fhort Sound, but the Letter a is pronounced long, and fhort, and broad. 22. How are thefe three feveral Sounds of a diftinguifh'd? A. a is founded fhort in Mat, Cart; 'tis long in Mate, Care; and broad in Malt, Call. 3Q. What are the different Sounds of e? A. e is pronounced fhort in Hell, then, ever; and long in he, bere, thefe, even and befides thefe, the fhort Sound is fometimes prolonged, as there, where, equal, &c. 4. How is i founded? 4. We pronounce i fhort in Fift Mill, thin; long in Fire, Mile, thine and it founds like fhort in firft, third, Bird, Dirt, &c. 52. How is a pronounced? A. Tis a fhort o in not, rod; 'tis a long o in Poft, Gold; it is founded double in to, do, move, prove; it founds like i in Women; and it is pronounced like fhort u in love, doft, doth, fome, Comfort, Conduit, Money, and fome others. 6. Hås u feveral Sounds alfo ? A. A. u is pronounced fhort in dull, cut; long in dure, cure; and it founds like a fhort i in bury, bufy, and Words derived from them. 7Q. How fhall you know when thefe Vowels are to be pronounced long or short? A. This can hardly be determined by any general Rules, but muft be learn'd by Practice yet there is this one Rule that scarce ever fails (viz.) All fingle Vowels are fhort, where only a fingle Confonant comes after them in the fame Syllable, as Stag, then, Pin, not, Cur; and they have a long Sound if e be added at the end of a Word after a fingle Confonant, as Stage, these, pine, note, Cure. The chief Exception to this Rule, are the 2. Letters i and o in fome few common Words, I which Custom pronounces fhort, tho they have an e at the end, as give, live, one, fome, come, gone, love, done, Dove 8Q. When must a have its broad Sound? A. Chiefly in two Cafes. First, a hath generally its broad Sound when / follows it in the fame Syllable, as call, falfe, bald, Halter; except in fome Words that have double in the Middle, as Tallow, Sallad; or where for Confonant follows it, as Calf, half, Salve. Secondly, a is often pronounced broad, when it comes after a win the fame Syllable; as War, was, Water, Swan, Swallow, and fome few other Words. 9 Q. What general Exception is there to these two Rules concerning the Letter a? A. a must be founded long like other Vowels in fhort Words that end in e, tho an come after it, or w before it; as pale, Whale, wade, fware, waste. CHAP. VI. CHAP. Of Single Vowels lofing their Di Sound. O the Vowels ever quite lofe their Sound? A. One of the Vowels in a Diph thong often lofes its Sound, and fometimes fingle Vowels too. its 2 Q. When doth a lofe its Sound? A. A fingle a feldom or never lofes Sound, except in Diamond. 32. When doth e lofe its Sound? A lofes its Sound in Words of two Syllables that end in en, as Garden, Token; or le, as Candle, Caftle; or re, as Metre, Lucre. Note, In thefe fort of Words the Sound of the Vowel may be dropt without lofs; because n, 1, r, are Liquids, or Half-Vowels, and have fome imperfect Sound of their own. 4Q. Is a fingle e ever pronounced at the end of a Word? A. A fingle is never pronounced at the end of a Word, but where there there is no other Vowel in the Word, as the, he, she, me, we, be. 52. Why then doth e stand at the end of fo many Words, if it must be filent and not pronounced? A. The filente at the end of a Word ferves two Purposes: Firft, It makes that Word or Syllable long, which otherwife would be fhort, as can, Cane; not, note; haft, hafte; Bath, bathe Secondly, It foftens the Sound of c and g, as lac, Lace; Rag, Rage; fing, finge In other Words it does nothing but fhew the Genius and Custom of the English Tongue, which feldom ends a Word with any other of the four Vowels; as lie, die, Toe, Foe, Sloe, true, Vertue, Plague. 6Q. Are there any Words wherenot pronounced? A t is not pronounced in Evil, Devil, Venifon, Marriage, Carriage, Bufiness, Cushion, Fashion, Parlia ment. 72 Doth o ever lofe its Sound? D |