between that and the gums, are modified into that hiffing found to be perceived in the one, and buzzing noife in the other. Here alfo the only difference between them is the fame as was just mentioned with regard to eth and eth, that, ez, is formed by the voice and breath together; efs, by the breath only, ez - efs.

Ezh and esh are formed by protruding the tip of the tongue towards the teeth, but fo as not to touch them; and thus the voice and breath paffing over it through a wider chink, and not being cut by it, on account of its flat position, have not so sharp a found as efs and ez. The fame diftinction is also observable here, they being both formed by exactly the fame pofition of the organs, only ezh is by the voice and breath; esh by the breath only.

Of this clafs there are but two that in ftrict propriety can be called dental, and thofe

those are th and th, formed by the applica tion of the tongue to the upper teeth; which are not directly concerned in producing any of the other founds: but as the feat of their formation is close to the teeth, they have obtained the name of dental, to distinguish them from thofe whose feat is farther removed towards the palate, and thence called palatine.

The first of this clafs are el and er, whofe feat of formation lies a little behind that of ed and et. El is formed by a gentle application of the end of the tongue to the roof of the mouth a little behind the feat of ed; the preffure must be as foft as poffible fo that the found may not be intercepted, and in this pofition the voice glides eafily over the fides of the tongue, which are in a horizontal posture, in a straight line through the mouth. Er is formed by a vibrating motion of the tip of the tongue between

between the under and upper jaw, without touching either, and at about the fame diftance from the teeth that el is formed.

Farther back towards the palate are formed eg and ek, by raising the middle of the tongue fo as to touch the roof of the mouth, and the only difference in their formation is, that in eg the tongue is not fo closely preffed at firft but that the found may continue for a little while, and in ek the voice is wholly intercepted, in the fame manner as was before mentioned in ed and et; and the fame care is to be taken in the mode of pronouncing, by dwelling on the former as long as may be, and founding the latter as smartly as poffible, as eg, ek. It will be neceffary alfo to obferve in this, as in the other cafe, that the founds are not completely formed till the tongue is removed from the roof of the mouth; as may be perceived by founding them in the different

D

ferent ways; first by keeping the tongue in its pofition of forming the letter, as beg bek; next by removing it, as beg bek.

The three confonants em, en, ing, make

up the laft clafs called nafal, on account of the founds iffuing chiefly through the nose. M is formed by clofing the lips much in the fame manner and degree as in eb, with this difference, that the voice thus stopped at the lips, is permitted to pass through the nofe.

En is formed much in the fame feat and by a like application of the organ as el, only there is more of the tongue and more closely applied to the roof of the mouth, fo as in a great measure to stop the voice from iffuing through that paffage, and to force the greater part of it back through the nose.

Behind this, much in the fame feat and fame difpofition of the organs as in form

ing the found eg, is produced the found ing, by raifing the middle of the tongue to a gentle contact with the palate, fo as that part of the voice may iffue through the mouth, and the remainder be forced back through the nofe.

I know that the description I have given of the manner in which each confonant is formed, is not likely to rest upon the minds of my hearers from one reading only; I fhall therefore in aid of this, point out a way, by which, with a little pains and attention, every one may make himself mafter of it, and be able to inftruct others how to place their organs fo as to produce these several sounds fully and diftinctly. It was for this reason that I recommended the founding of all the consonants with a vowel preceding them; because in the ufual way of pronouncing much the greater part of them, with a vowel after them, there is