on the Englifh Alphabet. 201 
Rue 
R is in the Englifh always nearly the fame; and 
but feldom fo ftrongly vibrated as in fome French 
words, fuch as Roi. 
S. 
S is both in found and form a ferpentine letter, 
for it ‘‘ has a hiffing found, in (/fidilation, fifter. S$ 
** fingle, at the end of words, has a groffer found, 
“ like that of z, as trees, eyes, except this, thus, us, 
“* rebus, furplus,” and fome others. 
*« It founds like z before ton, if a vowel goes 
*t before, as intrufion; and like s, if it follows a 
** confonant, as converfion. 
“ Tt founds like z before e mute, as refufe, and 
** before y final, as rofy,’* and feveral others which 
may be feen by referring to the Grammars of Dr. 
Johnfon and Mr. Sheridan. 
As to the character zh, which this Gentleman 
applies to denote the found of thes in ozier, and 
words of fimilar ending ; it feems, indeed, analogous 
to the character /h; but as this double letter, as 
before obferved, is, through want of a fimple cha- 
racter, ufed as the fymbol of an independent found, 
though it is demontftrable, by analyfis, to be no further 
expreflive of fuch found than as far as neceflity 
and cuftom have united incongruities; fo muft 
Cc 7 the 
Dr. Johnfon’s Englifh Grammar, 
