1143 C63t 1 ^ s s ■ij^ ■;^\ m Ml o fMMWf L^ rq ^. o rn^rn P^:^l !;•:;." • .. • • * •: ! r . • • • • • • • « • • - • • • • • • • • • • • • ' • • < • ••• • ' ( • • • ••• e ••• A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE ORTHOGRAPHY OP DR. WEBSTER'S SERIES OF BOOKS roa SYSTEMATICK INSTRUCTION JN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE; INCLUDINQ HIS FORMER SPELLING-BOOK, AND THE KLEMENTARY SPELLING-BOOK, COMPILED BY AARON ELY, AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE NAME OF NOAII WEBSTER, LL. D. BY LYMAN COBB. Society it directly benefited by the inculcation of truth, and the suppression of crrour ;" therefore examtoA NEW YORK . PUBLISHED BY COLLINS & HANNAY, 230 PEARL-STREET 1831 ADVERTISEMENT. TO THE PUBLICK. The importance of a correct and unifonn system of orthogi-aphy is universally admitted, and therefore requires neither argument nor elucidation. Tliis subject has engaged the assiduous attention of the author of the following reviews, for the last twelve years ; during wluL^h time, he h;is actually examined, compared, and marked the crrours in nearly every publication upon this branch of our language, that has ever appeared either in this country or Gr-at: Britain. An imj)ortaiit crisis has at last arrived, in relation to oiu* elementary schools and !5omn)aries of harning — a period wlu-ji Lt bscomtis necessary for parents, and ihe great bo;iy of t!ie Amf^rican connnunity, to decide v.iiether they will continue to follow the sr^-stems of orthfixrajihy and ortho ;py hillurto in use, and based upon the analogies of the language, th- -r.^by promotmg uniformity in the publications of cur own and foreign countries; or will adopt a new and contradictory system of innovations, neither warranted by usage nor analogy, ar;l calcular.ed to " abiii^k the <:upcrs.lrv.rlure^ and bring it back to the confusion in iirlhcifraplui. from vkic/i Jnhnscn exiricatcd it.'' It is the peculiar character of the American people, (a character formed from reading and habits of inv.^at.igation,) to examine before they decide; and, in spreading Ijefore tin. "t'publick of letters in the United States, these criticisms on the publications of Mr. Web.ster, the aui.hor only asks for that liberal indulgence and patient examination to "which, from the importance of tlio subject, he believes them fully entitled. It has been a primary object witli Mr. Webster and his friends, to inculcate the belief, that llie aurht>v, in publishing his former reviews of Mr. Webster's works, was actuated by per- sonal feelings towards the author of the American Dictionary. The illiberality of tins insinuiiiion is only equalled by its want of candour ; and, the author feels no reluctance in lrusrti)ig Uie question of his motives, his rights, and the correctness and propriety cf his strictures, widia nation of impartial and intelligent readers. To those who are already wedded to the systems of orthography and orthoepy publislied by Mr. Webstn-, this publication will be important as an index to the disputable points, a nd the innovations and contrarieties of the American Lexicographer; and, to such as deem the unifiDrmity and pei-petuity of our vernacular language to be par.amount to the private uvtercsrs of an author, it will be useful in enabling the)n to form a correct estimate of tlic claims of those publications to the character of Standard Works. \n giving this niviowto the publick, the author has but one thing to regret; and tliut is. the necessity of communicating it, m many instances, through the medium of the Post Office, til'' only means of disseminating it over this widely extended republick. It is confidently believed, however, that a careful perusal will amply remunerate any individual for tlie trifling expense to which he may tlrus be subjected. fc Respectfully, THE AUTHOR. •/ It mav bfl necessary to state, that whenever a quotation Is stven \n this re\'lcw, from the writings of Mr. Wcl^ tter, his publisliers, or his friends, ihc orisirutl ortltosraphy has been obser\-eom this right, though perhaps better qualified from taste, habit, and ^xpc- Qrience, than most others, for doing justice to the subject. This clas? compre- hends authors, compilers, and ieachsrs.