52 ART OF READING AND WRITING. 7 Q. How does g sound before si? When g cones before n, in the beginning of a word, it sounds like h, as gnaw, gnash, gnat. 8 Q. Does h show any alteration in its sound? A. ch, eh, and th, have a peculiar sound like new and dis- tinct letters, as chalk, cheese, shall, s hew, that, there ; and ph, which sounds likef, as physic, dolphin. O Q. Doth th always sound alike ? A. th sometimes has a hard sound, as this, they, bathe, brother; and sometimes 'tis sounded softer, as hath, bath, thin, thick. 10 Q. Wherein doth k alter its sound ? A. k before n, in the beginning of a word, is pronounced lace h, as knock, knife, knowledge. 11 Q. Wherein Both s change its pronunciation ? A. s sounds sometimes softer, as this, best, lesson; some- times liard, like z, as these, his, reason. 12 Q. How doth t change its sound ? A. ti, et, and si, in the middle of a word, sound like sh; when another vowel follows them, as social, vision, action, rela- tion ; except when s goes just before the t, as christian, qques- tion; also except such derivative words, as emptied, mightier, twentieth, which are but few. 13 Q. Dotti t sound like s any where else. A. st sounds like double s in such words as these, castle, thistle, whistle. CHAP. IV. Of Consonants that lose their Sound. I QUESTION. ARE all the consonants always pronounced ? A. Nine consonants lose their sounds entirely in somewords, as b, c, g, h, 1, n, p, s, and w. 2 Q. When doth b lose its sound ? A. b is not sounded at the end of a word just after in, as .lamb, comb, nor before t, as debt, doubt. 3 Q. When is c quite silent? A. e is not sounded in these words, verdict, victuals, indict; Muscle. 4 Q. Where has g no sound? A. g has no sound before n, in the end of a word, as sign sovereign; except condign. 5 Q. When is h without sound. A. h is hardly sounded in these words, honour, honest, heir, herb, 8fc. 6 Q. When is l not pronounced ? A. Thesound of l is almost worn out towards the end of
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