h aitch

I i I i i (or ja)

J j J j j conson.

K k K k ka

L l L l el

M m M m em

N n N n en

O o O o o

P P P p pee

Q q Q q cue

R r R r ar

S s S s ess

T t T t tee

U u U u u (or va)

V v V v v conson.

W w W w double u

X x X x ex

Y y Y y wy

Z z Z z zed

To these may be added certain combinations of letters universally used in
printing; as, fl, ff, fi, ffi, ffl, and &, or and per se, and.

Our letters are commonly reckoned twenty-four, because anciently i and
j as well as u and v were expressed by the same character; but as those
letters, which had always different powers, have now different forms,
our alphabet may be properly said to consist of twenty-six letters

Vowels are five, a, e, i, o, u.

Such is the number generally received; but for i it is the practice to
write y in the end of words, as thy, holy; before i, as from die, dying;
from beautify, beautifying; in the words says, days, eyes; and in words
derived from the Greek, and written originally with [Greek: y], as
sympathy, [Greek: sympatheia], system, [Greek: systema].

For u we often write w after a vowel, to make a diphthong; as, raw, grew,
view, vow, flowing; lowness.

The sounds of all the letters are various.

In treating on the letters, I shall not, like some other grammarians,
inquire into the original of their form, as an antiquarian; nor into
their formation and prolation by the organs of speech, as a mechanick,
anatomist, or physiologist; nor into the properties and gradation of
sounds, or the elegance or harshness of particular combinations, as a
writer of universal and transcendental grammar. I consider the English
alphabet only as it is English; and even in this narrow disquisition I
follow the example of former grammarians, perhaps with more reverence
than judgment, because by writing in English I suppose my reader
already acquainted with the English language, and consequently able to
pronounce the letters of which I teach the pronunciation; and because
of sounds in general it may be observed, that words are unable to
describe them. An account, t