* While in the ordinary affairs of life, J., we daily resort to mechanical or professional men for their ophiions m matters J^ relating peculiarly to their business or profession, as the best evidence for form- N ing a correct judgement, it is not a little surprising, it should for a moment be ta urged that in matters of science we should not credit the evidence, nay the unde- ^ niable facts, produced by an individual who "has had the misfortune" of wri- ting and publishing upon tlie same subject, and, therefore, may reasonaljhj be • supposed to know something' about it. I trust I shall be excused for premising thus much in answer to what has » already been urged, and will doubtless be reiterated, by Mr. Webster and his ""i friends — that "I am the author of a Spclling-Book and School Dictionary, and 5 am, therefore, incaparitated for doing Justice to his literary productions."' TJut ^ • Tl»rj Publisher of AVobstcr's Dlcfionan-. in a communication mlilrcpscd tothcEililor of the Eostp^Coun(?r. an4 ^ ^ jiulilishfil in ilKM ii:ii)LT. s'-pt. 28, 1829, n»;ies tl»c follovvin,' lU't ral .imical to Uic iiublirk, rcltiUy*^ u>c c>*ui.i^ras ■^ then rcccnMy imblishefl. - f,,i f»ii „,>„„ ' " Dm;- S/r.-.-'omp twontv or thirty (bf ! ' ; over :i T .sritl- *\) a notice of somp critirism- on Wi-l.snr si in tbp 3, . «.ii « hi i? 1 am infoiv.t.-.l ,-,^ Pul.lisiKV of tin.-, work. :i:,. • • ,•,;.•' fi-i« ronc«^mi,.'2 1 leave ..ti,., . t., rc-vn-w ri.o work, it i.^ l)iit tu l.v ho n-imro^rii^^ recently a .^chooUn.xstcr, in o.io Of our wcsuri* villages, who had had the luMonuiie « i.uii.pi.e a *i>«u"»g uooK, and small Dictionary." ^ INTRODUCTION. without attempting to exonerate myself from this imputation, and without further remark relative thereto, I shall assume the right, and leave the result of my examinations to the intelligence and judgement of a discriminating community, to whose unerring decision, wliether of condemnation or justifica- tion, I shall most cheerfully and readily submit. Before entering upon the examination of the several works of Mr. Webster, it may not be impertinent to give a succinct chronological history of the causes and circumstances which have contributed to place the adherents of Walker and Webster in opposition to each other ; and wiiich have rendered this pub- lication not only justifiable, but indispensable to the promotion of truth, and the protection of individual character and enterprise. In detailing these, I shall commence at that period, when from experience in the use of Mr. Webster's Spelling-Book and School Dictionary in instructing?, I became familiar with the " multitudinous errours," contradictions, and incon- sistencies contained in them ; and seeing the importance and necessity of a uniform standard, more particularly in orthography, I resolved both to give the result of my investigations to the publick in the way of criticism, and to em- ploy my experience thus acquired, in the compilation of a work for elementary instruction. The former, so far as it relates to the then existing publications of Mr. Webster, Avas published in a series of nuiubers in the Albany Argus in 1827-8, and is now re-published in this general review. The result of my labours in the latter, has already been several years before the publick, from whom I have received many flattering evidences of a favourable opinion. Whether that examination of the former works of Mr. Webster, was either ill-timed or unimportant, is left for others to determine ; with this single re- mark — that it is confidently believed Mr. Webster himself will admit, that if those criticisms had never appeared, the recent compilation of the Elementary Spelling-Book would never have been deemed necessary.* In my examination, I had demonstrated the orthography of Webster to bo far less uniform and analogous, than that of .Johnson ; and Walker's system o<* pronunciation, which was introduced into this country as early as 1800, had been very generally received, and was already becoming the Standard, in this branch of Philology. Hence it became manifest to the publishers of Webster, that some device must be resorted to, to induce apathy in the publick mind, and thereby procrastinate the inevitable crisis which they f(»resaw was ap- proaching ; the expulsion of his elementary works from our primary schools. To prevent this, tne author of the American Spelling-Book was despatched to England, thai from ^'•■personal observation^'''' he might be able to ascertain, or at least on his return to assert] that '• Walker was v/holly unknown," or if known at all, only ki the circles of the vulgar : and, it was about the same * This inference will not be thonsht unreasonable, notwithstandin;: the allegation of Mr. Webster In his pam- phler, recenlly pnl)liMhetl, (pafre 9) titat tlic AmTican SpollinL-Book " is to be suppressed. " especially when taken in connexion witli the fact, tliat n.o.st of tlie inil)li.ceit;dn the real state f f the laneuape." where he^ found that " Walker's pronunciation was not used in any decnt socio y in tliat counto'-" Airain ; we are told hy Mr. Web.