9. When two consonant letters follow a vowel, one is given to each syllable, as ren-der, fos-ter, fal-ter, am-nes-ty, cos-mic-al, dig-ni-ty, sil-ver, tim-brel. This rule, however, is not to over-ride rule 4, which teaches to keep the root whole in derivatives; and we must not write ben-ded, mis-ty, trus-ty, sen-ding, but bend-ed, mist-y, trust-y, send-ing.

10. Prefixes in general form separate syllables, as pro-pose, ex-ceed, re-tard, con-form, pre-pare; but this rule is sometimes departed from in order to show the pronunciation, as pref-er-able, rec-re-ate, ref-or-ma-tion, res-pira-tion.

The objects of syllabification are for the two purposes of showing the pronunciation, and of showing the composition or derivation of words. These purposes are sometimes conflicting, and a compromise is made between them, or more frequently the principle for showing the pronunciation overrules the other, and it is becoming more and more general. The foregoing rules all refer to the division of syllables when words have to be separated in writing, and not to the manner in which they are really spoken.

In teaching a child to read, the result would be sooner attained by dividing the words as spoken, and without any regard to roots, prefixes, and affixes. Syllables will almost always commence with consonants, and, therefore, when there is only one consonant, it will go to the following vowel. Explosive consonant sounds have an affinity, especially for the succeeding vowel and not for the preceding one; for instance, the words "take it away," are really uttered ta-ki-ta-way. This may easily be verified by singing the words slowly and as smoothly as possible to four different musical notes, as C, D, E, F. A few words are given below as they are divided into syllables in writing; and also as they are actually divided when spoken.

WRITTEN.

en-chant-ing
filth-i-ly

SPOKEN.

en-chan-ting
fil-thi-ly

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE SOUND P.

This is an explosive whispered consonant sound formed by the lips. There is no other letter to represent it than p. It is rarely a silent letter, as in tempt, damped, psalm, psychology. It is generally doubled in two or three-syllable words, when immediately preceded by a short accented vowel, and followed by a vowel, as in happily. It is never doubled at the end of

words.

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE SOUND B.

This is the vocal power of the preceding whispered consonant p, and is formed like it by the lips. It is always represented by the letter b. It is never doubled at the end of words, but like most of the consonant letters, it is generally

doubled when preceded by a short accented vowel and followed by a vowel, or the sound l, as sobbing, blubber, dabble. It is silent in a few words, principally, it will be seen, after the sound of m, as debt, doubt, plumb, climb, comb, crumb, lamb, limb, dumb, thumb. The following passage from Shakspeare's Love's Labour Lost, Act V., Scene I., seems to prove that this and other letters, now silent in certain words, were sounded about his time, but were then in a state of transition towards the present pronunciation. Holofernes, a schoolmaster, speaking of the fop, Don Armado, says: "He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument. I abhor such fanatical phantasms, such insociable and point-device companions; such rackers of orthography, as to speak, dout, fine when he should say doubt; det, when he should say debt; d, e, b, t, not d, e, t; he clepeth a calf, cauf; half, hauf; neighbour vocatur nebur; neigh abbreviated ne; this is abhominable (which he would call abominable), it insinuateth me of insanie; ne intelligis domine? to make frantic, lunatic?"

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE SOUND T.

This is a whispered explosive consonant sound, formed in the second position of the mouth, at the fore part of the palate behind the upper teeth; the similar sounds k and p, being formed, the first at the back of the mouth, and the latter at the lips. This sound is never represented by any other letter than t, except in the preterits of verbs ending in whispered consonants, when -ed is written for it, as washed, kissed, pronounced washt, kist.

The letter t is generally doubled in two and three syllable

words when immediately following a short accented vowel and followed by a vowel, as bitter, fatty.

The letter t is never silent except in such words as thistle, of which a list is given below.

The prefix ad, signifying to, nearness, or increase, has its d changed into t before words beginning with t, as attempt, attain, &c. This is in accordance with a euphonic law operating in the direction of the easiest action to the vocal organs; thus attain, to reach to, has one sound less than the word adtain. Again, in is a prefix generally signifying not, but if the word begins with p, b or m, which are all formed at the lips, it is easier to utter the prefix im formed at the same place than in formed behind the teeth. Thus, impure, not pure; imperfect, not perfect; imbibe, to drink in; immature, not ripe; are all easier to pronounce than inpure, inperfect, inbibe, inmature, would be. In the musical Italian language, these euphonic changes are carried to a great extent. It is difficult to say why this sound has been called a dental; the first word babies utter before they have their teeth is tatah, and toothless old people pronounce the t quite as well as if they had their full set of teeth.

T DOUBLED AFTER AN ACCENTED SHORT VOWEL.

RULE IV.

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE SOUND D.

The vocal explosive consonant sound d, is produced by the same action of the tongue as the preceding sound t, and differs from it just as b does from p, by voice being added to the whisper. It is always represented by the letter d; except in the compound consonant j or g soft, of which it forms the first element; thus it is disguised, but really existent, in the word ginger which is pronounced dzhin-dzher. It is never a silent letter, being always sounded either as d or t. The letter d is not doubled at the end of words (one or two excepted), but, like many other consonant letters, is frequently doubled in words of two or three syllables, when immediately preceded by a short accented vowel and followed by a vowel.

It is written as a silent letter in such words as badge, ledge, midge, to indicate that the foregoing vowel is short. See examples under Rule 25.

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE SOUND K.

§ 1. This is a whispered explosive consonant formed at the third position, or back of the mouth, the two other explosive consonants being formed, p, at the lips or first position, and t at the fore part of the palate, or second position. This sound is represented four different ways, by c, k, q and ch, and the letters are never doubled except in the forms cc (account) and ck (neck); we never write kk, qq, or ch ch.

2. C is by far the most frequent letter for representing this sound, for though it has another sound, s (civil), yet it has the power of k fifteen times where it has the power of s The other letters k, q and ch are comparatively used so rarely, that the pupil will almost always be right in using c, except before all those vowel sounds represented by the

once.