ANALYSIS

OF THE

ENGLISH ALPHABET.

THE English Alphabet consists of twenty-six letters; viz.,

a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z.

Letters are divided into voWELS and CONSONANTS.

OF THE VOWELS.

The VOWELS are those letters which can be perfectly sounded without the aid of any other letter.

The vowels are

a, e, i, o, u, 20, and y.

The vowel sounds of w and y are the same as those of u and i.

A, e, and o, are always vowels.

I, u, w, and y, are sometimes consonants.

OF DIPHTHONGS.

A DIPHTHONG is the union of two vowels in one sound. When both vowels are sounded, the DIPHTHONG is called PROPER, because then it is really a diphthong, or double sound, that is, the sounds of the vowels unite; as, oi in oil; ou in sound

When only one of the vowels is sounded, the DIPHTHONG is called IMPROPER, because then, as one of the

vowels is silent, it is not properly a diphthong, though it takes that name; as,

oa in boat, ui in suit, where a and i are silent.

An improper diphthong is sometimes called a DIGRAPHI, or the union of two letters.

The following diphthongs are in common use; viz., oi, oy, ou, ow, ae, ai, au, aw, ay, ea, ei, eu, ew, ey, ia, ie, oa, oe, ua, ue, ui; as

in toil, toy, round, plow, seal, coal, head, sail, say, autumn, yeoman, etc.

Of these,

are generally proper diphthongs; though sometimes ou and ow are improper, as in famous, where o is silent, and in slow, where w is silent.

The others are generally improper diphthongs.

OF TRIPHTHONGS.

A TRIPHTHONG is the union of three vowels in one syllable; as,

eau in beau, iew in view.

The triphthong is properly a union of letters, not sounds.

OF THE VOWEL SOUNDS.

Each of the vowels has several sounds. In this book, these sounds are indicated by numerals.

4

A has five sounds, denoted thus: fate, fat, far, fall, was.

E has three principal sounds; as in me, met, her.

I has three principal sounds; as in pine, pin, sir.

1

2

3

O has six sounds; as in no, not, nor, wolf, move, dove.

U has four principal sounds; as in tube, tub, fur, full.

1

W, in its vowel sounds, corresponds with u; as in new, pronounced nu.

8

1

I has the same vowel sound as i; as in type, hymn,

myrrh.

OI and OY, as proper diphthongs, have a uniform sound; as in oil, boy.

OU and OW, when proper diphthongs, have a uniform sound; as in round, plow.

Besides the above principal sounds, a has, in a few words, the sound of e; as in says, said, again.

2

1

E, in a few words, has the sound of a; as in they.

U has, in a very few words, the sound of e; as in bury ;

2

or that of i; as in busy.

The long sounds of the vowels are marked by the figure 1; as in

1

1

1

1

fate, me, pine, no, tube, type.

The short sounds of the vowels are marked by the figure 2; as in

2

2

2

2

2

fat, met, pin,
pin, not, tub, hymn.

To the other sounds various names are applied; but none are properly descriptive of their nature.

NOTE. In this work, long a before r is marked as a in fate. It should be observed, however, that r, in this position, modifies the sound of a. The first part of the sound is a little more open than in fate. The last part is a slight sound of short u.

U long following r is marked like u in tube. In pronunciation it is more open in sound than in other situations, approaching, though not identical with, the sound of oo in rood.

OF THE CONSONANTS.

The CONSONANTS are those letters which can not be perfectly sounded without the aid of a vowel.

The consonants are

b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, X, 2, and sometimes i, u, w, and y.

The consonants are divided into mutes and semi-vowels. The MUTES are those consonants that admit of no sound without the aid of a vowel. They are

b, d, k, p, q, t, and c and g

hard.

The SEMI-VOWELS are those consonants that can be sounded imperfectly by themselves. They are

f, h, j, l, m, n, r, s, v, X, z, and c and 9 soft. Four of the semi-vowels are called liquids; viz., l, m, N., and γ.

They are called liquids, because they unite so readily with other sounds, or flow into them.

OF CONSONANT SOUNDS.

I, u, w, and y are sometimes consonants.

W has its consonant sound when it precedes a vowel in the same syllable, and neither that vowel nor the w is silent; as in

winter,

NOTE.

W is considered by some as being always a vowel, and as sometimes equivalent to oo; but, by most authors, it is classed, in some of its sounds, among the consonants.

I has its consonant sound under the same circumstances as w; viz., when it precedes a vowel in the same. syllable, and neither letter is silent; as in

ངཙང་

I, as a consonant, has one sound, which is the same as y consonant.

This sound is heard when i precedes another vowel in the same syllable, and neither of them is silent; as in alien, onion, pronounced aleyen, unyon.

U, as a consonant, has two sounds; viz., that of w consonant, and that of yu

The first sound of u consonant is heard, when it precedes a vowel in the same syllable, and neither of the letters is silent; as in

quick, dissuade, pronounced kwick, disswade.

The other sound is heard, when u long commences a syllable; as in

use, union, pronounced yuse, yuneyon.

B has but one sound; as in bad. After m, and before t, it is silent; as in thumb, debt.

C has two principal sounds; one like k, called its hard sound, and one like s, called its soft sound.

The hard sound of c is heard before a, o, u, l, r, and t;. as in case, cot, cube, clear, cry, distinct.

The soft sound of c is heard before e, i, and y; as in cell, cider, cymbal, tacit, facile.

At the end of a word, c is hard; as in lac, music: it is silent before k; as in back, track.

In a very few instances, c has the sound of z; as in suffice, pronounced suffize.

D has one principal sound, as in day.

Sometimes, at the end of a word and preceded by a silent vowel, d has the sound of t; as in mixed, fixed, pronounced mixt, fixt.

D is silent in Wednesday, and in words like fadge and edge.