=5ter that " Walker's Dictionary is full ot inct^nsi.-tencics from iT-ruuiinp toend -. and the attempt to mak** It a Standard, ha."? done more to corrupt the lanL'uasre tlu-.n any tvent wliich has taken place for five luindred years lAst. NoVKMk is taken as an ultimate Standard in En?laiid ; fiml AValkers proniuiciation is so eiToneous. that no ifes;than thrrc dictionaries have been imblished tu correct it; all of them aitpioociiing mucti nearer to actual uta^e inan Walker's." Let u; fora mnment examine Xhoinconsistevcy MuXdrcepian in the above statement. F.rst ; if Walker be "not- K/impnin Eni,'lo»d," ho\s' Cduid Ids pronunciatinn \>:i\c fo '• corrnptra ///;icr)!;r.ii)hcr. a:;d his anxious forel)Odin!:.s that the e.ype<-rcJ nu'jiic.-ition would disappoint Ids friends. I was at lint rin.e en!r;ii.'e(l in wriii'iL' the review i>f .Mr. W.h. prefixed to his dictionary, published in isos, pa^e 19, wh»>n «|."akinffof Dr Johnson Btated. that 'to assign the cauvs of these defects, is by no means diliicu'.t. We are told in the acrnnnLs of John- Ton'A life, that he was almost always depressed by disease :.nd poverty : th.at he w.is n.iniraliy Indolent, ajid seldom wrote untd he was urjred by want, or the necessity of fullillin;.' his en'.'a::ement« with his iKok.s/jller. Ilenco it haii|iened, that he often received the money fur his wiitin^'s l>pf.)re his ma:ui>crip!s were prep.Tre\l. Then when called upon foro>py, he was compcllel to pr-^pare his rnuiu-cripts In hasrc : and it mav tie r-." Vi INTRODUCTION. ihe possibility of contradiction, and, I ti-ust, in the spirit of candid and liberal criticisirt, tliat it is, in its orthography^, far less accurate than the Dictionaries of Johnson and Walker and in this respect less entitled to the character of a Standard work. Shortly after the publication of the quarto, Mr. "Webster made an effort to redeem the pledge given by his friends relative to the series of class-books for systematick instruction, "^^ " ' ' " compile the Elc7nentary Spel- •as the important quality , therefore, reasonable to expect that the first of the scries would correspond v/ith the quarto, especially in all those words whose orthograp!.;y Mr. Webster claimed to have improved and rendered consistent with analogy. With what degree of fidelity this pledge has been redeemed, the community will be enabled to judge from the fact, that the compiler (i^-Ii'- Ely) has thought it prudent to omit many of tliose words, the orthography of which Mr. Webster has changed ; and in other cases, he has followed the orthography of Johnson in opposition to tliat of Webster. It is not a little surprising that, notwithstfinding the repeated asseverations of Mr. Vv'e}> ster and liis friends, both before the publication of the quarto, and while the Elementary Spelling-Book was being prepared for the press, that, ""WALKiiu's Dictioxarv was un- known' IN England," Mr. Ely was wont to claim as a matter of merit for that compilation, that it was made from Walker's Rhyming Dictionary, and that it was from that work ho derived the system of classification by tlie terminations. It is not less a matter of surprii?, tiiat the publisher of the Octavo, vv'liile he endeavours to create the belief tluat this illusuicns author is unknown, or is disrespected in his native country, has the matchless effronteiy to insert at length in that edition, " Wai.kkr'cj Key to the Classical Pronun-ciation op GruoF.K, Latin, and Scriptuke Proper Names." The last effort of the great American Lexicographer is the Duodecimo Dictionaiy, design- ed as the codicil to his other publications, and contains, as he alleges, " the pointing, orthog- raphy, and pronunciation which he most approves." Novr, should it turn cut, that this pub- lication is at variance