16

PRINCIPLES OF ENGLISII PRONUNCIATION;

I. THE First Principles or Elements of and these are called consonantt, or letters
Pronunciation are Letters : . sounding with other letters.
The Lettert of the English Language are, Definition of Vowelt and Consonantt.
Reman. Italic Name.
A a A a a 5. Vowels are generally reckoned to be five
B b B b bee in number : namely, a, e, i, o, u ;—y and w are
C c C c tee called vowels when they end a syllable or
D d D d dee word, and consonants when they begin one.
E e E e e 6. The definition of a vowel, as little liable
F f Ff f to exception as any, seems to be the follow
G K O g jee ing : A vowel is a simple sound formed by a
H h H h aitch continued effusion of the breath, and a cer
I i I i i or eye tain conformation of the mouth, without any
J j J j | j consonant, or jay. the alteration of the position, or any motion of
K k K k kay organs of speech, from the moment the
L 1 L I el vocal sound commences till it ends.
M m Mm em 7. A consonant may be defined to be an
N n N n en interruption of the effusion of vocal sound,
O o 0 o o arising from the application of the organs of
P P P p pee speech to each other.
cue 8. Agreeably to this definition, vowels may
Q q e ? be divided into two kinds, the simple and
R r R r ar compound. The simple a, e, o, are those
S * S t est which are formed by one conformation of
T t Tt tee the organs only ; that is, the organs remain
U u Uu u, or you exactly in the same position at the end as at
V v V t> v consonant, or vee. the beginning of the letter; whereas in the
w w Ww double u compound vowels > and u, the organs alter
X X Xx eh their position before the letter is completely
Y y wy sounded : nay, these letters, when commenc
z z Zz zed, or izzard, 418. ing a syllable, do not only require a different
2. To these may be added certain combi position of the organs in order to form them
nations of letters sometimes used in printing ; perfectly, but demand such an application of
as ff, fi, fl, ffi, ffl, and &, or and per te and, or the tongue to the roof of the mouth, as is in
rather et per te and ; ff,fi,fl, ffi, ffi, and «J. consistent with the nature of a pure vowel ;
3. Our letters, 'says Dr. Johnson, are com for the first of these letters, », when sounded
monly reckoned twenty-four, because ancient alone, or ending a syllable with the accent
ly i zndj, as well as u and v, were expressed by upon it, is a real diphthong, composed of the
the same character; but as these letters, which sounds of a in fa-ther, and of e in the, exact
had always different powers, have now differ ly correspondent to the sound of the noun
ent forms, our alphabet may be properly said eye ; and when this letter commences a syl
to consist of twenty-six letters. lable, as in min-ion, pin-ion, &c. the sound of
4. In considering the sounds of these first e with which it terminates is squeezed into a
principles of language, we find that some are consonant sound, like the double e heard in
so simple and unmixed, that there is nothing queen, different from the simple sound o'
required buttheopeningof the mouth to make that letter in quean, and this squeezed sound
them understood, and to form different sounds. in the commencing t makes it exactly similai
Whence they have the names of vowels, or to y in the same situation ; which, by all
roicet, or vocal sounds. On the contrary, we grammarians, is acknowledged to be a con
find that there are others, whose pronunci sonant.* The latter of these compound
ation depends on the particular application
and use of every part of the mouth, as the so"definitivelyHow so accurate a grammarian as insist
Dr. Lowtli
on theiu could
beingpronounce
teeth, the lips, the tongue, the palate, &c. rowel, which can
is onlyonbetheaccounted
generally
nature
paid to
offory,byand
this panconsidering
of grammar. small always a
attention
HU words are
these :
which yet cannot make any one perfect sound " The same sound which we express by the initial y, our Saxon
but by their union with those vocal sounds ; and by the vowel i - as >ru,ym- : ioc, y°**f 1,1 the word veat the;
ancestors in many instances expressed by the rowel c : as sussis, yostr