THE GREEK ALPHABET, &c 



PRONUNCIATION. 



1. Every Latin word has as many syllables as it has separate vowels and diph- 

 thongs. 



2. The penult (last syllable but one) is always accented in words of two sylla- 

 bles. In words of more than two syllables, the penult, if long in quantity, is ac- 

 cented ; if short, the antepenult (last syllable but two) is accented. A word may 

 have, also, a secondary accent, &c. 



3. A vowel before another vowel, or the letter h, or marked with this ( w ) char- 

 acter, is short in quantity. A diphthong, a vowel before two consonants, or a 

 double consonant, or the letter j, or marked with this (~) character, is long in 

 quantity. 



4. A vowel has its short, English sound, when followed by a consonant in the 

 same syllable; otherwise its long sound, without regard to quantity: a at the end 

 of an accented syllable, has an indistinct sound, as in Columbia. 



5. A single consonant or a mute and liquid between the vowels of the penult 

 and final syllables, is joined to the latter ; in other cases, the vowel of the accented 

 syllable takes the consonant before and after it, except u, and the rowels a, e and 

 o, before two vowels, the first of which is e or t ; when it takes the former only. 



6. Pronounce es final with the e protracted ; ch like k; ci, ti, si, before a vow- 

 el, like sh ; ce, a, like e ; qu like kw ; gu, su, before a vowel in the same syllable, 

 like gw, sw. 