with the Standard, (to wit, tlie qv.arto,') with Xhe, cctai^o, and with tlie Elementary Spelling-Book, it must be conceded, that either the works of his meridian tliought, or those of his dotage, are not entitled to confidence. This inconsistency I unhesita- tingly declare to be the fact, and pledge myself to prove it in the following examinaticn. i regret, in closing this Introduction, the necessity of animadverting upon the maUvcieut and unwarrantable aspersions in Yv'liicli Mr. Webster has thought proper to indulge, in a pamphlet recently published by hi:;i, containing the recommendaticns to his Series cf Books, accusing others of plagieirism, and stigmatizing them with the appellation of " peddlinu COMPILERS," v.^hen it is notorious that for the last three years, he has been making tours through the country, and by appeals to the sympathies of individuals, has succeeded in pro- curing for his works an introduction to v.hich their comparative merits would never have entitled them. The propriety of such a course for proselyting, and for procuring the nanus of individuals, as recommendatory, whose opportunity and business totally disqualiiy th'^m for giving an opinion founded upon knowledge, may reasonably be questioned,t a course which it is humbly conceived vw-ould never be resorted to, where personal feelings liad not .usurped the reins of reason and candciir. Neio York, October 10, 1831. LYMAN COBB. * The foilowintr extract is tnlven from the cmrmiii-.icntion puhlifhcd In the Ncv/ York Comnierc IhI Atlveriiscr, fJoc 15 is:9, >)v Mr. Josc])h iVicXoen. \vlio \v;;s Serretnry of (he- niec lin? of the lo;.diors in ILis City, \vlew Ka\-ta, and th'. recomn^eniiin.^ it as awmk pvcpoJ lo he c.-i.^ultui as a .st.v.uuard r 1 tne .anptaiie. '' WitVou: mf-aniiiK anv disrespect to the Konileincn who have .ndiscnh. d. this ceitif.cate. \veinu. uh; cnhcjl -.. the? ^'^^'tKe in the Tele.'rnph, there may he s- m_e three or foiu" ^^oi't c;tr>en vd o.e opinMm < n t e -.1.,... .•..-.„... REVIEW OF WEBSTER'S QUARTO DICTIONARY. The most prominent innovation in tlic orthography of Mr. Webster's Dictionary, is the omission of k in the numerous class of words which end in ck in Johnson's Dictionary. This innovation is considered by Mr. Webster a gi-eat impnwemcub on tha score of uniforviitij. Of this class of words, there are in our languas;e (acknov.'led^ed by Mr. Webster in his dictionaries) ahoaijlve hundred : of these, Mr. Webster has tenviinated about three hundred and fwen/y withe only ; and about one hundred and eighty with the c and k both! quite a " unifornnhf indeed! Yet he lias stated, that "Johnson's orthography, which some com- pilers follow, has been, in several classes of words, corrected by modern writers; as by the omission of w in error ^ candor^ superior ; and/j \n public, music, &c. 1 have extended tlii.s correction to alt, the words of these classes, with a view to cxirour-TiTV ; and have corrccl-ed a few other palpable errors in the covimon orthography I" The candid reader can judge whether he has that " VMiformifij." I will now offer som? remarks as to the propriety or impropriety of this innovation, m omitting k in this class of words. If wc refer to the languages from which these words were derived, we shall find a very great variety of temiinations, entirely void of uniforTnily, as c, ck, eke, ciis, que, cen, cken, cean, cca, ca, cian, ccc, &c. ; so that every person will, it is pre?.iimed, perceive the necessity of uniformity in this class of words in our languac:e, and conclude that all should end M'ith c only, or all with ck ; as tlie pronunciation of the syllable would be the same in either case. I will also attempt to point out the difficulties which would result, should this class of words end with c only, as blac, loc, attac, frolic, mimic, pnysic, &c. ; or should the c (being a redundant letter in the language, or merely a representative, and (-onsequently in this termination ck) be omitted, and tlie v.ords end with k only, as blak, lok, pak, attak, &;c. First ; it has been observed thai the pronunciation of the syllables would be the same, whether the words should end with ck or withe only; but as we form deriva- tives from them by adding ing, ed, or er, the c would be pronounced like s in these deriva- tives, agi-eeably to the invariable rule in the language, of pronouncing c like 5 