Analysis of sounds in the English language.

Contents

Introduction

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In the English alphabet there are twenty five single characters that stand as representatives of certain sounds.

A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, s, t, v, w, y, z. H is not a mark of a sound ¹, but qualifies or gives form to a succeding sound.

In order ro understand these letters, or rather the sounds they represent, it is necessary to define the meaning of the words vowel, diphthong and consonant.

A vowel is a simple articulate sound. A simple sound is formed by opening the mouth in a certain manner, without any contact of the parts of it. Whenever a sound can be begun or completed with the same position of the organs, it is a simple sound.

A diphthong i a union of two simple sounds, pronounced at one breath. To form a diphthong there are necesarily required to different positions of the organs of speech.

A consonant, origin, as it was called by the ancients, a closed letter, forms no distinct articulate sound of itself. In pronouncing most of the English consonants, there is required a contact of the parts of the mouth, and the union of a vowel; though some of the consonants form imperfect syllables of themselves ².

According to these definitions, let us examine the letters of the English alphabet.

The letters a, e, o, are vowels. With the same position of the organs, with which we begin the sounds of these letters, the sounds may be prolonged at pleasure; they are therefore simple sounds or vowels.

The letters i and y are iether vowels, diphthongs or consonants. They are both characters for the same sounds, in different words and different situations. In the words die, defy, they are the same diphthong; we begin the sound with nearly the same positions of the organs, as we do broad a, though not quite the same; but not being able to continue that sound, we run into e, and there close the sound. Two different positions of the organs are required; consequently two different sounds are formed, which being closely united in pronunciation, are denominated a diphthong ³.

In the words sight, pit, glory, Egypt...

In the words valiant, youth, ...

U is a vowel or ...

W is a vowel ... ⁴

As these characters ... Thus,

• Long a in late, makes short e in let.
• Long e in feet, makes short i in fit.
• Long o in pool, makes short u in pull.
• Long a in hall, makes short o in holly, or a in wallow.
• Long a in father, makes short a in fathom.

The short sounds ...

That e in let ...

All the long and short simple sounds in English are sound in the following words:

By these it appears ... ⁵.

According to ...

The other dipthongs ...

The consonants are divided into mutes and semivowels.

The mutes are b, ...

H is not ...

C is totally ...

Q is always ...

J is a mark ...

X is always ...

The consonants tehrefore will stand thus:

• Mutes: eb, ed, eg, ek, ep, et.
• Semivowels: ef, el, em, en, er, es, ev, ez, eth, esh??, ezh, ing.

Note: l, m, n, r, are distinguished by the name of liquids.

The sounds ...

B has one ...

C before a, o, u, sounds like k; before e, i, y, lie s. Thus:

It is useless ...

D has always ...

F has always its own sound ...

G has two sounds ...

It is very ...

H is a ...

J is the mark ...

K has but one ...

L has only ...

M has but ...

N is also ...

P has but ...

Q has the power of k, ...

R has always ...

S has four sound ...

T has its own ...

V has always ...

X has two compound sounds ...

In the beginning ...

Z has two sounds; ...

Simple consonants marked with double letters.

Tb has two ...

Sb has but one ...

The sound of s in ...

Ng form a simple ...

Sc before a, ...

Sc before the several vowels is thus pronounced:

Cb is words ...

In words derived from the Greek ...

In words derived from the French ...

Gh sound like f ...

Ph have invariable the sound of f ...

N. B. The sounds of the vowels digraphs, such as ea, ei, etc.??, can hardly be reduced to general rules, and it is rather unnecesary in this work, as most words where they occur are collected into the proper tables, where their sounds are distinguished.

Rules

Polysyllables

Terminations

In ic

In ed

In ance

Exception 1

Exception 2

In ence

Exception 1

Exception 2

In cle

In dle, sle, gle, kle, ple, tle

In ure

In ate

In ive

In tive

In ial

In ian

In en

In ion

In sion

In tion

In eer and ier

In er

In or

In ous

In ant

In ent

In ay

In cy

Pollysyllables in gy

In ny

In ry

In ery

These have generally the accent on the last syllable but two; except deletery, monastery, baptistery, where it is on the first. Ery is always sounded erry.

Terminations of the plural number, and of verbs.

In es

When es form a distinct syllable, as is always the case after sh, ch, x, s, c, g and z, it is pronounced iz; as, brushes, churches, boxes, houses, places, sages, freezes; pronounced brushiz, churchiz, boxis, housiz, placiz, sagiz, freeziz. But if es follows other letters, e is silent, and s sounds like c or z.

TODO add table here

Half Accent

When the full accent is on the first syllable, there is generally a half accent on the third.

When the full accent is on the second, the half accent is on fourth.

It is a general rule that every third syllable has some degree of accent, and in few or no words are there more that two succeding syllables unaccented.

Index or Key

Long

Short

Broad a or aw

Flat a

Short aw

Oo proper

Oo short

Short u

Long a??

Long e

Syllables

A syllable is one letter, or so many letters as can be pronounced at one impulse of the voice; as, a, hand.

Spelling is the art of dividing words into their proper syllables, in order to find their true pronounciation.

General rule

The best way of dividing words, is to divide them so as naturally to lead the learner into a right pronounciation.

• Monosyllables are words of one syllable.

• Dissyllables are words of two syllables.

• Trisyllables are words of three syllables.

• Polysyllables are words of many syllables.

Accent is the force or stress of voice that is laid upon any letter of a word; as, de-liv-er, where the accent is on the letter v of the second syllable.

Emphasis is a stronger force or percussion of the voice laid upon somne significant words in a sentence.

Accent regards some particular syllable or letter of a word; emphasis regards some particular words of a sentence.

Cadence is a lower or weaker expression of the voice at the close of a sentence.

Quantity is the time of pronouncing a syllable.

The unaccented syllables of words are pronounced in half the time of the longh accent.

When the accent falls on the vowel, it is long, as in glo-ry, ho-ly.

When the accent falls on a consonant, the vowel of that syllable is short, as in cred-it, clus-ter.

All the vowels in the unaccented syllables are short, as in fu-tu-ri-ty, where all the vowels, except u in the second syllable, are short. U in the first syllable has indeed its first sound, but is short and weak.