xxvii. There are other rules of pronunciation affecting the

combinations of vowels, &c.; but as they are more difficult to describe, and as they do not relate to errors which are commonly prevalent, we shall content ourselves with giving examples of them in the following list of words. When, a syllable in any word in this list is printed in italics [_like this_], the accent or stress of voice should be laid on that syllable.

[AUCTIONS COMMENCED IN BRITAIN IN A.D. 1779.]

197. Proper Pronunciations of Words often Wrongly Pronounced.

Again, usually pronounced a-_gen_, not as spelled.

Alien, á-li-en not _ale-yen._

Antipodes, an-_tip_-o-dees.

Apostle, as _a-pos'l_, without the _t_.

Arch, _artch_ in compounds of our own language, as in archbishop, archduke; but _ark_ in words derived from the Greek, as archaic, ar-_ka_-ik; archaeology, ar-ke-_ol_-o-gy; archangel, ark-_ain_-gel; archetype, _ar_-ke-type; archiepiscopal, ar-ke-e-_pis_-co-pal; archipelago, ar-ke-_pel_-a-go; ar-chives, _ar_-kivz, &c.

Asia, _a_-sha.

Asparagus as spelled, not asparagrass.

Aunt, ant, not _au_nt.

Awkward, awk-_wurd,_ not awk-_urd._

Bade, bad.

Because, be-_cawz,_ not ba-_cos_

Been, bin.

Beloved, as a verb, be-_luvd;_ as an adjective, be-_luv_-ed. Blessed, cursed, &c., are subject to the same rule.

Beneath, with the _th_ in breath, not with the _th_ in breathe.

Biog'raphy, as spelled, not beography.

Buoy, boy, not bwoy.

Canal', as spelled, not ca-nel.

Caprice, capreece.

Catch, as spelled, not ketch.

Chaos, _ka_-oss.

Charlatan, _shar_-latan.

Chasm, kazm.

Chasten, chasn.

Chivalry, _shiv_-alry.

Chemistry, _kem'_-is-tre, not _kim_-is-tre.

Choir, kwire.

Clerk, klark.

Combat, _kum_-bat.

Conduit, _kun_-dit.

Corps, kor: the plural corps is pronounced korz.

Covetous, _cuv_-e-tus, not cov-e-tus.

Courteous, _curt_-yus.

Courtesy (politeness), _cur_-te-sey.

Courtesy (a lowering of the body), _curt_-sey.

Cresses, as spelled, not _cree_-ses.

Cu'riosity, cu-re-os-e-ty, not cur_os_ity.

Cushion, _coosh_-un, not coosh-_in_.

Daunt, d_aw_nt, not dant or darnt, as some erroneously pronounce it.

Design and desist have the sound of _s_, not of _z_.

Desire should have the sound of _z_.

Despatch, de-_spatch_, not _dis_-patch.

Dew, due, not doo.

Diamond, as spelled, not _di_mond.

Diploma, de-_plo_-ma, not _dip_-lo-ma.

Diplomacy, de-_plo_-ma-cy, not _dip_-lo-ma-cy.

Direct, de-_reckt_, not _di_-rect.

Divers (several), _di_-verz; but diverse (different), _di_-verse.

Dome, as spelled, not doom.

Drought, drowt, not drawt.

Duke, as spelled, not dook.

Dynasty, _dyn_-as-te, not _dy_-nas-ty.

Edict, _e_-dickt, not _ed_-ickt.

E'en and e'er, een and air.

Egotism, _eg_-o-tizm, not _e_-go-tism.

Either, _e_-ther or _i_-ther.

Engine, _en_-jin, not _in_-jin.

Ensign, _en_-sign; ensigncy, _en_-sin-se.

Epistle, without the _t_.

Epitome, e-_pit_-o-me.

Epoch, e-pock, not ep-ock.

Equinox, e-qui-nox, not eck-wi-nox.

Europe, U-rope, not U-rup. Euro-_pe_an not Eu-ro-pean.

Every, _ev_-er-y, not _ev_-ry.

Executor, egz-_ec_-utor, not with the sound of _x_.

Extraordinary, as spelled, not ex-_tror_--di ner-i, or _ex_-traordinary, nor extrornarey

February, as spelled, not Febuary.

Finance, fe-_nance_, not _fi_nance.

Foundling, as spelled, not _fond_-ling.

Garden, _gar_-dn, not gar-den, nor gard-ing.

Gauntlet, gawnt-let, not _gant_-let.

Geography, as spelled, not _jo_graphy, or gehography.

Geometry, as spelled, not _jom_-etry.

Haunt, hawnt, not hant.

Height, hite, not highth.

Heinous, _hay_-nuss, not _hee_-nus.