before e, i, and y ; (and without which distinct rule, the pronunciation of c in our language could never be learned, as it is used indiscriminately before a, o, and u, and c, i, and y;) so that the sound of the primitive syllable, or y.'ord, would be lost in the derivative; as back, bac, bac-ing, bac-ed, pronounced bak, bas-ing, bas-cd; attack, attac, altac-ing, attac-ed, pronounced attas- ing, attas-ed; frolic, frolic-ing, frolic-ed, pronounced frolising, frolis-ed ; physic, physic-ing, physic-cd, pronounced phy.sis-ing, physis-ed, &c. &c. ; for if tlie k be not "in the primitive, we may not insert it in the derivative, any more than we may z or z, agreeably to any rule of spelling derivatives. Secondly; if c (the redundant letter in this termination) should be omitted in the primitive words, we must double the k in forming the derivatives from the words of this class, of one syllable, or those accented on the last syllable, agreeably tn the established rule of the language, in forming derivative words, which is, tliat a consonant v,-hich ends a monosyllabic or a word accented on the last syllable, preceded by a single vowel, should be doubled, when a .syllable is added beginning with a vowel : as rob, robbing, roljbed, debar, debrvi-ring, debarred, &c. ; consequently thus, back, bak, baJcking, bakked '; black, blakker, blakken, blakking, blakked ; attack, attak, attakkins:, attakked, &c., which would appear very awkward, as kk are not in English, and it M-ould also be more difficult to write kk than ck. Hence it appears evident thattJie •' uniforniitv" of whicli Mr. Webster speaks so highly, should consist m spelling all these words witli'c/l- in the primitives, ajjd that great difficulty and peiplexity wouUrresult from any otlicr "uniformity" in the or- thography of this numerous class of words. The k should end all these words, and should be retamed m all derivatives, except when the k is followed by a, o, ovu, (unless the c be sounded like .s in the derivative;) as mimick, mimicking, mimicked, phvsick, physickino- physicked, frolick, frolickins:, frolickofl, lucky, &c. ; but not in physical, publication, &.C., as tlie c comes before a, and is hard like /.-, the k need not be retained. Mr. Webster must have lost sight of this rule, and the above reasons, or rise he is vilful respecting them, or he would not, in speaking of this class of words, have stated in hi.s introduction, that " to add , a"er cm such words (speaking of musick. publick, and republican, &c.)is beyond measure absurd, for both have the same power, having been formed from the same ori^nal charac- 8 WEBSTER'S ClUARTO DICTIONARY. for the same reason that k is omitted in publicnation, viz. the a follows ck, and consequently the c is hard as in the primitive without k I Let us farther examine Mr. Webster's ortlio^aphy of this class of words for the purpose already c-ne hundred and eighty of the five hundred words of this class, so that no person will "contend" that he has tliat ^'uniformity"! Secondly; with regard to Mr. Webster's rejection of A' " from words in which it is'u^ieless." As Mr. Webster has spoken in such strong terms of the " prime excellence" of " uniformity, " we might reasonably suppose that he would have retained k in all these words, or would have omitted it in all, from which we never form derivatives; yet he has not in the retention of k in the one hundred and eighty words, or in tlie expulsion of it in the three hundred and twenty, paid any regard to tliese principles : for instance ; he has retained k in many words in which it is followed by e or i in forming derivatives, as lock, stock, attack, traffick, frolick, ransack, &c.; and he has omitted it in words of the same class ! as physic, and garlic, without k, from which phys- icking, physicked, and garlickeater, are formed. He has spelled garliceater without A;, which must, agreeably to his " directions for tlie pronunciation of words," be pronounced ^arliseater, as he says, " before e, c is precisely equivalent to s." Under the word unphys- icked he has spelled physicked witli k, though he has not k in physic ! Mr. Webster has spelled mimic, when a noun, without k, and with it wlien a verb ; yet he has made no such distinction in the v/ords frolick and traffick, having spelled them with k in both cases ! and he has spelled these three words in this contradictory