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would not suffice, for inasmuch as k cannot be doubled we should have from such forms as "mok," "pik," "moking," "piking;" where the vowels o and i would evidently become pure. Nor would the forms "pic," ""moc," suffice, for from these we should have the derivatives "piccing," moccing," with the second c sibilant. Only by uniting the two letters is the difficulty met and removed, for so we obtain "mocking" from "mock," "picking" from "pick." We may remark here that considerable irregularity has arisen of late in the use of ck final, the tendency being to drop the k in all words but monosyllables, "hack," "brick," and Saxon dissyllables in ock, "bullock," "haddock," 'padlock," "hemlock," "wedlock." We venture to suggest the propriety of spelling primitive substantives and adjectives with c alone, primitive verbs with ck, for this reason. By this method only can we preserve the regular formation of derivatives; "logician," from "logic;" "magician," from "magic;" "musician," from "music;"" arithmetician," from "arithmetic;" physician" from " from "physic;" but "physicking " from the verb "physick," "trafficking" from "traffick."

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Again, c cannot be called redundant with respect to s, for it must be remembered that s has two sounds, one soft, the other vocal. S is vocal after an accented syllable, between two vowels, "easy." Therefore, it is a mistake to suppose that the place of c might always be supplied by s. In such a word as acid, e.g., s would necessarily have the vocal sound of z. The soft sibilant sound, after an accented syllable, is of frequent occurrence in our language, and since this

sound can be represented by c only, c is not a superfluous but a supplementary letter. Finally, c forms with h that soft and harmonious dental sound heard in "Charles," the Italian c in "civita."

=

In this instance the place of c could not be supplied either by s or by k, consequently, c is not a redundant letter.

Dis a vocal lingual, of which t is the corresponding soft lingual. D takes the sound of t, in the past tense of verbs ending in ce, ck, f, gh, p, s; "traced," "licked," "puffed," "laughed," "clapped," "missed;" pronounced lickt, puft, &c. The reason why d obtains the sound of t, when brought into contact with the above terminations, is to be found in the organic formation of the consonants, which, as we have already observed, is such, that soft letters coalesce most readily with soft, and vocal with vocal. Upon this principle it is that s, which is both soft and vocal, is soft, when it is united with a soft consonant, "scar," "skill," "spoon," "stale," "bricks," "puffs," "perhaps," "fits"; vocal, when it is united with a vocal consonant, "ribs,"

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"figs." It is upon the same principle that we pronounce blackguard, "blagguard," cupboard "cubboard," raspberry "rasberry," subpoena "suppœna." Therefore, although the d of ed under contraction, takes the soft lingual sound after a soft consonant, it retains the vocal sound after a vocal consonant or a liquid; "appealed," "skimmed," "rubbed." In solemn reading, ed should be pronounced as a separate syllable, and always in the words Crabbed, crooked, dogged, naked, ragged, rugged, scragged, wicked, wretched.

с

F is a soft spirant labial = ph, (Greek). F is doubled at the end of words, with few exceptions; "clef," "if," " of," and compounds. In "of," ƒ is vocal, equivalent to v.

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G before a, o, u, is a vocal guttural, "gad," got," "gun;" likewise before h, l, r, "ghost," "glide,” "grow." Before e, i, y, G is a vocal dental,=j in "James," "margin," "gender," " "gyves."

Before e, i, y, G is guttural, when it is preceded by another g; "dagger,” “druggist," "foggy," "shaggy," except "exaggerate ;" also in derivatives from words terminating in g; "rigging" from "rig," "longer” from "long," "youngest " from "young;" and in the words Anger, eager, finger, forget, gear, geese, gelding, get, meager, begin, forgive, gibberish, gibe, giddy, gift, gig, giggle, gild, gimlet, gimp, gird, girdle, girl, gizzard.

The aspirate H is a continuous oral sound, uttered with the whole oral canal open. In German the aspirate is very strong; in English it occupies a middle place between German and French; in French his so weak as to be scarcely perceptible. In Italian, h is found alone in the present of the verb to have only, ho, hai, ha, hanno; it is found after c and g, to gutturalise these letters before e and i.

In speaking English, care should be taken not to drop the aspirate where it does exist, and not to introduce the aspirate where it does not exist.

The dropping the aspirate, and the aspirating a vowel, sometimes appear to impart an air of selfsatisfaction to the eloquent ignoramus; while to the ear of an Englishman of only moderate acquirements,

no fault is more shocking; if, by chance, he make an unfortunate slip, the conscious blushes which suffuse his countenance are his only protection from the unfavourable verdict of watchful and inexorable critics.

f is a vocal dental, the corresponding soft sound of which is the Anglican ch; (comp. "jump," "chump"). This will, perhaps, explain the transition from ch of the old word chaw, "that which chews," to j of the modern word jaw. 7 is never found at the end of a word or a syllable. In one word, "Hallelujah," it has the sound of y in yard = Hebrew ".

K is a soft guttural. It is doubled in one word only, the Hebrew proper name, "Habakkuk." As a help to the student in distinguishing the use of k from that of c guttural, it may be remarked generally that,

1. Words commencing with a soft guttural sound followed by e, or by i, are spelt with k, not with c.

2. Words commencing with a soft guttural sound followed by a, o, u, are spelt with c, not with k.

3. The terminations "tion," "ture," &c., are preceded by c, not by k; "affection," "prefecture." 4. Greek words, and some others, are spelt with ch.

L is a liquid lingual, and possesses several peculiarities.

1. It is doubled at the end of monosyllables, when it is preceded by a single vowel; "all," "bill,” "shell," "roll," "full."

2. The words "all," "fill," "full," reject one in composition; "almost," "alone," (=all one) "always," "fulfil," "handful."

3. The final of verbs, even of those which are not accented on the last syllable, is doubled before the increment; "levelled" from "level," "traveller" from "travel."

4. L appears, and is said, to be pronounced after thee of the terminations ble, cle, "amiable," "tabernacle."

M, after the opinion of some, is a liquid labial, after the opinion of others it is nasal. The supporters of the latter opinion urge that although the mouth is closed by the lips while m is spoken, the sound of the letter is not produced by this act of closing the lips, but, after they are closed, by the simple passage of air through the nasal cavity, together with the resonance of the diverticulum formed by the cavity of the closed mouth—(Müller's Physiology). This is undoubtedly true; but inasmuch as the letter m can not be formed without the closing of the lips, we are of opinion that m is properly called a labial or lip letter.

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N is a liquid lingual (sometimes called a nasal), formed by pressing the extremity of the tongue against the fore-part of the palate, and so closing the mouth. When n precedes a guttural, the two letters coalesce and form one simple sound, "concord," congress," conquer." This is more especially the case with words terminating in ng; "ring," "sing," "thing, " "long," "song," "thong." In the comparative and superlative of adjectives, the n of ng modified, while g preserves its full guttural force; "longer," "longest," "stronger," "strongest.” will be observed that g is much more forcible here than in the verbal derivatives, "singer," "belonging."

is

It