The truth is, the only possible key we can have to those thousands of
strange words and proper names which we meet only once or twice in a
lifetime, is the system of principles formulated by philologists,
if for no other reason, we should master it that we may come as near as
possible to spelling proper names correctly.
CHAPTER I.
LETTERS AND SOUNDS.
We must begin our study of the English language with the elementary
sounds and the letters which represent them.
Name the first letter of the alphabet---_a_. The mouth is open and the
sound may be prolonged indefinitely. It is a full, clear sound,
an unobstructed vibration of the vocal chords.
Now name the second letter of the alphabet---_b_.
You say _bee_ or _buh_. You cannot prolong the sound. In order to give
the real sound of _b_ you have to associate it with some other sound,
as that of _e_ or _u_. In other words, _b_ is in the nature of an
obstruction of sound, or a modification of sound, rather than a simple
elementary sound in itself. There is indeed a slight sound in the
throat, but it is a closed sound and cannot be prolonged.
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