manner in the definitions of the same words ! This inncvoMon makes another " anomaly " in our language, that of spelling the noun and verb differently, when they are pronounced alike. Again, he has retained k in many words from which no derivatives are formed ; as almanack, bailiwick, barrack, bassock, bullock, buttock, frock, girrock, haddock, hattock, hemlock, hillock, hollyhock, jannock, lin- stock, mattock, paddock, pollock, peacock, puddock, shamrock, &c.; and he has omitted the k in words of the so.me class ! as bishopric, candoc, carac, cannnoc, cambric, hammoc, hom- moc, hassoc, limbec, puttoc, tussoc, &c. Again ; he has inserted k after c in some derivatives, in which c is followed by a conso- nant; as frolickly, frolicksome, frolicksomeness, trackless, &c.; and has omitted it in otliers of tlie 5a wg class ! as franticness, mimicry, publicly, publicness, &c. ! And again ; lie has also inserted' k after c in some compoujid words, as almanack-maker, ban-ack-master, &c. and has omitted tlie k in other words of tlie saine class ! as panic-gi-ass, public-spirited, &c. ! __,.. Thus Mr. Webster, instead of a '^ uniformity " in the orthography of these words, has spelled them in such a manner as to produce every species of contradiction and inconsistency imaginable, and very great defect and perplexity in the formation of many derivatives; yet Johnson and Walker, whom Mr. Webster has so strongly censured for their retaining the A", have by the retention of the k in all this class of words, observed a system of orthography which is uniform and consistent, and avoids the defect and perplexity which would result in the formatioji of derivatives, should the k be omitted. It is quite surprising that Mr. Webster should have condemned Johnson and Walker's retention of A', and of not observing uniformity, when they are uniform and consistent in these words, and he has not observed cither tiiliformiiy or consistency in any one particular!! In this retention of A:, Johnson of ^' in fiome words is said to be a great improvement, and it is made the subject of every newspaper article written by Mr. Webster or his friends, and is particularly dwelt on by hiir< in his lectures and speeches, in favour of his system, in opposition to Johnson and Walker. But it is utterly impossible for any person to adopt all the contradictions and inconsistencies which Mr. Webster has in the orthography of this class of words, as has been fully shown, it is believed. It is the practice with many writers, editors, and printers, to omit the /; in some of these words, and retain it in others, without any apparent regard to uniformity; but it is presumed that no person, after having thoroughly examined the prin- ciples of our Ian pu age, will pursue this system of spelling (merely for the sake of conveni- ence) which is void of consistency and unifonnity, and prodv.ces peq^lexity in the fomiaUon of many derivatives. VThe Second innovation in Mi'. Webster's ortliography, claimed as a great improvement, js'the omission of w in the unaccented termination our, as labour, honour, vigour, inferiour, &c. The " rcusons " assigned in support of this omission of u, contrary to our most appro- veA English lexicographers, are, that " tliere is inconvenience, if not impropriety, in wriUng labour wiUi n, but laborious without it: as also rigour, but rigorous; vigour, invigorate ; inferiour, inferiority, &r. We deem ii most correct and most convenient, txj reswre the original Latin orthography." To me, the above " reasons " seem to be not well founded ; fer r'^a-oning from the sawie analogy, we m\^H ci^ndemn the " impropnety of inserting WEBSTER'S aUARTU DICTIONARY. $ it in curious, :^enerous, pompous, &c. when it is not in curiosity, generosity, pomposity, &c.; i in declaim, exclaim, explain, proclaim, repair, villain, grain, &c. but not in declamation, excla- mation, explanation, proclamation, reparation, villany, granaiy, ly to Johnsoq, 13 WEESTERS UUARTO DICTIONARY. Walker, Jameson, &c. • ! Thus we see in tliis as in all the other '• iiinovalions" of Mr. Web- ster, he has contradictions and inconsist-encies in every possible form ! In the omission of one I in counselor, traveler, &.c. Mr. Webster seems not to be sup- ported by analogy ; for the letter I is and always has been &. privileged letter, as well as /and 5, being dovibled in cases