Highland, _hi_-land, not _hee_-land.

Horizon, ho-_ri_-zn, not _hor_-i-zon.

Housewife, pronounced in the ordinary way when it means the mistress of a house who is a good manager, but _huz_-wif, when it means a small case for needles.

Hymeneal, hy-men-e-_al_, not hy-menal.

Instead, in-_sted_, not instid.

Isolate _-so_-late; not _iz_-o-late, nor _is_-olate.

Jalap, _jal_-ap, not jolup.

January, as spelled, not Jenuary nor Janewary.

Leave, as spelled, not leaf.

Legend _lej_-end, not _le_-gend.

Lieutenant, lef-_ten_-ant, not leu-_ten_-ant.

Many, _men_-ney, not man-ny.

Marchioness, _mar_-shun-ess, not as spelled.

Massacre, _mas_-sa-ker, not mas-sa-cre.

Mattress, as spelled, not _mat_-trass.

Matron, _ma_-trun, not mat-ron.

Medicine, _med_-e-cin, not _med_-cin.

Minute (sixty seconds), _min_-it.

Minute (small), mi-_nute_.

Miscellany, mis-_cel_-lany, not _mis_-cellany.

Mischievous, _mis_-chiv-us, not mis-_cheev_-us.

Ne'er, for never, nare.

Neighbourhood, _nay_-bur-hood, not _nay_-burwood.

Nephew, _nev_-u, not _nef_u.

New, nu, not noo.

Notable (worthy of notice), _no_-tu-bl.

Oblige, as spelled, not obleege.

Oblique, ob-_leek_, not o-_blike_.

Odorous, o-der-us, not _od_-ur-us.

Of, ov, except when compounded with the here, and where, which should be pronounced here-_of_, there-_of_, and where-_of_.

Off, as spelt, not awf.

Organization, _or_-gan-i-_za_-shun, not or-ga-_ne_-za-shun.

Ostrich, os-tr'ch, not _os_-tridge.

Pageant, _paj_-ent, not _pa_-jant.

Parent. _pare_-ent, not _par_-ent.

Partisan, _par_-te-zan, not par-te-_zan_, nor _par_--ti-zan.

Patent, _pa_-tent, not _pat_-ent.

Physiognomy, as _fiz_-i-_og_nomy, not phy-sionnomy.

Pincers, _pin_-cerz, not pinch-erz.

Plaintiff, as spelled, not plan-tiff.

Pour, pore, not so as to rhyme with our.

Precedent (an example), _pres_-e-dent; pre-_ce_-dent (going before in point of time, previous, former), is the pronunciation of the adjective.

Prologue, _pro_-log, not _prol_-og.

Quadrille, ka-_dril_, not quod-ril.

Quay, key, not as spelled.

Radish, as spelled, not red-ish.

Raillery, _rail'_-er-y, or _ral_-er y, not as spelled.

Rather, _rar_-ther, not ray-ther.

Resort, re-_sort_.

Resound, re-_zound_.

Respite, _res_-pit, not as spelled.

Rout (a party; and to rout), should be pronounced rowt. Route (a road), root.

Saunter, _saun_-ter, not _sarn_-ter or _san_-ter.

Sausage, _saw_-sage not sos-sidge, nor sassage.

Schedule, _shed_-ule, not shed-dle.

Seamstress is pronounced _seem_-stress, but semp-stress, as the word is now commonly spelt, is pronounced _sem_-stress.

Sewer, _soo_-er or _su_-er, not shore, nor shure.

Shire, as spelled, when uttered as a single word, but shortened into shir in composition.

Shone, shon, not shun, nor as spelled.

Soldier, _sole_-jer.

Solecism, _sol_-e-cizm, not sole-cizm.

Soot as spelled, not sut.

Sovereign, _sov_-er-in, not suv-er-in.

Specious, _spe_-shus, not _spesh_-us.

Stomacher, _stum_-a-cher.

Stone (weight), as spelled, not stun.

Synod, _sin_-od, not _sy_-nod.

Tenure, _ten_-ure, not _te_-nure.

Tenet, _ten_-et, not _te_-net.

Than, as spelled, not thun.

Tremor, _trem_-ur, not _tre_-mor.

Twelfth, should have the th sounded.

Umbrella, as spelled, not um-ber-el-la.

Vase, vaiz or varz, not vawze.

Was, woz, not wuz.

Weary, _weer_-i, not w_ar_y.

Were, wer, not ware.

Wont, wunt, not as spelled.

Wrath, rawth, not rath: as an adjective it is spelled wroth, and pronounced with the vowel sound shorter, as wrath-ful, &c.

Yacht, yot, not yat.

Yeast, as spelled, not yest.

Zenith, _zen_-ith, not _ze_-nith.

