e consonants_.--The th in _thin_, the th in _thine_,
the sh in _shine_, the z in _azure_, and the ng in _king_, five sounds
specifically distinct, and five sounds perfectly simple require
corresponding signs, which they have not.

s. 153. _Its inconsistency._--The f in _fan_, and the v in _van_, sounds in
a certain degree of relationship to p and b, are expressed by sounds as
unlike as f is unlike p, and as v is unlike b. The sound of the th in
_thin_, the th in _thine_, the sh in _shine_, similarly related to t, d,
and s, are expressed by signs as like t, d, and s, respectively, as th and
sh.

The compound sibilant sound of j in _jest_ is spelt with the single sign j,
whilst the compound sibilant sound in _chest_ is spelt with the combination
ch.

s. 154. _Erroneousness._--The sound of the ee in _feet_ is considered the
long (independent) sound of the e in _bed_; whereas it is the long
(independent) sound of the i in _pit_.

The i in _bite_ is considered as the long (independent) sound of the i in
_pit_; whereas it is a diphthongal sound.

The u in _duck_ is looked upon as a modification of the u in _bull_;
whereas it is a specifically distinct sound.

The ou in _house_ and the oi in _oil_ are looked upon as the compounds of o
and i and of o and u respectively; whereas the latter element of them is
not i and u, but y and w.

The th in _thin_ and the th in _thine_ are dealt with as one and the same
sound; whereas they are sounds specifically distinct.

The ch in _chest_ is dealt with as a modification of c (either with the
power of k or of s); whereas its elements are t and sh.

s. 155. _Redundancy._--As far as the representation of sounds is concerned
the letter c is superfluous. In words like _citizen_ it may be replaced by
s; in words like _cat_ by k. In ch, as in _chest_, it has no proper place.
In ch, as in _mechanical_, it may be replaced by k.

Q is superfluous, cw or kw being its equivalent.

X also is superfluous, ks, gz, or z, being equivalent to it.

The diphthongal forms ae and oe, as in _Aeneas_ and _Croesus_, except in
the way of etymology, are superfluous and redundant.

s. 156. _Unsteadiness._--Here we have (amongst many other examples), 1. The
consonant c with the double power of s and k; 2. g with its sound in _gun_
and also with its sound in _gin_; 3. x with its sounds in _Alexander_,
_apoplexy_, _Xenophon_.

In the foregoing examples a single sign has a double power; in the words
_Ph