A.--_A_ has four sounds; the long; as in _name, basin_; the broad; as in
_ball, wall_; the short; as in _fagot, glass_; and the flat, Italian
sound; as in _bar, farther_. The improper diphthong, _aa_, has the
short sound of a in _Balaam, Canaan, Isaac_; and the long sound of _a_
in _Baal, Gaal, Aaron_.
The Latin diphthong, _ae_, has the long sound of _e_ in _aenigma,
Caesar_, and some other words. But many authors reject this useless
excrescence of antiquity, and write, _enigma, Cesar_.
The diphthong, _ai_, has the long sound of _a_; as in _pail, sail_;
except in _plaid, said, again, raillery, fountain, Britain_, and some
others.
_Au_ is sounded like broad _a_ in _taught_, like flat _a_ in _aunt_,
like long _o_ in _hautboy_, and like short _o_ in _laurel_.
_Aw_ has always the sound of broad _a_; as in _bawl, crawl_.
_Ay_ has the long sound of _a_; as in _pay, delay_.
B.--_B_ has only one sound; as in _baker, number, chub_.
_B_ is silent when it follows _m_ in the same syllable; as in _lamb_,
&c. except in _accumb, rhomb_, and _succumb_. It is also silent before
_t_ in the same syllable; as in _doubt, debtor, subtle_, &c.
C.--_C_ sounds like _k_ before _a, o, u, r, l, t_, and at the end of
syllables; as in _cart, cottage, curious, craft, tract, cloth; victim,
flaccid_. It has the sound of _s_ before _e, i_, and _y_; as in _centre,
cigar, mercy. C_ has the sound of _sh_ when followed by a diphthong, and
is preceded by the accent, either primary or secondary; as in _social,
pronunciation_, &c.; and of _z_ in _discern, sacrifice, sice, suffice_.
It is mute in _arbuscle, czar, czarina, endict, victuals, muscle_.
_Ch_ is commonly sounded like _tsh_; as in _church, chin_; but in words
derived from the ancient languages, it has the sound of _k_; as in
_chemist, chorus_; and likewise in foreign names; as in _Achish, Enoch_.
In words from the French, _ch_ sounds like _sh_; as in _chaise,
chevalier_; and also like _sh_ when preceded by _l_ or _n_; as in
_milch, bench, clinch_, &c.
_Ch_ in _arch_, before a vowel, sounds like _k_; as in _arch-angel_,
except in _arched, archery, archer; archenemy_; but before a consonant,
it sounds like _tsh_; as in _archbishop. Ch_ is silent in _schedule,
schism, yacht, drachm_.
D.--_D_ has one uniform sound; as in _death, bandage_. It sounds like
_dj_ or _j_ when followed by long _u_ preceded by the accent; as in
_educate, verdure_. It also sounds like _j_ in _grandeur, soldier_.
The termination, _ed_, in adjectives and participial adjectives, retains
its distinct sound; as, a _wick-ed_ man, a _learn-ed_ man, _bless-ed_
are the meek; but in verbs the _e_ is generally dropped; as, _passed,
walked, flashed, aimed, rolled_, &c. which are pronounced, _past, walkt,
flasht, aimd, rold_.
E.--_E_ has a long sound; as in _scheme, severe_; a short sound; as in
_men, tent_; and sometimes the sound of flat _a_; as in _sergeant_; and
of short _i_; as in _yes, pretty, England_, and generally in the
unaccented terminations, _es, et, en_.
F.--_F_ has one unvaried sound; as in _fancy, muffin_; except in _of_,
which, when uncompounded, is pronounced _ov_. A wive's portion, a
calve's head, are improper. They should be, _wife's_ portion, _calf's_
head.
G.--_G_ has two sounds. It is hard before _a, o, u, l_, and _r_, and at
the end of a word; as in _gay, go, gun, glory; bag, snug_. It is soft
before _e, i_, and _y_; as in _genius, ginger, Egypt_. Exceptions; _get,
gewgaw, gimlet_, and some others. G is silent before _n_, as in _gnash_.
H.--_H_ has an articulate sound; as in _hat, horse, hull_. It is silent
after _r_; as in _rhetoric, rhubarb_.
I.--_I_ has a long sound; as in _fine_; and a short one; as in _fin_.
Before _r_ it is often sounded like _u_ short; as in _first, third_; and
in other words, like short _e_; as in _birth, virtue_. In some words it
has the sound of long _e_; as in _machine, profile_.