Zodiac, _zo_-de-ak.

Zoology should have both o's sounded,as zo-_ol_-o-gy, not _zoo_-lo-gy

_Note._--The tendency of all good elocutionists is to pronounce as nearly in accordance with the spelling as possible.

Pronounce:

--ace not iss, as furn_ace_, not furn_iss_.

--age, not idge, as cabbage, courage, postage, village.

--ain, ane, not in, as certain, cert_ane_, not cert_in_.

--ate, not it, as moder_ate_, not moder_it_.

--ect, not ec, as asp_ect_, not asp_ec_; subj_ect_, not subj_ec_.

--ed, not id, or ud, as wicked, not wick_i_d, or wick_u_d.

--el, not l, _mod_el, not _mod_l; _nov_el,not _nov_l.

--en, not n, as sudd_en_, not sudd_n_.--Burden, burthen, garden, lengthen, seven, strengthen, often, and a few others,have the _e_ silent.

--ence, not unce, as influ_ence_, not influ-_unce_.

--es, not is, as pleas_es_, not pleas_is_.

--ile should be pronounced il, as fert_il_, not fert_ile_, in all words except chamomile _(cam)_, exile, gentile, infantile, reconcile and senile, which should be pronounce ile.

--in, not n, as Lat_in_, not Lat_n_.

--nd, not n, as husba_nd_, not husb_an_, thous_and_, not thous_an_.

--ness, not n_iss_, as careful_ness_, not careful n_iss_.

--ng, not n, as singi_ng_, not sing_in_; speaki_ng_, not speak_in_.

--ngth, not nth, as stre_ng_th, not stre_nth_.

--son, the _o_ should be silent; as in treason; _tre-zn_, not _tre-son_.

--tal, not tle, as capi_tal_, not capi_tle; _me_tal, not met_tle;_ mor_tal_, not mor_tle_; periodi_cal_; not periodi_cle_.

--xt, not x, as ne_xt_, not ne_x_.

[PUBLICATION OF BANNS OF MARRIAGE COMMENCED A.D.1210.]

198. Punctuation.

Punctuation teaches the method of placing _Points_, in written or printed matter, in such a manner as to indicate the pauses which would be made by the author if he were communicating his thoughts orally instead of by written signs.

[SILK FIRST BROUGHT FROM INDIA A.D. 274.]

199. Writing and Printing

are substitutes for oral communication; and correct punctuation is essential to convey the meaning intended, and to give due force to such passages as the author may wish to impress upon the mind of the person to whom they are being communicated.

[WINES WERE FIRST MADE IN BRITAIN A.D. 276.]

200. The Points are as follows:

Comma , Semicolon ; Colon : Period, or Full Point . Apostrophe ' Hyphen - Note of Interrogation ? Note of Exclamation ! Parenthesis ( ) Asterisk, or Star *

As these are all the points required in simple epistolary composition, we will confine our explanations to the rules which should govern the use of them.

201. The Other Points,

however, are:

the paragraph ¶ the section § the dagger [can not be shown in a .txt file] the double dagger [ditto] the parallel || the bracket [ ] and some others.

These, however, are quite unnecessary, except for elaborate works, in which they are chiefly used for notes or marginal references. The rule --is sometimes used as a substitute for the bracket or parenthesis.

202. Pauses

The Comma , denotes the shortest pause; the semicolon ; a little longer pause than the comma; the colon : a little longer pause than the semicolon; the period . or full point the longest pause.

203. The Relative Duration

of these pauses is described as:

Comma While you count One. Semicolon " " " Two. Colon " " " Three. Period " " " Four.

This, however, is not an infallible rule, because the duration of the pauses should be regulated by the degree of rapidity with which the matter is being read. In slow reading the duration of the pauses should be increased.

204. The Other Points

are rather indications of expression, and of meaning and connection, than of pauses, and therefore we will notice them separately.

205. The Misplacing

of even so slight a point, or pause, as the comma, will often alter the meaning of a sentence. The contract made for lighting the town of Liverpool, during the year 1819, was thrown void by the misplacing of a comma in the advertisements, thus:

"The lamps at present are about 4,050, and have in general two spouts each, composed of not less than twenty threads of cotton."

The contractor would have proceeded to furnish each lamp with the said twenty threads, but this being but half the usual quantity, the commissioners discovered that the difference arose from the comma following instead of preceding the word _each_. The parties agreed to annul the contract, and a new one was ordered.

