and j Confonants, two diftin&t Letters, and called them ja and vee, and thus made Six-and-twenty. ·

72, What is a Vowel?

A. A Vowel is a Letter which can make a perfect and diftinct Sound of itself, and often makes a Syllable alone, as i, o, a.

82 What is a Confonant?

A. A Confonant is a Letter which can never make a Syllable alone, nor give a clear and perfect Sound with out a Vowel pronounced with it.

9Q; How does it appear that a Confonant can make no perfect Sound by itself alone?

A. The very Names of the Confonants cannot be spoken, nor mentioned, without the Sound of a Vowel as f is called ef; b is call'd bee; k is call'd ka.

102 Are the Confonants all of one Kind?

A. Five of the Confonants are called Liquids, or Half-Vowels, because they have a kind of imperfect Sound of themselves, as l, m, n, r, s; the reft are Mutes, or quite filent.

.

CHAP.

.

CHAP. II.

Of Letters changing their Nature, Double Confonants, and Diphthongs.

12D

O the Vowels never become Confonants?

i and u are fometimes made Confonants, and have a different Shape and Sound, as ja, va.

22 How does the j Confonant found?

A. 1, when it is a Confonant, founds like a foft. g, as in the Words jeft and judge.

32. How does found when it is a Confonant?

A. The Confonant founds almoft Jike f, as in the Words value, vifit, live, ftarve.

42; Do any of the Confonants ever become Vowels?

A. and w fometimes are used y for Vowels.

52 When is a Vowel?

A. y is a Vowel whenfoever it founds like i, as Type, Rhyme; and it is often written inftead of i, at the end of a Word, as in Fly, City, Mystery. 62. When is a Vowel?

A. w is a Vowel when it founds like u, and comes after another Vowél to make a Diphthong; as in these Words, Law, Few, Town.

72. What is a Diphthong?

A. A Diphthong is when two Vowels are joined together in one Syllable, to make one Sound; as a i in raife, e e in feed, ie in Grief, o a in Goats of w in grow, and u y in buy.

8Q. Are two Confonants never joined together in one Syllable?

A. Yes; fometimes double Confonants begin Words or Syllables, and fometimes end them, as fin Fly, A in Star, and n g in King, with many others.

92 Are three Vowels or Confonants never joined together?

A. Sometimes three Vowels are joined in one Sound, and make a Triphthong, as u a i, in acquaint, C

e au in Beauty, ie u in lieu, ie w in View; and fometimes three Confonants, as Str in ftrong, thr in throw; or four, as n g t h in length, rcht in parcht, pbtb in Phthifick.

Note, By this Means there are a few Words in the English Tongue, that are of one Syllable, and have feven Confonants to one Vowel; as strength, stretcht.

10. Do the Letters never alter or lofe their Sound?

A. Vowels, Confonants, and Diphthongs alter their Sound very much in different Words, and fometimes entirely lose it.

112. How may you know when any Letter lofes or changes its Sound?

A. Tho many of these things in the following Chapters are reduced to Rules, yet thefe Rules are fo large, and the Exceptions fo many, that we may almost as well learn this by Practice.

Note, The following Chapters, as far as the tenth, may be read by Children two or three times over; but they fhould not be put to the Task of learning them by

heart.

heart. Yet if the Mafter thinks proper to mark out a few of the most useful Queftions in them for his Scholars to learn, he must ufe his own Discretion in chufing them; and thus proceed to the tenth Chapter..

CHAP. III.

Of Confonants changing their

W

Sound.

Hich are the Confonants that alter their Sound in

different Words?

A. Chiefly thefe fix, c, g, h, k,

and t.

22. When doth c change its proper Sound?

as can,

A. c properly founds like k, as cry; but before e, i, or y, it is pronounced like s, as ceafe, City, Cypress, Mercy.

32. How doth g change its Pronunciation ?

A. Three Ways; when it comes before e, i, or y; when it comes beforeb, and when it comes before n.

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