Chapter I: LETTERS. A letter is the first principle, or least part, of a word

The English Alphabet contains twenty-six letters.

They are divided into vowels and consonants.

A vowel is a letter that can be perfectly sounded by itself. The vowels are _a, e, i, o, u,_ and sometimes _w_ and _y_. _W_ and _y_ are consonants when they begin a word or syllable; but in every other situation they are vowels.

A consonant is a letter that cannot be perfectly sounded without the help of a vowel; as, _b, d, f, l_. All letters except the vowels are consonants.

Consonants are divided into mutes and semi-vowels.

The mutes cannot be sounded _at all_ without the aid of a vowel. They are _b, p, t, d, k_, and _c_ and _g_ hard.

The semi-vowels have an imperfect sound of themselves. They are _f, l, m, n, r, v, s, z, x_, and _c_ and _g_ soft.

Four of the semi-vowels, namely, _l, m, n, r_, are called _liquids_, because they readily unite with other consonants, and flow, as it were, into their sounds.

A diphthong is the union of _two_ vowels, pronounced by a single impulse of the voice; as _oi_ in voice, _ou_ in sound.

A triphthong is the union of _three_ vowels pronounced in like manner; as, _eau_ in beau, _iew_ in view.

A _proper_ diphthong has _both_ the vowels sounded; as, _ou_ in ounce. An _improper_ diphthong has only _one_ of the vowels sounded; as, _oa_ in boat.

II. SYLLABLES. A Syllable is a distinct sound, uttered by a single impulse of the voice; as, _a, an, ant_.

A word of one syllable, is termed a Monosyllable; a word of two syllables, a Dissyllable; a word of three syllables, a Trisyllable; a word of four or more syllables, a Polysyllable.