206. Without Punctuation.

The Following Sentence shows how difficult it is to read without the aid of the points used as pauses:

Death waits not for storm nor sunshine within a dwelling in one of the upper streets respectable in appearance and furnished with such conveniences as distinguish the habitations of those who rank among the higher clashes of society a man of middle age lay on his last bed momently awaiting the final summons all that the most skillful medical attendance all that love warm as the glow that even an angel's bosom could do had been done by day and night for many long weeks had ministering spirits such as a devoted wife and loving children are done all within their power to ward off the blow but there he lay his raven hair smoothed off from his noble brow his dark eyes lighted with unnatural brightness and contrasting strongly with the pallid hue which marked him as an expectant of the dread messenger.

[COALS FIRST BROUGHT TO LONDON A.D. 1357.]

207. With Punctuation.

The same sentence, properly pointed, and with capital letters placed; after full-points, according to the adopted rule, may be easily read and understood:

Death waits not for storm nor sunshine. Within a dwelling in one of the upper streets, respectable in appearance, and furnished with such conveniences as distinguish the habitations of those who rank among the higher classes of society, a man of middle age lay on his last bed, momently awaiting the final summons. All that the most skilful medical attendance--all that love, warm as the glow that fires an angel's bosom, could do, had been done; by day and night, for many long weeks, had ministering spirits, such as a devoted wife; and loving children are, done all within their power to ward off the blow. But there he lay, his raven hair smoothed off from his noble brow, his dark eyes lighted with unnatural brightness, and contrasting strongly with the pallid hue which marked him as an expectant of the dread messenger.

208. The Apostrophe '

is used to indicate the combining of two words in one,--as John's book, instead of John, his book; or to show the omission of parts of words, as Glo'ster, for Gloucester--tho' for though. These abbreviations should be avoided as much as possible. Cobbett says the apostrophe "ought to be called the mark of _laziness_ and vulgarity." The first use, however, of which we gave an example, is a necessary and proper one.

209. The Hyphen, or conjoiner -

is used to unite words which, though they are separate and distinct, have so close a connection as almost to become one word, as water-rat, wind-mill, &c. It is also used in writing and printing, at the end of a line, to show where a word is divided and continued in the next line. Look down the ends of the lines in this column, and you will notice the hyphen in several places.

210. The Note of Interrogation ?

indicates that the sentence to which it is put asks a question; as, "What is the meaning of that assertion? What am I to do?"

211. The Note of Exclamation or of admiration !

indicates surprise, pleasure, or sorrow; as "Oh! Ah! Goodness! Beautiful! I am astonished! Woe is me!"

Sometimes, when an expression of strong surprise or pleasure is intended, two notes of this character are employed, thus!!

212. The Parenthesis ( )

is used to prevent confusion by the introduction to a sentence of a passage not necessary to the sense thereof. "I am going to meet Mr. Smith (though I am not an admirer of him) on Wednesday next." It is better, however, as a rule, not to employ parenthetical sentences.

213. The Asterisk, or Star *

may be employed to refer from the text to a note of explanation at the foot of a column, or at the end of a letter. [***] Three stars are sometimes used to call particular attention to a paragraph.

[PAPER MADE OF COTTON RAGS A.D. 1000.]

214. Hints upon Spelling

The following rules will be found of great assistance in writing, because they relate to a class of words about the spelling of which doubt and hesitation are frequently felt:

i. All words of one syllable ending in _l_, with a single vowel before it, have double _l_ at the close; as, _mill_, _sell_.

ii. All words of one syllable ending in _l_, with a double vowel before it, have one _l_ only at the close: as, _mail_, _sail_.

iii. Words of one syllable ending in _l_, when compounded, retain but one _l_ each; as, _fulfil_, _skilful_.

iv. Words of more than one syllable ending in _l_ have one _l_ only at the close; as, _delightful_, _faithful_; except _befall_, _downfall_, _recall_, _unwell_, &c.

v. All derivatives from words ending in _l_ have one _l_ only; as, _equality_, from _equal_; _fulness_, from _full_; except they end in _er_ or _ly_; as, _mill_, _miller_; _full_, _fully_.

vi. All participles in _ing_ from verbs ending in _e_ lose the _e_ final; as _have, having; amuse, amusing;_ unless they come from verbs ending in double _e_, and then they retain, both; as, _see, seeing; agree, agreeing._

vii. All adverbs in _ly_ and nouns in _ment_ retain the _e_ final of the primitives; as, _brave, bravely; refine, refinement;_ except _acknowledgment, judgment,_ &c.

viii. All derivatives from words ending in _er_ retain the _e_ before the _r;_ as, _refer, reference;_ except _hindrance,_ from _hinder; remembrance_ from _remember; disastrous_ from _disaster; monstrous_ from _monster; wondrous_ from _wonder; cumbrous_ from _cumber,_ &c.

ix. Compound words, if both end not in _i_, retain their primitive parts entire; as, _millstone, changeable, graceless;_ except _always, also, deplorable, although, almost, admirable,_ &c.