ION.

RULE I.--Every letter is pronounced. There are no mute letters as _b_ in
"lamb" or _n_ in "autumn."

EXCEPTIONS--_H_ is not sounded as already explained in the alphabet. _U_
is not sounded in the following syllables: _que, qui, gue_ and _gui_, as
Quedar (to remain), Quinta (villa), Guerra (war), Aguila (eagle), unless
the _u_ in _gue_ and _gui_ has the diaeresis, as Argueir (to argue),
Vergueenza (shame).

RULE II.--No consonant is doubled except C and N. _C_ is found doubled
in words like Acceder (to accede) when one _C_ is hard--_k_ and the
other soft--_th_.

_N_ is found doubled in words having the prefix _in_, as Innoble
(ignoble), Innavegable (unnavigable). Also in Perenne (perennial) and a
very few more words.

_Ll_ and _Rr_ are treated as single letters.

RULE III.--The _stress of the voice_ falls on the last syllable but one
in all words ending in a vowel or _S_ or _N_; otherwise it falls on the
last syllable, as Una factura (an invoice), Facturas (invoices), Hermano
(brother), Cartas (letters), Ellos tienen (they have), Azul (blue),
Abril (April), Labor (labour), Feliz (happy).

In diphthongs and triphthongs the stress is not on _i_ or _u_, but falls
on _a_, _e_ or _o_, as Reina (queen), Gracia (grace), Igual (equal),
Cielo (heaven).

When the diphthong is formed by _i_ and _u_ the last one bears the
stress, as Un viudo (a widower), La ciudad (the city), Luisa (Louise).

The numerous exceptions to the above rule are all marked by the written
accent ('), as Facturo (he invoiced), Escribira (he will write), Hablame
(speak to me), Ingles (English), Aleman (German), Util (useful), Jovenes
(young men).

The stress of the voice should fall _distinctly_ on the proper syllable
according to the above rule, and the attention of the student must be
earnestly called to this very important point.

A word in the plural maintains the stress on the same syllable as in its
singular, as El oceano (the ocean), Oceanos (oceans), Calculo
(calculation), Calculos (calculations), Ingles (Englishman), Ingleses
(Englishmen); except Caracter (character), Caracteres (characters),
Regimen (regime or rule), Regimenes (regimes or rules)--the latter
hardly ever used in the plural.

SIGNS.

The Written Accent.

The only accent in Spanish is ('). It is used--

(1) To mark the exceptions to the _Rule of Stress_.

(2) To distinguish between two meanings of the