The mutes cannot be founded at all without the aid of a vowel. They are b, p, t, d, k, and c, and g hard.

ونا

The femi-vowels have an imperfect found of themselves, they are f, l, m, n, r, v, s, z, x; and c and g foft.

Four of the femi-vowels, namely, l, m, n, r, are also distinguished by the name of liquids, from their readily uniting with other confonants, and flowing as it were into their founds.

We have shown above, that it is effential to the nature of a confonant, that it cannot be fully uttered without the aid of a vowel. We may further obferve, that even the names of the confonants, as they are pronounced in reciting the alphabet, require the help of vowels to exprefs them. In pronouncing the names of the mutes, the affistant vowels follow the confonants: as, be, pe, te, de, ka. In pronouncing the names of the femi-vowels, the vowels generally precede the confonants: as, ef, el, em, en, ar, es, The exceptions are, ce, ge, ve, zed.

Ex.

This diftinction between the nature and the name of a confonant, is of great importance, and fhould be well explained to the pupil. They are frequently confounded by writers on grammar. Obfervations and reasonings on the name, are often applied to explain the nature, of a confonant and, by this means, the ftudent is led into error and perplexity, respecting these elements of language. It fhould be impreffed on his mind, that the name of every confonant, is a complex found; but that the confonant itfelf, is always a fimple found.

Some writers have described the mutes and femi-vowels, with their fubdivifions, nearly in the following manner.

The mutes are thofe confonants, whofe founds cannot be protracted. The femi-vowels, fuch whofe founds can be continued at pleasure, partaking of the nature of vowels, from which they derive their name.

The mutes may be fubdivided into pure and impure.

The pure are those whofe founds cannot be at all prolonged: they are k, p, t. The impure, are those whose founds may be continued, though for a very fhort space : they are b, d, g.

The femi-vowels may be fubdivided into vocal and afpirated. The vocal are those which are formed by the voice; the afpirated, thofe formed by the breath. There are eleven vocal, and five aspirated. The vocal are l, m, n, r, v, w, y, z, th flat, zh, ng: the afpirated, f, b, fr th fharp, b.

The vocal femi-vowels may be fubdivided into pure and impure. The pure are those which are formed entirely by the voice the impure, fuch as have a mixture of breath with the voice. There are feven pure-l, m, n, r, w, y, ng four impure-v, z, th flat, zh.

A diphthong is the union of two vowels, pronounced by a fingle impulfe of the voice; as ea in beat, ou in found.

A triphthong is the union of three vowels, pronounced in like manner; as, eau in beau, iew in view.

A proper diphthong is that in which both the vowels are founded; as, oi in voice, ou in ounce. An improper diphthong has but one of the vowels founded; as, ea in eagle, oa in boat.

Each of the diphthongal letters was, doubtlefs, originally heard in pronouncing the words which contain them. Though this is not the cafe at prefent, with refpect to many of them, thefe combinations ftill retain the name of diphthongs; but, to diftinguish them, they are marked by the term improper. As the diphthong derives its name and nature from its found, and not from its letters, and properly denotes a double vowel found, no union of two vowels, where one is filent, can, in strictness, be entitled to that appellation; and the fingle letters i and u, when pronounced long, muft, in this view, be confidered as

diphthongs. The triphthongs, having at most but two founds, are merely ocular, and are, therefore, by fome grammarians claffed with the diphthongs.

SECT. 2. General obfervations on the founds of the letters.

A

A bas four founds; the long or flender, the broad, the fhort or open, and the middle.

The long; as in name, bafin, creation.
The broad; as in call, wall, all.

The short; as in barrel, fancy, glass.

The middle; as in, far, farmi, father.

The diphthong aa generally founds like a fhort in proper names; as in Balaam, Canaan, Isaac ; but not in Baal, Gaal.

Ae has the found of long e. It is fometimes found in Latin words. Some authors retain this form : as, ænigma, æquator, &c.; but others have laid it afide, and write enigma, Cefar, Eneas, &c.

