The vowel-letters in Old English had nearly the same values as in Latin.
Long vowels were occasionally marked by ('), short vowels being left
unmarked. In this book long vowels are marked by (-). The following are the
elementary vowels and diphthongs, with examples, and key-words from
English, French (F.), and German (G.):--
a _as in_ mann (G.) nama (_name_).
[=a] " father st[=a]n (_stone_).
ae " man glaed (_glad_).
[=ae] " d[=ae]d (_deed_)[1].
e " ete (F.) ic ete[2] (_I eat_).
[=e] " see (G.) h[=e] (_he_).
[e,] " men m[e,]nn (_men_).
{2}
i " fini (F.) cwic (_alive_).
[=i] " sieh (G.) w[=i]n (_wine_).
ie " fin ieldran (_ancestors_).
[=i]e " h[=i]eran (_hear_).
o " beau (F.) god (_god_).
[=o] " so (G.) g[=o]d (_good_).
u " sou (F.) sunu (_son_).
[=u] " gut (G.) n[=u] (_now_).
y " vec_u_ (F.) synn (_sin_).
[=y] " gruen (G.) br[=y]d (_bride_).
ea = ae + a eall (_all_).
[=e]a = [=ae] + a [=e]ast (_east_).
eo = e + o weorc (_work_).
[=e]o = [=e] + o d[=e]op (_deep_).
_e_ and _[e,]_ are both written e in the MSS.
The diphthongs are pronounced with the stress on the first element.
Those who find a difficulty in learning strange vowel-sounds may adopt
the following approximate pronunciation:--
a as in ask (short) nama (n[)a]hm[)a]h).
[=a] " father st[=a]n (stahn).
ae " man glaed (glad).
[=ae] " there [=ae]r (air).
e, [e,] " men ete (etty), m[e,]nn (men).
[=e] " they h[=e] (hay).
i, ie " fin cwic (quick), ieldran (ildr[)a]hn).
[=i], [=i]e " see w[=i]n (ween), h[=i]eran
(heer[)a]hn).
o " not god (god).
[=o] " note g[=o]d (goad).
u " full full (full).
[=u] " fool n[=u] (noo).
y " fin synn (zin).
[=y] " see br[=y]d (breed).
ea = [)e]-[)a]h eall ([)e]-[)a]hl).
[=e]a = ai-[)a]h [=e]ast (ai-[)a]hst).
{3}
eo = [)e]-o weorc (w[)e]-ork).
[=e]o = ai-o d[=e]op (dai-op).
The pronunciation given in parentheses is the nearest that can be
expressed in English letters as pronounced in Southern English.