37. The sounds represented by the combination of the letters e and o with i and u, viz. ei, oi, eu, ou, are called diph thongs. These are the only true diphthongs in English. They are variously represented in the written language.

Compound vowel sounds, or diphthongs, and their equivalents.

1. ei-thy, thine, flie, dye, aisle, buy, guide, height, eye, aye.
2. oi-boy, boisterous, buoy.

3. eu-mute, feud, few, suit, hue, yule, purlieu, beauty, view, ewe,

you.

4. ou-now, noun.

Four diphthongal sounds are thus represented by twenty-six expedients, and none of these expedients expresses the true character of the sounds it represents.

1. ei is a combination of a in car and i in sit.

2. oi is the a in all and i in sit.

3. eu is the i in sit and the u in rude.

4. ou is the a in car and the u in rude.

38. The other so-called diphthongs are simple vowelsounds:

False diphthongs and their simple equivalents.

1. ae aether (ēther), michaelmas (michelmas).

2. ai-maid (made), plaid (plad), pair (pare), said (sed).

3. ao-gaol (jale).

4. au-caul (call), aunt (a in mar), gauge (gage), hautboy (hoboy), laurel (lorel).

5. ea-serjeant (serjant), bear (bare), heart (hart), bread (bred), yea (ya).

6. ei-ceiling (cēling), weighed (wade), heifer (heffer), heir (hare), surfeit (surfit).

7. co-people (pēple), yeoman (yoman), leopard (lepard), surgeon (serjun), galleon (u in rude).

8. ia-carriage (carrige).

9. ie—field (fēld,) friend (frend), sieve (sive).

10. io-fashion (fashun).

11. oa-broad (a in all), road (rode).

12. oe-phoenix (phēnix), hoe (ho), does (dus), shoe (shu).

13. oi-connoisseur (connesseur), porpoise (porpus).

14. ou-four (for), though (tho), rough (ruff), could (u in bull), through

(thru).

15. ua-guarantee (garantee), guard (gard).

16. ue-guest (e in set), construe (constrů), true (trū).

17. ui-guilt (gilt), fruit (frute).

18. ay-say (sa), quay (ke), says (ses).

19. aw-bawl (ball).

20. ey-key (ke), prey (pra), valley (valle).

21. ew-crew (cru), shew (sho).

22. ow-knowledge (o in not).

23. awe-a in all.

24. owe o.

25. eau-beau (bo).

39. Consonants.-A consonant cannot form either a word or a syllable without the aid of a vowel: as m, k, s.

The word is derived from the Latin consonans, "sounding together," because it is always sounded with a vowel.

40. Consonants are divided into liquids, mutes, and sibilants.

41. Liquids.-A liquid is the continuous sound produced when some organ of speech has so far changed its position as not to stop the current of air issuing from the lungs : e.g. m, produced by the compression of the lips; 7, by the application of the tongue to the palate.

These letters are called liquids, because the sound flows on, i. e. is continuous. The name is objectionable, as it is equally applicable to vowels, sibilants, and asperated mutes.

42. The liquids, as arranged in the English alphabet, are l, m, n, r; but the natural order, commencing with the throat and ending with the lips, is r, l, n, m.

To these must be added the sound of ng in sing.

43. Mutes. A mute is the interrupted sound produced when the tube, through which air passes from the lungs, is entirely closed. Thus, after sounding the t in at, the tongue is pressed against the teeth and palate, the voice is checked, and all articulation interrupted.

44. The mutes are classed according to the organs by which they are expressed. Thus, p, f, b, v, are called labials, or lipletters, because the lips are employed in producing the sounds they represent. Similarly t, th (in thin), d, th (in thine), are

called dentals, or tooth-letters; k, ch (in the Scotch loch), g, gh (in the Irish lough), are gutturals, or throat-letters.

45. On comparing the sounds of p and b in pat and bat, of t and d in tin and din, of k and g in Kate and gate, it will be found that p, t, k, are pronounced with a sharper and more delicate articulation than b, d and g.

Hence p, f, t, th (in thin), k, have been called sharp, thin, and surd mutes; and b, v, d, th (in thine), g, flat, medial, and sonant mutes.

46. On comparing ap, ab, at, ad with af, av, ath, athe, it will be found that in sounding the final letters of the first series the air-tube is entirely closed, while in sounding those of the second series it is only partially closed.

This organic difference between the perfect and imperfect mutes was recognised by the Latin grammarians, who distinguished the latter by the term asperatae. Hence letters of this nature are called asperates.

The asperated mutes in English are f, v, th (thin), th (thine). ch and gh occur only in local names in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

47. The distribution of the mutes may be thus represented:

48. A sibilant is the continuous hissing sound produced when the air-tube is imperfectly closed. They are: s, sh, 3, zh; and the two compound sounds tsh (chest), dzh (jest).

49. In addition to the above sounds, the English language possesses the letter h, which is merely a weakened form of the guttural ch. The Latin grammarians described it as a rough breathing (spiritus asper), and hence it is called the asperate.

50. In this arrangement of the consonants four letters are omitted.

(1) c. Because its soft sound is represented by s (cit, sit); and its hard sound by k (cat, kat).

(2) g soft. This is expressed by j (gem, jem).

(3) q. This is merely another way of writing k before the vowel u (quick, kuick).

"Q is a letter we might very well spare in our alphabet, if we would but use the serviceable k as he should be, and restore him to the right of reputation he had with our fore-fathers— For the English Saxons knew not this halting Q with her waiting-woman u after her, till custome, under the excuse of expressing enfranchised words with us, intreated her into our language in quality, quantity, &c. and hath now given her the best of k's possessions."-Ben Jonson.

(4) x. This is a short way of expressing the combination of a guttural and a sibilant (fox, foks; exert, egzert).

In words beginning with ex followed by an accented vowel, a represents the flat gz.