50 ART OF READING AND WRITING. nor mentioned, without the.sound of a vowel; as f is called ef; b is called bee; k is called ka. 10 Q. Are the consonants all of one kind ? .A. Five of the consonants are called liquids, or half vowels, because they have a kind of imperfect sound of them- selves, as 1, m, n, r. s; the rest are mutes, or quite silent. CHAP. II.-Of Letters changing their Nature, double Con . sortants, and Diphthongs. I. QUESTION. DO the vowels never become consonants ? Answer. i and u are sometimes made consonants, and have a different shape and sound, as ja, va. 2 Q. How does the j consonant sound? A. j when it is a consonant sounds like a soft g, as in the words jest and judge. 3 Q How does y sound when it is a consonant ? A. 'I'he y consonant sounds almost likef, as in the words value, visit, live, starve. Q. Do any of the consonants ever become vowels ? A. y and wsoinetimes are used for vowels. 5 Q. When is y a vowel ? A. y is a vowel whensoever it sounds like i, as type, rhyme; and it is often written instead of i, at the end of a word, as in fly, city, mystery. 8 Q. When is w a vowel ? A. w is a vowel when it sounds like u, and comes after another vowel to make a diphthong ; as in these words, law, few, town. 7 Q. What is a diphthong ? A. A diphthong is when two vowels are joined together in one syllable, to make one sound, as a i in raise, e e infeed, i e in grief, o a in goat, o w in grow, and uy in buy. 8 Q. Are two consonants never joined together in one syllable ? A. Yes; sometimes double consonants begin words or syl- lables, and sometimes end them; as f l in ,fly, s t in star, and n g in king, with many others? 9 Q. Are three vowels or consonants never joined together ? A. Sometimes three vowels are joined in one sound, and make a tripthong, as u a i, in acquaint, e a u, in beauty, i e u, in lieu, i e w, in view ; and sometimes three consonants, as s t r, in strong, t h r in throw, or four, as n g t h, in length, r c h t, in parcht, p h t h, in phthisic. a
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