1915.] LYMAN— A PRACTICAL RATIONAL ALPHABET. 365 



and calm is long; and that of baa, ah, arm, charge is still broader. 

 The two last would therefore be written with a double letter 

 (provisionally aa) ; and there would be no need to distinguish in 

 writing between these two, because there is distinction enough in the 

 following r or h. 



In group II, the two closer vowels, as (long) in war, lord, awe, 

 pause, or (shorter) all, water, long, daughter, are both labially 

 modified, by stiffening the lips ; and can be so indicated by means 

 of a small vipright stroke (an abbreviated /, provisionally a small /) 

 just to the right of the letter. The longer vowel can be indicated by 

 doubling, as already described. The shorter and not labially modi- 

 fied vowel of the second degree of openness is heard in the words 

 salt, although, cross, horror; and the third degree of openness, also 

 not labially modified, occurs in sod, nor, off, zvhat, knozvledge ; and 

 may be written with an a combined with an o, like the corresponding 

 Swedish letter, but more contracted. These two closely similar 

 vowel sounds, scarcely distinguishable by ordinary ears, it seems 

 hardly worth while to provide with separate letters (though the 

 distinction of the third degree might be marked by a small 3 just to 

 the right of the letter). The fourth degree of openness does not 

 occur in ordinary speech. 



In group III, in like manner, the least open vowel, as in note, 

 toe, low, loaf, door, mourn, being longer, may be written with a 

 double letter (like the Greek omega), or, provisionally, by a repeti- 

 tion of the single letter, 00 ; and might be marked as labially modified, 

 in the way already indicated. But this is hardly necessary, because, 

 in English, it always has that modification, making it unnecessary to 

 mark it. The next degree of openness is likewise always labially 

 modified, and being short would be written with a single letter. It 

 is also distinguished by being an unaccented vowel. The third 

 degree of openness, as in not, dot, folly, knock, proper, bite, eye 

 (oy, a short followed by the consonant y) occurs only in accented 

 syllables, and is thereby sufficiently distinguished. 



In group IV, the long sound of the vowel in rule, sure, fool, pool, 

 moon, shoe, soup, would be written with a double vowel (provi- 

 sionally by uu), while the vowel of the second degree of openness, 

 as in full, pull, bosom, woman, should, good, foot, book, would be 



