Plain, brief, and pertinent rules, for the judicious and artificial syllabication of all English words, according to art, and the institution of the same tongue With directions for the use of the English syllabary, and the English monosyllabary, and the said rules of syllabication. / By Jo. Brooksbank.

Rules for the Numeration of syllabls in any word.

Rule. FOr the most part, there is the same num∣ber of Syllabls, in a word, that there is of of Vowels, as in most, one Vowel, [o] and there∣fore but one Syllabl: utmost, two Vowels, [u] & [o]

and therefore two Syllabls, &c. Herein are thrée Exceptions.

Except. 1. When there is a Diphthong in a word, as [oy] in boy, [ou] in four, [ee] in heed, [ea] in earth.

2. When [i] [u] or [y] are made Consonants, there may séem to be a Vowel more than Syllabls, as [j] in jar, [v] in vent, and both in Iavan, [y] in yet.

3. When there is a Vowel, in a word not soun∣ded, as [a] in beauty, [e] in George, [i] in field, [o] in peopl, [u] in guide.

In this Exception it must be known, when, and where any of the vowels are not sounded; which may be by the Rules, Exceptions, and Limitations following.

Rule 1. [a] Is not sounded in steward, coward, beauty, creature, Sabaoth, Pharaoh, Baal, Canaan, Isaac, Beaumont, Beawley, Beauchamp.

Rule 2. [e] Is not sounded in George, nor till of late in Geometry; nor in words that end in [en] as taken; or in [e] as bare, hide; or in [es] as bones, stones, &c. Here we are to note these Ex∣ceptions.

Except. 1. Forraign proper names, ending in [e] may have as many vowels, as syllabls; as Der-be two syllabls, not Derbe one syllable: Pe-ne-lo-pe four syllabls, not Pene-lope thrée syllabls; as also certain Monosyllabls that end in [e] as be, he, &c.

Lim. Yet we say Mamre and Tyre Monosyllabls, and Eustace two syllabls.

Except. 2. All proper names ending in [es] have as many syllabls as vowels when they end in [es] as Azores, Antipodes, &c.

3. There are six English Terminations ending in [es] which may have as many syllabls as vowels, when they end in

• 1 ges, as cages
• 2 ces, with [c] as faces
• 3 ses, with [s] as roses a xes
• 4 zes, as Mazes,
• 5 ches, as riches,
• 6 shes, as rushes.

Rule 3. Words ending in [e] or [es] derived, or compounded, have the vowel [e] more than syl∣labls; as in lameness, therefore, hatefull, &c.

4. [i] Is not sounded in neither, chariot, medi∣cin, nor betwixt [u] & [t] as in fruit, suit, &c.

Except in recruit, circuit, conduit, subtil.

Rule 4. [i] Is not sounded after a Consonant, and before [e] as in Priest, pieces, &c.

Except in dier, diet, quiet. And all words end∣ing in [y] made derivativs by changing [y] into [i] adding [ed] thereunto, as tied, died, espied, yet they are doubtless more truly writen tyed, dyed. espyed, &c.

Rule 5. [o] Is not sounded in Polysyllabls end∣ing in [ous] as furious, vicious, &c. Nor in these words, Leopard, Tortois, Gaol, Ieoffery, infeoff, iron, peopl, yeoman, jeopardy, damosel, oeconomick,

soloecism, bloud, floud, courtesy, countrey, touch, troubl. doubl, enough, cough, coupl.

Rule 6. [u] Is not sounded after [q] as in quart, qu••lt.

Rule 7. [u] Is never sounded after [g] before a vowel, as in guard, guide.

Rule 8. [u] Is not sounded in words ending in [our] as labour, honour; Except in our, your.

Rule 9. [u] Is not sounded in these words fol∣lowing, buy, victuals, brought, bought, nought, ought, build, conduit, circuit.