d i r e c t i o n s
F O R T H E
PRONUNCIATION of the VOCABULARY.
AS all nations who are acquainted with the method of
communicating their ideas by characters (which re-
prefent the found that conveys the idea), have fome particular
method of managing or pronouncing the founds repre-
fented by fuch characters, this forms a very effential article
in the conditution of the language of any particular nation,
and muft therefore be underiiood before we can make any
progrets in learning, or be able to converfe in it. But as this
is very complex and tedious to a beginner, by reafon of the
great variety of powers the characters or letters are endued
with under different circumftances, it would feem neceffary,
at lead in languages which have never before appeared in
writing, to leffen the number o f thefe varieties, by retraining
the different founds, and always reprefenting the fame
fimple one.s by. the fame character; and this is no lefs neceffary
in the Englilh than any other language, as this variety
of powers is very frequent, and without being taken notice
of in the following Vocabulary, might render it entirely
unintelligible. As the vowels are the regulations of all
founds, it is thefe only that need be noticed, and the
powers allotted to each of thefe in the Vocabulary is fub-
joined. 6
A in