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AMERICAN

SPELLING BOOK,

DESIGNED

For the Ufe of our common Schools; and
as an eafy Introduction to the Art of
fpelling and reading the English
Language with Propriety.

IN TWO PART S-

PART THE FIRST. PART SECOND.
Containing eafy and famil-To contain Words more

iar Words, divided, ac
cented, and methodically
arranged, agreeably to
their proper Sounds, with
Leffons of Reading in-
terfperfed.

difficult and irregular;
accented; their proper
Sounds pointed out, and
the various Significations
ranged (generally) in one
Line: With inarudive
and entertaining reading
Leffons; and the mot
useful Parts of Grammar,

COMPILED BY ASA RHOADS.

The fecond Edition, corrected, and improved,

with fome Additions.

STANFORD (State of New-York)

PRINTED BY DANIEL LAWRENCE,

Edye T 758.02.730

RECOMMENDATION.

AVING, with care and attention, examined the manufcript copy of the following fpelling-book, defigned as an eafy introduction to the knowledge of the English language in our common fchools, I am pleafed with the plan and the execution of it. As far as I can judge, it avoids the faults, and comprifes the excellencies of every work biect, which has come to my knowledge.

in 1 of n

ld not be understood to affert, that,

the work is perfect. Every work s aperfections. The English language in various refpects, capable of great improvement. Its orthography admits of many and great amendments; and its pronunciation is fluc tuating, and has not yet been reduced to any com. plete fyftem of rules. Every judicious attempt to improve its orthography, and fix a standard for its pronunciation, deferves encouragement. In this view, as well as in others, I cannot but recommend this work. The Author appears to have ftudied the English language with diligence and fuccefs, to underftand his fubject, and to have fpared no pains to render his work useful, and deferving of public patronage and encouragement, That it may anfwer his benevolent intentions, in facilitating, both to mafters and scholars, the im, portant bufinefs of inftruction in our common fchools, is my ardent with.

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INTRODUCTION.

HE English Language is formed of twentyfix fingle characters, all reprefenting certain founds, except the afperate h, which only gives form to a fucceeding found.

The names of these characters are, a be fe de e ef ge aytch i ja ka el em en o pe cu er es te yu ve double yu eks wi ze. Of which aeiou and w, are vowels, and the reft are consonants.

A vowel is a complete fimple found of is formed without a contact of the tongue with the mouth.

the

But a consonant forms no perfect found without the affiftance of a vowel, and therefore requires a contact of the parts of the mouth.

A diphthong is a union of two fimple founds, pronounced by a fingle impulfe of the voice, as oy in boy, and ou in loud.

The letters i and y are either vowels or consonants. They have both the fame found in different words and different fituations. In the words bind, pin, duty, Egypt, i and y are vowels.

I and y, when they begin a word or fyllable, are consonants; in this fituation they have a found which is formed by a contact of the tongue and the upper part of the mouth, as in familiar, youth.

As the fame vowels have various founds in different words, that is, long, short, bread, &c. for the reader's affiftance in the approved pronunciation, I would recommend to his attention the following scheme, which I call the Index or Key, in which the different sounds of the vawels are reprefented.

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