letters; consequently, six of the simple elementary sounds have no sign or letter corresponding to them. These six sounds are,

1. The u in but.-This is expressed by the letter u; the proper business of which letter is to express the vowel sound in words like bull, one very different from the one in question.

2. The th in thin.-This is a simple sound, and one by no means accurately expressed by the combination th. In the Greek alphabet, where this sound occurs, it is expressed by a simple sign, the letter 9. The same was the case in Anglo-Saxon, where the letter p was similarly used. The loss of the Anglo-Saxon p, a simple sign for a simple sound, is to be regretted.

3. The th in thine.-For this simple single sound the Anglo-Saxons had also a simple single sign (); the loss of which in the present English is much to be regretted.

4. The sound of the sh in shine.-This is a simple single sound without a sign equally simple and single to express

it.

5. The sound of the z in azure.-This is a simple single sound without a sign equally simple and single to express

it.

6. The sound of the ng in king.-This is a simple single sound without a sign equally simple and single to express

it.

35. In 27 the letters of the English language are arranged in a natural order: that is, the vowels come first, then the mutes, then the aspirate h, fourthly the liquids (l, m, n, r), and finally the double letter j, with the redundant signs c, q, and x. Besides this, the mutes that were most akin were placed next each other: thus p and b, t and d, came in order; and so on throughout. Thus the arrangement was natural; at least, it was natural up to a certain point.

§ 36. The Alphabet.-The order of the letters in the English alphabet is not the natural order. It is well known to be as follows: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w xyz. This arrangement of the English letters is called. the Alphabet. In the Greek language the name of the first letter is Alpha, and of the second Beta. From these two words, the names of the two first letters, the word Alphabet is derived.

§ 37. In respect to its merits or demerits the English alphabet is

1. Redundant. It contains three superfluous letters, viz. c, q, and x.

2. Deficient. It wants signs for the six sounds mentioned in § 34.

3. Inconsistent. It expresses the double sound of the first letter in jest (dzh) by a single sign, and the single sounds of the first letters in thin, thine, and shine, by two signs (th and sh).

There are other faults in the English alphabet and the English method of spelling, which it is not necessary here to enlarge upon. For many of these a sufficient, although not a satisfactory, reason can be exhibited.

Vowels.

§ 38. RECAPITULATION.

1. The sound of the letter a in father."

§ 39. Accent. -Next to the consideration of the elementary sounds, and of the letters that represent them, comes that of Accent. The nature of accent we may exhibit by the word tyrant.

In this word there is an emphasis, a stress, or a raising of the voice on the first syllable. If we chose to express the fact in writing, we might invent a mark of some sort, and place it over or under the syllable ty-. We might write týrant, or tirant, &c. This raising of the voice, this stress, or this emphasis, is called accent. Compared with the syllable -rant, the syllable ty- is accented: in other words, the word týrant is accented on the first syllable.

The word týranny is in the same predicament. The syllable that is accented is the first.

The word tyrannical is in a different predicament. The accented syllable is the second.

The following words are accented on the first syllable— ánchor, árgue, hásten, father, foxes, smiting, húsband, márket, vápour, bárefoot, &c.

In brigáde, preténce, harpoón, reliéve, detér, assume, besoúght, beréft, before, abroád, abóde, abstruse, &c., the accent is on the last.

The ear should be familiar with the difference of accent in different words. The best practice in this matter is to do as follows, viz. to take a word accented on the first syllable, and to change the place of the accent, by removing it to the second, and vice versá; e. g. to pronounce tyrant as if it were tyránt, market as if it were markét, detér as if it were déter. This transposition shows the effect that accent has upon the sound.

The words quoted above, with their accents transposed, were fictitious specimens. There are in English no such words as tyránt, markét, déter. There are, however, in English real specimens of this transposition. They play an important part in our grammar; since it is a fact that one and the same word may sometimes take its accent on the first, and sometimes on the second syllable, this change of accent being accompanied by a change of meaning. We say, I am in a state of torment; but we do not say, These things torment me. We say, These things torment me; but we do not say, I am in a state of torment. The reason

of this difference is, that the word torment when used as a noun takes its accent on the first syllable, and when used as a verb on the last.

§ 40. For the sake of accustoming the ear to the nature of accent, the following list of words is subjoined. It consists of words identical in everything but the accent. In those of the first column the accent is on the first, in those of the second column on the second, syllable. The words in the first column are nouns (an ábsent man). The words in the second column are verbs (I absent myself).