The words _shall_, _quality_, _quantity_, _qualify_, _quandary_, _quadrant_, are differently pronounced by good speakers. Some give _a_ a broad sound, as _shol_, _quolity_; and others, its second sound, as in _hat_. With respect to the four first, almost all the standard writers[53] agree to pronounce _a_ short, as in _hat_: And this is the stage pronunciation. It is correct, for it is more agreeable to the analogy of the language; that being the proper sound of the English _a_ which is heard in _hat_ or _bar_. With respect to the two last, authors differ; some give the first, some the second, and others the fifth sound. They all pretend to give us the court pronunciation, and as they differ so widely, we must suppose that eminent speakers differ in practice. In such a case, we can hardly hesitate a moment to call in analogy to decide the question, and give _a_ in all these words, as also in _quash_, its second sound.[54] The words _either_, _neither_, _deceit_, _conceit_, _receipt_, are generally pronounced, by the eastern people, _ither_, _nither_, _desate_, _consate_, _resate_. These are errors; all the standard authors agree to give _ei_, in these words, the sound of _ee_. This is the practice in England, in the middle and southern states, and, what is higher authority, analogy warrants the practice. Indeed it is very absurd to pronounce the verb _conceive_, _conceeve_, and the noun _conceit_, _consate_. Such an inconsistency will hardly find advocates, except among the prejudiced and uninformed. _Importance_ is, by a few people, pronounced imp[1o]rtance; with the first sound of _o_. The reason alleged is, that it is a derivative of _import_, and _o_ should preserve the same sound it has in the original. It seems however to be affectation, for the standard writers and general practice are opposed to it. Indeed it may be considered as a mere imitation of the French pronunciation of the same word. _Decis-ive_ for _deci-sive_ is mere affectation. _Reesin_ for _raisin_ is very prevalent in two or three principal towns in America. One of the standard authors gives us this pronunciation; and another gives us both _raisin_ and _reesin_. But all the others pronounce the word _raisin_, with _a_ long; and derivation, analogy and general custom, all decide in favor of the practice. _Leisure_ is sometimes pronounced _leesure_, and sometimes _lezhure_: The latter is the most general pronunciation in America. It is almost singular in its spelling; _seizure_ being the only word in analogy with it; and this is a derivative from _seize_. The true original orthography of _leisure_ was _leasure_; this was in analogy with _pleasure_, _measure_, and its ancient pronunciation still remains. _Dictionary_ has been usually pronounced _dicsonary_; But its derivation from _diction_, the analogous pronunciation of _tion_ in other cases, and all the standard writers require _dicshunary_, or _dicshonary_.