Instructions for right-spelling, and plain directions for reading and writing true English with several delightful things very useful and necessary, both for young and old, to read and learn / by G. Fox.

Directions to Read and Spell truely.

OBserve, that the first Letter of all pro∣per Names and beginning of Sen∣tences are to be greater Letters.

A Dipthong is the sounding of any two or more Vowels together, without any Consonant between them; they be com∣monly used in Words of one Syllable, there are nine Dipthongs.

• ai, or ay, as in maid, may.
• au, or aw, as Laud, Law.
• ea, as earth:
• ee, as seed.
• ei, as heir.
• eu, or ew, as feud, grew.
• oi, or oy, as coi, boy, joy.
• oo, as good.
• ou, or ow, as loud, low.

A Consonant is a Letter that maketh a sound with a Vowel.

A Syllable is a perfect sound, made sometimes of Vowels only, and sometimes of Vowels and Consonants; no Syllable hath above eight Letters in it, as Strength; neither hath any Word above seven Sylla∣bles

in the English Tongue, as Re-con-ci-li∣a-ti-on.

Observe how many Vowels there are in a Word so many Syllables it hath in it, as in Re-con-ci-li-a-ti-on, except the Word end in e or es, as in have and James; or if there be a Dipthong in it, as in may or your: after q is always u with another Vowel, as in quick.

After true Spelling, these seven Points are to be observed in Reading, for keep∣ing the Sence.

(,) A Comma is a little stop or breathing; as, Behold O Lord,

(;) A Semi-colon is a longer stop or breathing; as, for I am in distress;

(:) A Colon is commonly put in the middle of a Sentence; as, my Bowels are troubled: my Heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled.

(.) A Period is a full stop, and is put after a full Sentence; as, Abroad the Sword, bereaveth, at home there is a Dearth.

() a Parenthesis is when some Words

may be left out, and yet the Sentence per∣fect; as, For I know that in me (that is, in my Flesh) dwelleth no good Thing— or his Letters (say they) are weighty and powerful, &c.

(?) An Interrogation is put always after Question asked? as, Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or, Were you ••aptized in the Name of Paul?

(!) An Admiration is a Note of Won∣••ering or crying out; as, O the depth of ••he Riches both of the Wisdom and Know∣••edge of God! How unsearchable are his ••ays and his judgments past finding out!

Directions for Notes.

• An Asterism *
• A Section §
• A Paragraph ¶
• A Note for extraordinary Passages “
• The Crotchets [ ]