J.--_J_ has the sound of soft _g_; except in _hallelujah_, in which it
is pronounced like _y_.
K.--_K_ has the sound of _c_ hard, and is used before _e, i_, and _y_,
where _c_ would be soft; as _kept, skirt, murky_. It is silent before
_n_; as in _knife, knell, knocker_.
L.--_L_ has always a soft liquid sound; as in _love, billow_. It is
often silent; as in _half, talk, almond_.
M.--_M_ has always the same sound; as in _murmur, monumental_; except in
_comptroller_, which is pronounced _controller_.
N.--_N_ has two sounds; the one pure; as in _man, net, noble_; the other
a compound sound; as in _ankle, banquet, distinct_, &c., pronounced
_angkl, bangkwet_. _N_ final is silent when preceded by _m_; as in
_hymn, autumn_.
O.--_O_ has a long sound; as in _note, over_; and a short one; as in
_not, got_. It has the sound of _u_ short; as in _son, attorney, doth,
does_; and generally in the terminations, _op, ot, or, on, om, ol, od_,
&c.
P.--_P_ has but one uniform sound; as in _pin, slipper_; except in
_cupboard, clapboard_, where it has the sound of _b_. It is mute in
_psalm, Ptolemy, tempt, empty, corps, raspberry, and receipt_.
_Ph_ has the sound of _f_ in _philosophy, Philip_; and of _v_ in
_nephew, Stephen_.
Q.--_Q_ is sounded like _k_, and is always followed by _u_ pronounced
like _w_; as in _quadrant, queen, conquest_.
R.--_R_ has a rough sound; as in _Rome, river, rage_; and a smooth one;
as in _bard, card, regard_. In the unaccented termination _re_, the _r_
is sounded after the e; as _in fibre, centre_.
S.--_S_ has a flat sound like _z_; as in _besom, nasal_; and, at the
beginning of words, a sharp, hissing sound; as in _saint, sister,
sample_. It has the sound of _sh_ when preceded by the accent and
another s or a liquid, and followed by a diphthong or long _u_; as in
_expulsion, censure_. _S_ sounds like _zh_ when preceded by the accent
and a vowel, and followed by a diphthong or long _u_ as in _brasier,
usual_. It is mute in _isle, corps, demesne, viscount_.
T.--_T_ is sounded in _take, temper_. _T_ before _u_, when the accent
precedes, and generally before _eou_, sounds like _tsh_; as, _nature,
virtue, righteous_, are pronounced _natshure, virtshue, richeus_. _Ti_
before a vowel, preceded by the accent, has the sound of _sh_; as in
_salvation, negotiation_; except in such words as _tierce, tiara_, &c.
and unless an _s_ goes before; as, _question_; and excepting also
derivatives from words ending in _ty_; as in _mighty, mightier_.
_Th_, at the beginning, _middle_, and end of words, is sharp; as in
_thick, panther, breath_. Exceptions; _then, booth, worthy_, &c.
U.--_U_ has three sounds; a long; as in _mule, cubic_; a short; as in
_dull, custard_; and an obtuse sound; as in _full, bushel_. It is
pronounced like short _e_ in _bury_; and like short _i_ in _busy,
business_.
V.--_V_ has uniformly the sound of flat _f_; as in _vanity, love_.
W.--_W_, when a consonant, has its sound, which is heard in _wo,
beware_. _W_ is silent before _r_; as in _wry, wrap, wrinkle_; and also
in _answer, sword_, &c. Before _h_ it is pronounced as if written after
the _h_; as in _why, when, what_;--_hwy, hwen, hwat_. When heard as a
vowel, it takes the sound of _u_; as in _draw, crew, now_.
X.--_X_ has a sharp sound, like _ks_, when it ends a syllable with the
accent on it; as, _exit, exercise_; or when it precedes an accented
syllable which begins with any consonant except _h_; as, _excuse,
extent_; but when the following accented syllable begins with a vowel or
_h_, it has, generally, a flat sound, like _gz_; as in _exert, exhort_.
_X_ has the sound of _Z_ at the beginning of proper names of Greek
original; as in _Xanthus, Xenophon, Xerxes_.
Y.--_Y_, when a consonant, has its proper sound; as in _youth, York,
yes, new-year_. When _y_ is employed as a vowel, it has exactly the
sound that _i_ would have in the same situation; as in _rhyme, system,
party, pyramid_.
Z.--_Z_ has the sound of flat _s_; as in _freeze, brazen_.