In the above Sounds we may obferve the following Similarities.

A is broad in moft Words before ld, lk, ll, and It; as, bald, walk, IVall, Alfar: It has likewife the broad Sound, for the most Part, between w and r, ort; as War, IVater.

A is

A is narrow in all Words or Syllables that are lengthened by the final e; as, Babe, Blade, Fate, relate: It is likewife narrow in all words compounded with ation; as, Salvation, Relation.

In most other Words the middle Sound prevails.

E

E is for the moft Part narrow when it ends a Word; as, Epitome, Apoftrophe, me, he, she, be; as likewife in all Words compounded with be; as, below, befpeak.

E has moft commonly the middle Sound when it ends a Syllable, or is not joined in Pronunciation to the following Confonants; as, Lever, Fever, elope, efcape.

When E is joined to the following Confonants, it is generally pronounced broader; as, fell, let, bend.

1. I is

I.

I is always broad when the Syllable in which it occurs is made long by the final e; as, Pine, Bite, Lime Alfo generally when it goes before gh, gn, ld, mb, and nd; as, Sight, Sign, mild, climb, find.

The middle Sound of the I is ufed before rd; as, Bird, third, and occurs but feldom.

I is narrow when pronounced short with a following Confonant; as, Pin, Sin, Mill, till.

0.

O has the fecond middle Sound when the Syllable in which it ftands is lengthened by the final e; as, Toɛ, Doc, Lobe, Robe. For the other Sounds of this Letter, perhaps no certain Rules can be given.

U.

The broad Sound of the U is ufed, when joined in Pronunciation to the following Confonant; as, unto, upon, Gun, Pun.

The middle Sound prevails in those Words that are lengthened by the final e; as, Mule, mute, refuse, abuse.

U is narrow when it comes after and is pronounced long, or not immediately joined to the following Confonant; as, rude, Ruby, Ruin.

Y.

r, at the End of a Word of one Syllable, or fuch as are accented on the last syllable, is broad; as, Sky, fly, try, comply: But in the end of words of more than one Syllable, and not accented on the laft, it is generally narrow; as, poffibly, Folly, Poverty.

All Vowels, when pronounced fort and negligently with a following Confonant,

fonant, in a Syllable not accented, have nearly the fame Sound; as, Altar, alter, Manor, Murmur, Satyr.

Of DIPHTHONGS*.

HEN two Vowels meet in the

W fame Syllable, they make

what is called a Diphthong.

There are no lefs than twenty Diphthongs in the English Language; which with their Sounds are expreffed in the following Tables:

Diph. Broad Middle Narr. S.

aa.

Balaam Ifaac

* From dis, twice, Phthongos, a Sound.

B 2

Diph.