The diphthong ai has exactly the long flender found of ; as in pail, tail, &c. ; pronounced pale, tale, &c.: except plaid, again, raillery, fountain, Britain, and a few others.

as in

Au is generally founded like the broad a: as in taught, caught, &c. Sometimes like the fhort or open a : aunt, flaunt, gauntlet, &c. It has the found of long & in hautboy; and that of o fhort in laurel, laudanum, &c.

dw, has always the found of broad a; as in bawl, fcrawl, crawl.

Ay, like its near relation ai, is pronounced like the long slender found of a; as in pay, day, delay.

B

B keeps one unvaried found, at the beginning, middle, and end of words; as in baker, number, rhubarb, &c.

In fome words it is filent; as in thumb, debtor, fubtle, &c. In others, befides being filent, it lengthens the fyllable: as in climb, comb, tomb.

C has two different founds.

C

A hard found like k, before a, o, u, r, l, t ; as, in cart, cottage, curious, craft, tract, cloth, &c.; and when it ends a fyllable; as, in victim, flaccid.

A foft found like s before e, i, and y, generally; as in centre, face, civil, cymbal, mercy, &c. It has fometimes the found of b; as in ocean, focial.

C is mute in czar, czarina, victuals, &c.

C, fays Dr. Johnfon, according to English orthography, never ends a word; and therefore we find in our beft dictionaries, stick, block, publick, politick, &c. But many writers of latter years omit the k in words of two or more fyllables; and this practice is gaining ground, though it is productive of irregularities; fuch as writing mimic and mimickry; traffic and trafficking.

Ch is commonly founded like tch; as in church, chin, chaff, charter: but in words derived from the Greek, has the found of k; as in chymift, fcheme, chorus, chyle, diftich; and in foreign names; as, Achifh, Baruch, Enoch, &c.

Ch, in fome words derived from the French, takes the found of ; as in chaife, chagrin, chevalier, machine.

Ch, in arch, before a vowel, founds like k; as in archangel, archives, Archipelago; except in arched, archery, archer, and arch-enemy: but before a confonant it always founds like tch; as in archbishop, archduke, archprefbyter, &c. Ch is filent in fchedule, fchifm, and yacht.

D

D keeps one uniform found, at the beginning, middle, and end of words; as in death, bandage, kindred; unles it may be faid to take the found of t, in ftuffed, tripped, &c. ftuft, tript, &c.

E

E has three different founds.

A long found; as in scheme, glebe, fevere.
A fhort found; as in men, bed, clemency.

An obfcure and scarcely perceptible found; as, open, lucre, participle.

It has fometimes the found of middle a; as in clerk, ferjeant; and fometimes that of fhort i; as in England, yes, pretty.

E is always mute at the end of a word, except in monofyllables that have no other vowel: as, me, he, fhe: or in fubftantives derived from the Greek; as catastrophe, epitome, Penelope. It is used to foften and modify the foregoing confonants; as, force, rage, fince, oblige: or to lengthen the preceding vowel; as, can, cane; pin, pine; rob, robe.

The diphthong ea is generally founded like e long; as in appear, beaver, creature, &c. It has alfo the found of short e; as in breath, meadow, treasure. And it is fometimes pronounced like the long and flender a; as in bear, break, great.

Eau has the found of long ; as in beau, flambeau, portmanteau. In beauty and its compounds, it has the found of long u.

Ei, in general, founds the fame as long and flender a; as in deign, vein, neighbour, &c. It has the found of long e in feize, deceit, receive, either, neither, &c. It is fometimes pronounced like fhort i; as in foreign, forfeit, fovereign, &c.

Eo is pronounced like e long; as in people; and fometimes like e fhort; as in leopard, jeopardy. It has also the found of fhort u; as in dungeon, sturgeon, puncheon, &c.

Eu is always founded like long u or ew; as in feud, deuce.

Ew is almost always pronounced like long u: as in few, new, dew.

Ey, when the accent is on it, is always pronounced like a long; as in bey, grey, convey; except in key, ley, where it is founded like long e.

When this diphthong is unaccented, it takes the found of e long; as, alley, valley, barley.

F

F keeps one pure unvaried found at the beginning, middle, and end of words; as, fancy, muffin, mischief, &c. : except in of, in which it has the flat found of ov; but not in compofition; as, whereof, thereof, &c. We should not pronounce a wive's jointure, a calve's head; but a wife's jointure, a calf's head.