But, as accuracy in pronunciation may be most easily ac-. quired while the sense of hearing is acute, and the organs of speech flexible, the object of this publication was, to furnish A PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY perfectly adapted to the Capacities of Children. This the Compilers have the satisfaction of knowing to be completely ascertained; numerous classes of pupils having been successfully instructed, both in their own. and other seminaries, from the former Editions of this Dictionary, and from A PRONOUNCING SPELLING-BOOK, in which the Orthoepy is marked in the same manner. And experience has proved, that this mode of instruction equally facilitates the acquirement of a correct Orthography, the eye and the ear mutually assisting each other. The Compilers most gratefully acknowledge the assistance which they have received in the execution of this undertaking from several able Orthoepists, particularly their worthy friend Mr JAMES STALKER, who long enjoyed the highest celebrity as a Teacher of English in this Metropolis. EDINBURGH, } We have endeavoured to improve on the Plans of other Orthoepists, by simplifying the NOTATION, and by ascertaining with more precision the QUANTITY of the Vowels. See CLASSIFICATION OF VOWELS, p. viii. and QUANTITY, p. xviii. OF ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION, CHIEFLY EXTRACTED FROM THE MOST EMINENT WRITERS. LETTERS, to answer perfectly the end of their invention, should be proportioned to the number of simple sounds; that every sound may have its own character, and every character a single sound. Such would be the orthography of a new language, to be formed by a synod of grammarians on principles of science: But who can hope to prevail on nations to change their practice, and make all their old books useless?-Every attempt, therefore, to render the orthography of the English language conformable to its orthoepy, must prove preposterous and impracticable; as this could not be done without new moulding our alphabet, and making a considerable addition to its characters: But, to ascertain the number of simple sounds in that language, and distinguish them by proper marks, in order to assist pronunciation, as Mr Sheridan and others have done, appears to be the only probable method of rendering its pronunciation uniform, or accessible to foreigners. Agreeably to this idea we have formed the following SCHEME: DEFINITIONS. *We agree with Dr Lowth and Mr She 1. A vowel is a simple sound, formed by a ridan in thinking, that w and y are always continued effusion of the breath, and a certain vowels; and that, whether preceded or followconformation of the mouth, without any alte-ed by another vowel, w is equivalent to ŭ, and ration in the position, or any motion of the or-y to e. Thus, o-ŭ, united, will produce the gans of speech, from the moment the vocal sound commences till it ends. 2. A diphthong is two simple vowel-sounds, uttered by one and the same emission of breath, and joined in such a manner as still to make but one syllable. the application and use of some particular part 3. A consonant is a simple sound, formed by of the mouth, as the teeth, the lips, the tongue, the palate, &c. and which cannot be pronounced forcibly but by its union with a vowel. CLASSIFICATION OF VOWELS AND DIPHTHONGS. The various sounds of the vowels may be divided into The NAME-SOUNDS, The SHUT SOUNDS, and OCCASIONAL SOUNDS. The NAME-SOUNDS (marked, when long, by ā ē īō ū, and, when short, by à è ïó ú,) are exemplified in Māte mēte mite mote mute, Vācåte révere finite promote future, and in this sentence, Make these times more pure. The SHUT SOUNDS (uumarked, and always short) are exemplified in Fan fen fin fon fun, and in this sentence, Bad men still cross us. OCCASIONAL SOUNDS (marked, when long, by â â û, and, when short, by ǎ A u and ě,) are exemplified in Fâr făst, War wăst, Rûle full, Her, and in this sentence, Mârk All her trûths. diphthong ow, as in How; and A-e, united, will produce the diphthong oy, as in Hoy. Now, if ŭ-ā, ŭ-ē, ŭ-ō, and é-ã, é-ē, è-ō, be united, what can they produce but Wa, wē, wō, and dissyllables as u-et', u-ell', u-est', and e-et', è-ell', Yā, yē, yō? Ñay, suppose there were such than the monosyllables Wet, well, west, and e-est, accented on the latter syllable, it would require attention to pronounce them otherwise Yet, yell, yest. With respect to w and y not requiring the euphonic article an before them, it may be observed, that one vowel succeeding another does not always occasion a cacophony. The article the, and the preposition to, in these phrases, The eel, To ooze-destroy euphony as much as the article a; whereas, before other vowels, as, The owl, To ease-they sound as harmoniously as a does before w and y. The first six are simple sounds or vowels, and the last four are diphthongs, although u and I have