ORTHOGRAPHY. Vowels and Consonants. DEFINITION.-A Vowel is a letter that stands for a free, open sound of the voice. The vowels are a, e, i, o, u. W is a vowel when it unites with a preceding vowel to represent a vowel sound; as, new, now; and y is a vowel when it has the sound of i; as, by, duty, boy. W and y are consonants at the beginning of a word or a syllable; as, wet, yet. DEFINITION.-A Consonant is a letter that stands for a sound made by the obstructed voice or the obstructed breath.* The consonants are the letters of the alphabet not named above as vowels. Sounds of the Vowels. Diacritical marks used in Webster's Dictionary. * H, which represents a mere forcible breathing, is an exception. Remarks.-ȧ is between ǎ and ä. ô= a, as in form. o (unmarked) û, as in worm. = O, as in moon. u, as in wool. uo, as in rude. y = I, as in fly. y = I, as in myth. â represents the first, or "radical," part of ā, touched lightly, without the “vanish,” or e sound. â is nearly equivalent to ě prolonged before r. û is between ǎ and ě. Some careful speakers discriminate between ú (=o in worm) and ẽ (= î), making the former a modification of ŭ and the latter a modification of ě. In the "International Dictionary" (the latest "Webster "), à, è̟, i, o, u, represent the long sounds as modified in syllables without accent; e.g., senāte, èvent, idea, obey, unite. The “International " often respells instead of using diacritical marks. When one vowel of a diphthong is marked, the other is silent. Diacritical marks used in Worcester's Dictionary. Explanation.—The two classes of consonants are arranged below in separate columns. Those in "1" are called vocal consonants (voice consonants), and those in "2" are called aspirates (breath consonants). The letters with dots between them form pairs. Give the sound of the first letter of any pair, and you will find that, as the voice stops, the vanishing sound will be the sound of the other letter. The tongue, teeth, lips, and palate are in the same position for both, the only difference being that in one there is voice, and in the other only a whisper. C, q, and x are not found in the columns above. C = k or s; q = k; x=ks or gz. Diacritical marks-Webster. ç, soft (=s), in çent. s, sharp (unmarked), in same. th, sharp (unmarked), in thin. (= gz) in exist. RULE I.-Final e is dropped before a suffix beginning with a vowel; as, fine, finer; love, loving. Exceptions.-Words ending in ce and ge retain e before able and ous to keep c and g soft; as, peaceable, changeable, courageous. Words in oe and ee retain the e unless the suffix begins with e; as, hoeing, seeing. RULE II.-Y after a consonant becomes i before a suffix not beginning with i; as, witty, wittier; dry, dried. Exception. Y does not change before 's; as, enemy's. RULE III.—In monosyllables and words accented on the last syllable, a final consonant after a single vowel doubles before a suffix beginning with a vowel; as, hot, hotter; begin, beginning. Exceptions.-The final consonant is not doubled when, in the derivative, the accent is thrown from the last syllable of the primitive; as, refer', reference. But we have excel', ex'cellent, ex'cellence. X, k. and v are never doubled. Remark. To the Rules above (and inferences from them) there are a few other exceptions; as, dyeing (coloring), singeing, tingeing, mileage, awful, wholly, judgment, acknowledgment; slyly, dryness, piteous; gases, transferable, humbugged, crystallize, cancellation. |