where no otlier consonants are doubled, as ball, fell, will, roll, bull, puff, pass, puss, &c. ; but cab, lad, leg. ram, van, rap, far, met ; dec. &c. have tlie consonants b, d, g^ m, n,p, r. t, &c. single in the same situation. Thus in words of more than one sylla- ble, bailiff, tariff, harass, embarrass, &c. tire /and s are doubled, in the primitive and deriv- ative words. So Vv'ithZ in the v/ords counsellor, traveller, o:c. &c. it is doubled in the deriv- ative although single in the primitive counsel, travel, &.c. foi the Z is a liquid letter, easily uniting with other letters, and has not i?i any sii^caiion in the language, the power of short- ening tlie sou.nds of the vowels which precede it. This is the reason why Z, m particular, is doubled in all monosyllables when ail (witli few exceptions, and Mr. Webster has not cor- rected those exceptions) the other consonants arc single && shown above ; and for the same reaso7i I, not having the shortening power as other consonants, as above stated, is doubled jn the derivative words counsellor, counselling, traveller, travelled, cavilling, ^c. &c. although single in travel, &c. while the letters t, r, &c. are not doubled in the derivatives coveted, prof- ited, differing, mm-muiing, &c. when unaccented, as the letter I is doubled. In the orthography of the class of words tliat end in onb, Mr. Webster has introduced a number of " ikkovations" and inconsistencies. Thus, he has spelled dumb, limb, and numb, with b ; and cruni without it ! He has spelled dumb with ft, and dmnfound without iL He has spelled thumb and tlmm with b and without it ; and has given thum without h the preference ; and he has also .spelled thimiring and thumstall without b, and in defi- ning thum and its derivatives he has spelled it thum without b seven times ; but in defining finger and forefinger he has spelled it tjiumb with b three times ! In his text he has spelled benum, benumming and benummed \yithout final b, but in defining tlie words numb and tor- pent, he has spelled benumb, benimibing, and benumbed, with h, contrary to his text ! Mr. Webster has spelled matrass, carcass, &c. witli ss in the unaccented syllable, as Walker, Johnson, and others have spelled them ; but he has spelled cutlas with single s, contrary to them and to analogy and vniformiiy I for if cutlas be spelled with single 5, mat- rass, &c. should be, most unquestionably. Johnson, Walker, and otliers, spell porpoise and tortoise with the termination oise, but Mr. Webster has made an " innovation " by spelling poi-pess (ess) to produce " uniformity " in his orthography, which " is a prime excellence in the rules of language." Mr. Webster has spelled conscientious with t in tlie last syllable, but imconscicncious >yith c, and in defining unconsciencious, he has conseiencious with c, contrary to his text! He has spelled analyzed with z, but unanalysed with 5, and in defining uuanalyscd he has §pelled analysed with s, contrary to his text ! He has spelled vizard v.-itli z, but unvisaid with 5.' He has spelled poised u-ith^, but unpoized with ;2r, and in defining unpoized he has spelled poized v/ith z, contrary to his text ! He has spelled composite and decomposite with final ^, and deposit and rcposit without e I He has spelled imbittered with i, but unern- bittered withe, and in defining unembittered he has spelled embittered, contrary to his text! He has spelled imbosom v.'itli i, but disembosom withe/ He has spelled imbrangle with r, but disembrangle with e I He has spelled inthralled with i, but uneii- thralled -witlie/ He has spelled inversely and adversely with e after .■;, but diversly without e 1 He has spelled ethereal with c, but in his " additions " at the close of the bock, etherialize and etherialized with i I He has spelled referee with single r, but transferree "withrr/ He has spelled counselor with single Z, but chancellor with /Z.' He has spelled entreat with c, but intreatful with i, and has defined it tlius, "full of cntreoty " ! He has spelled analyze withy, but paralij^e with i, and in defining palsy in his " additions" he has paralyze with ij, contrary to his text 1 He has spelled in v.