With these principles in our mind we may measure the imperfections of our own and of other alphabets. s. 252. Previous to considering the sufficiency or insufficiency of the English alphabet, it is necessary to enumerate the elementary articulate sounds of the language. The enumeration of these is, strictly speaking, a point, not of orthography, but of orthoepy. It is, however, so intimately connected with the former that the present chapter seems its proper place. The vowels belonging to the English language are the _twelve_ following:-- 1. That of _a_ in _father_. | 7. That of _e_ in _bed_. 2. -- _a_ -- _fat_. | 8. -- _i_ -- _pit_. 3. -- _a_ -- _fate_. | 9. -- _ee_ -- _feet_. 4. -- _aw_ -- _bawl_. | 10. -- _u_ -- _bull_. 5. -- _o_ -- _not_. | 11. -- _oo_ -- _fool_. 6. -- _o_ -- _note_. | 12. -- _u_ -- _duck_. For the relations of these see Chapter II. The diphthongal sounds are _four_. 1. That of _ou_ in _house_. 2. -- _ew_ -- _new_. 3. -- _oi_ -- _oil_. 4. -- _i_ -- _bite_. This last sound being most incorrectly expressed by the single letter _i_. The consonantal sounds are, 1. the two semivowels; 2. the four liquids; 3. fourteen out of the sixteen mutes; 4. _ch_ in _chest_, and _j_ in _jest_, compound sibilants; 5. _ng_, as in _king_; 6. the aspirate _h_. In all, twenty-four. 1. _w_ as in _wet_. | 13. _th_ -- _thin_. 2. _y_ -- _yet_. | 14. _th_ -- _thine_. 3. _m_ -- _man_. | 15. _g_ -- _gun_. 4. _n_ -- _not_. | 16. _k_ -- _kind_. 5. _l_ -- _let_. | 17. _s_ -- _sin_. 6. _r_ -- _run_. | 18. _z_ -- _zeal_. 7. _p_ -- _pate_. | 19. _sh_ -- _shine_. {183} 8. _b_ -- _ban_. | 20. _z_ -- _azure_, _glazier_. 9. _f_ -- _fan_. | 21. _ch_ -- _chest_. 10. _v_ -- _van_. | 22. _j_ -- _jest_. 11. _t_ -- _tin_. | 23. _ng_ -- _king_. 12. _d_ -- _din_. | 24. _h_ -- _hot_.