Concerning the mutes, we may predicate a) that one half of them is flat, and the other half sharp, and b) that some are continuous, and that others are explosive. § 112.--The letter h is no _articulate_ sound, but only a breathing. * * * * * CHAPTER II. SYSTEM OF ARTICULATE SOUNDS. § 113.--The attention of the reader is now directed to the following _foreign_ vowel sounds. 1. The _é fermé_, of the French.--This is a sound allied to, but different from, the a in _fate_, and the ee in _feet_. It is intermediate to the two. 2. The u of the French, ü of the Germans, y of the Danes.--This sound is intermediate to the ee in _feet_, and the oo in _book_. 3. The _o chiuso_, of the Italians.--Intermediate to the o in _note_, and the oo in _book_. For these sounds we have the following sequences: a in _fate_, _é fermé_, ee in _feet_, ü in _übel_ (German), oo in _book_, _o chiuso_, o in _note_. And this is the true order of alliance among the vowels; a in _fate_, and o in _note_, being the extremes; the other sounds being transitional or intermediate. As the English orthography is at once singular and faulty, it exhibits the relationship but imperfectly. § 114. _The system of the mutes._--Preliminary to the consideration of the system of the mutes, let it be observed:-- 1. that the th in _thin_ is a simple single sound, different from the th in _thine_, and that it may be expressed by the sign þ. 2. That the th in _thine_ is a simple single sound, different from the th in _thin_, and that it may be expressed by the sign ð. 3. That the sh in _shine_ is a simple single sound, and that it may be expressed by the sign σ[42] (Greek σῖγμα). 4. That the z in _azure_, _glazier_ (French j) is a simple single sound, and that it may be expressed by the sign ζ[42] (Greek ζῆτα). 5. That in the Laplandic, and possibly in many other languages, there are two peculiar sounds, different from any in English, German, and French, &c., and that they may respectively be expressed by the sign κ and the sign γ[42] (Greek κάππα and γάμμα). § 115. With these preliminary notices we may exhibit the system of the sixteen mutes; having previously determined the meaning of two fresh terms, and bearing in mind what was said concerning the words _sharp_ and _flat_, _continuous_ and _explosive_.