THE MEANING OF EVERY WORD IS EXPLAINED, AND THE SOUND OF EVERY SYL-
LABLE DISTINCTLY SHOWN ; AND WHERE WORDS ARE SUBJECT TO DIF-
FERENT PRONUNCIATIONS, THE PREFERABLE ONE IS POINTED
OUT BY BEING PLACED FIRST.

WITH DIRECTIONS TO Foreigners,

FOR ACQUIRING A KNOWLEDGE OF THE USE OF THIS DICTIONARY.

BY JOHN WALKER,

Author of Elements of Elocution, Rhyming Dictionary, &c. &c.

ABRIDGED AND ADAPTED TO THE USE OF THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Fourth Edition, corrected and improved.

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY I. RILEY.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the our centh day of April, in the thirty-fourth

year of the independence of the United States of America, ISAAC RILEY, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the tile of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit:

"A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, and Expositor of the English Language; in "which the meaning of every word is explained, and the sound of every syllable dis"tinctly shown; and where words are subject to different pronunciations, the prefer"able one is pointed out by being placed first. With directions to foreigners, for ac"quiring a knowledge of the use of this Dictionary. By John Walker, author of Ele"ments of Elocution, Rhyming Dictionary, &c. &c. Abridged and adapted to the 66 use of the citizens of the United States. Fourth edition, corrected and improved."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, “An act "for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and "books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein men"tioned," and also to an act, entitled, " An act, supplementary to an act, entitled, an "act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, "and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein "mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving "and etching historical and other prints."

CHARLES CLINTON, Clerk of the District of New-York.

PREFACE.

Of the various works that have been published of late years for the improve· ment of the English Language, none seems so well calculated for general utility as the following. Johnson, Lowth, Elphinstone, Kenrick, Sheridan, Nares, and others, have indeed acquired a lasting fame. But some of their works are too voluminous, and consequently too dear; some being very small, necessarily exclude a vast number of words; and others are too defective either in design or execution. Dr. Kenrick was the first who placed figures over the vowels in order to convey their sounds. Mr. Sheridan not only placed figures over the vowels, but more accurately exhibited the sounds of syllables, by spelling them as they are pronounced. But although his Dictionary is, as Mr. Walker confesses, "greatly superior to every other that preceded it," yet its faults are numerous, and such as cannot fail of shocking the dullest English ear.

That a book of this kind should be generally received as faultless, is not to be expected. It is presumed, however, from the great celebrity of this Dictionary, that its defects are neither numerous nor important. Perhaps no part of it is more objectionable than the pronunciation of kind,* sky, disguise, &c. but it is supported by the authority of polite usage, and Mr. Walker is not the only one who has contended that it is analogical.

To those who may condemn the present barbarous accentuation of the word acceptable, and, perhaps, a few others, we would observe, that such is the usage of the fashionable world, who are as proud to distinguish themselves by an oddity in language as in dress." It is much to be regretted that those who are the best judges of the subject, and, of course, have the best right to take the lead, are not "bold enough to risk the imputation of vulgarity," by opposing such capricious innovations as either injure the sound of the language, increase its anomalies, or render its pronunciation more difficult,

In a few instances, where words are subject to different pronunciations in England, and but one in this country, the latter only is retained in this abridg

* Mr. Nares, whom Mr. Walker calls a solid and ingenious writer, says, "ky-ind for kind is a monster of pronunciation, heard only on our stage." † Walker, upon the word corruptible.

Ibid. upon the word wound.