

A TABLE of Foreign Words which ſtill retain their original Pronunciation, (or nearly ſo,) notwithſtanding that they are in a Manner adopted, by frequent Uſe, into the Engliſh Language.

ACcoutre, antique, archives, arriere, banditti, beau, bureau, caviare, cartouch, connoiſſeur, courier, croup, cuiraſs, environ, eſcrutoire, faſcine, groupe, intrigue, lieu, machine, maga⯑zine, marine, palanquin, pas, piquant, pique, piquet, police, poltron, ponton, prame, profile, rendezvous, roquelaure, rouge, ſcout, ſophi, ſoup, tête-à-tête, tornado, toupee, tour, tranſmarine, ver⯑micelli, violoncello, jonquil, adieu.