444 COMPARATIVE VOCABULARIES. 
confusing the inquirer with new characters or numerous marks, or, again, 
by employing several letters to represent a single sound. The alphabet 
here recommended for adoption, without pretending to remedy these defects, 
will at least prove an assistance to the collector in the field. Should it be 
necessary to represent other sounds, not included below, it will be better 
for him to adopt some arbitrary mark of his own, describing fully its value 
or meaning. 
VOWELS. 
as long in father, and short in German hat (nearly as in English awat). 
Eas long in they (“‘long a” in face), short in met. 
1 as long in marine, short in pin. 
o as long in go, short in home, whole (as generally pronounced in the 
Northern States). 
u as long in rule (00 in fool), short in full (00 in good). U as in union, 
pure, &e.; to be written yu. 
A as inall (aw, au, in bawl, taught). 
a as in fat. 
wu —_as in but (0 in love, oo in blood). 
Alas in aisle (“long 7” in pine). 
AU as ow in now, ou in loud. 
The distinction of long and short vowels to be noted, as far as possi- 
ble, by the division into syllables, joining a following consonant to a short 
vowel, and leaving the vowel open if long. Where this is insufficient, or 
where greater distinctness is desirable, a horizontal mark above, to indicate 
a long vowel, a curved mark a short one, thus: @, a, @, @é, &e. A nasal syl- 
lable, like those found so commonly in French, to be marked by an index, 
n, at the upper right-hand corner of the vowel; thus, 0”, a’, a", uw”, will rep- 
resent the sounds of the French on, an or en, in, and un, respectively. 
CONSONANTS. 
Bas in English blab. 
not to be used excepting in the compound ch; write k for the hard 
sound, s for the soft. 