generally passed for simple vowels, because they are for the most part marked by single characters. The diphthong u is composed of e-û; and Initial W and Y are exemplified in We ye; the diphthong i, of ǎ-é very closely united. and the diphthongs OW and OY are exempli-The diphthong oy is composed of A-è; and the fied in How hoy diphthong ow, of o-ü closely united. All other diphthongs are formed by w and y uniting with a following vowel; as, Wa, we, wō, Ya, ye, yō, &c. Thus, we see, every diphthong either commences or terminates with the sound of u or è. GENERAL RULES FOR PRONOUNCING THE I. The vowels have their long NAME-SOUNDS when final, or, when followed by silent e, or a single consonant and silent e; as in Hō, hōe, hōpe. II. The vowels have their SHUT SOUNDS when followed by one or more consonants, or, when followed by two consonants and silent e; as in Bad, band, badge. save, gaze blaze graze; here mere sphere, eve, mete, glebe; hide ride side, bile mile vile, bite mite rite, fine line vine, fire hire sire, hive drive strive; core gore pore, dote mote rote, ode code mode, hole mole sole, bone cone tone, cove rove stove; lute mute flute, cube tube, cure lure pure, duke, luke puke, fame plume spume, mule pule; lyre, rhyme thyme, type. THE SHUT SOUNDS.-Cab dab, cap dap, bad had, bat hat, rag tag, can man, hang rang, hand sand, camp damp, lapse, manse; bed led, bet let, hen pen, hem stem, leg peg, rent tent, jest test, fence hence, edge hedge; nib rib, nip rip, fill hill, bliss miss, ink link, ridge bridge, hinge tinge; mob sob, mop sop, nod sed, not sot, lock rock, box fox, hodge podge; bud cud, but cut, for spur, cull gull, muff ruff, buck duck, jump trump, burn turn, burst durst, grudge judge, urge surge; hymn, lymph nymph, (y being con The UNITED VOWELS which most fre-sidered as i shut). quently occur, are generally sounded as here marked: A A a ai ei, ay ey ea ec ie oa UNITED VOWELS.-Laud fraud, gauze pause, fault vault, caught taught; law saw, awl bawl, dawn drawn. Rain rein, faint feint; way wey, gray grey. Sea see, flea flee, dear deer, feat feet, heal heel, leak leek, meat meet, peal peel, weak week; beer bier, mean mien, peace piece. read reed, seam seem, steal steel, shear sheer, Boat goat, oar roar, load road, foam roam, oaf Room bloom, moon noon, boor poor, hoot loaf, moan groan, boast toast, board hoard. root, food brood, droop troop, hoof roof, fool pool. Leud, rheum, deuce; dew new blew flew, mewl, newt. Thou bough plough, gout rout trout, our sour, cloud proud, count mount, bound found, ounce pounce, couch vouch; cow how now, foul fowl growl, down crown frown. Oil boil spoil, coin loin join, void, coif, coit, voice choice, joist moist, joint point, poise noise; boy coy joy cloy troy. Laud laid lead load lewd loud. PARTICULAR RULES AND OBSERVATIONS. A 1. A sounds a before ste, the, and nge; as in Haste taste, bathe swathe, range strânge. 2. A sounds â before r, lm, if, and ive; as in Bâr câr, bârb garb, bârd pârd, lârk pârk, hârl snârl, ârm farm, bârn dârn, cârp hârp, ârt dârt, bârge large, cârve stârve, fârce pârse, march pârch; bâlm câlm pâlm psâlm, câlf hâlf, câ¿ve hâlve. This sound is contracted into ǎ before ·ff, ft, ss, sk, sp, st, th, and nce; as in Chaff staff, graft shaft, lass pass, ask bask, asp clasp, căst fast, bath lath path wrath, chance dance. 8. A sounds A before ll, ld, lk, it, and be twixt w and r; as in All bâll, bâld scâld, châlk talk, malt sâlt, warm swarm. This sound is contracted into A in WĂn swan, what yAcht, wad, wind, want, was, wast, wasp, wash, watch,-equivalent to o shut. E E sounds ĕ in her, and in the termination ĕr. 1. I sounds i before the, ld, nd, and gh; as in Tīthe blithe, mild child, find mind, high nigh, bright light. 2. I sounds e shut before r and another consonant; as in Gird, firm, skirt, kirk smirk, chirp N. B. The character placed at the beginning of each class denotes the sound of the vowel or united vowels contained in each word of that class, not including w ory when they precede other vowels. a] Ache, scarce, plague vague, bass (in stirp, twirl whirl, birth girth mirth, dirge virge.music) ere there where, e'er ne'er, bear pear A little broader, like ě, in Fir sir stir, dirt flirt tear (to rend), wear swear, great, break steak, shirt spirt, third, thirst, dirk, birch. gaol, gauge. and i, el Pique, ceil, neif, seize, key quay.-e] Been i] Sign, climb, pint, nintħ, whilst, height sleight, eye buy aisle. Some Orthoepists pronounce when they precede r, like u shut: "This (says the Critical Review), is the pronunciation of a ō] Ob, borne shorne torn worn, form (a class Welch peasant." We have adopted this sound of students, seat of a hare), ford horde, fort only in Bird, first; which perhaps might as pro-port sport, force corse, pork, porch, forth, forge, perly be pronounced Berd, ferst. gross, ghost host most post, folk, york, both sloth, |