-rap with i, but env/rapment with e ! He has spelled plumtree without b, but hogplumbtree with it ! He has spelled baize with final e, but maiz without it ! He has spelled purslain with ain, but horse-purslane with ane! JSe has spelled sootlie (verb) v.ith final e, but smooth (verb) without it, and oo has the same iSbund in both words ! He has spelled brier v/jtli c, but sweetbriar with a, and after the word he has [sweet and briar] in which he has spelled briar v/ith a, contrary to his text ! Again, in defining brier, he has spelled sweetbrier with e, contrary to his text^ He has spelled gos- peller and hospitaller with II, but modeler and victualer, &c. M'itli single Z/ He has spelled alledged with d, but allegeeible and allegement without it! He has ctimlet Avilhcut b, but gunbletwitl) it, and in defining bore and Vv'imble he has spelled gimlet without i, contrary to his text! He has spelled potato and wo witliout final e, but musketoe with it. and in defi- ning batatas he has pct.atoe with c, and also in defining ( ^ och ?,nd feel he has spelled woe "with e, contrary to his text 1 He has spelled garlic witliout I:, but pil-garliok with it, anfl after the word he has [/>?7ZecZ and ^rtrZ/cZ:] with /<•, contrary to his text! He has laureate Nyidi e, but poetlaureat without it ! He has spelled enchanted av ith e, but unincliantcd witli i and « both ! He has spelled furlow (fnrlcvgh) and plow (j;Inugh) \v\ih oic, 'iz^sieB.6 cl dvgh, as other lexicographers have spelled them, but he has spelled slougli, thorough, &c. Tyith ovgh, as others have them ! Mr. Wel^ster har-,. in hi, and subtly : He has clue, contrary to his text (clew) under goosewing: He has dep^indant, contrary to his text (dependent) /Wr limes under hangeron, retainer, and satellite : He has headachcj contrary, to his text (headach) jive limes under complain, for, and cephalic : He has saviour,contrdry to lus text (savior) under scene: He has fulness, contrary to his text (fidlncss) under blissfulness, branchiness, buffel, and complement: Ho ha's duiness, contrary to his text (dullness) under amblycpy and constitutional : He has respite, contrary to his text (respit) under act arid breath : He has unskilful, contrary to his text (unskillful) under artless and bad : He has unc-kiljfuUy, contrary to his text (unskillfully)y/ye times under badly, botcii, botched, ignorant, and igno- 'remll^ ! He has musrol, under bit, and mussroll under martingal, both contrary to his text (^musrole) ! He has parsnip, contrary to his text (parsuep) under caraway : He has fui-ze, contrary to his text (furz) under crake and kid: He has fulfil, contrary to his text (fulfill) eZcfe?i times — once under each of the words accomplish, complete, compliment, defaulting, effectuate, engagement, and four times under comply ! He has traveller, contrary to his text (traveler) under caravan : He has worshipping, contrary to his text (worship- ing) under fornication : He has worshipper, contrary to his text (v/orshiper) under gen- tile: He has whiskey, contrary to his text (whisky) 'under spirit: He has willfulness,^ contrary to his text (willfulness) imderflinn: He has skilfulness, contrary to his text (skillfulness) under featness : He has worshipped, contrary to his text (worshiped) fiv& times under abracadabra, achor, adored, feticism, and profess : He has wilfully, contrary to his text (willfully) under contumacious and prevaricate : He has duellist, conu-ary to his text (duelist) under bravt-ry and conibatant: He has revelling, contrary to his text (revel- ing) jour times — once under carouse, and three tinies under bacchanalian 1 He has dialling, contrary to his text (dialing) /(;'?:;■ times — once under each of the words declinator and horo- loge, and twice under gnomonics ! Ho has Avilful, contrary to his text (walllul) three times under barratry, contumacy, and guilt: He lias thresh, contrary to his text (tin-ash) four times under beat, grant, pile, and stover: He has travelling, contrary to his^text (traveling) nx times under cnxulatoricus, coach, fancy, far, forge, gest: Ho has fulfilment, contrary- He has once under each of the words adroit, adroitly, agriculturist, artist, connoisseur, cope, aancer, deftly, distance, exercised, e.\pcrienced, er.pert, e.^pertly, express, feat, fierceness, find, man- ager, please, and twice under each of the words clever,' con, cunning, and dextrous! &;c. &c. When I commenced die exposition of the discrepances in the orihography of the defini- tions and text in the American Dictionary, I intended to sho^vi- all which i had discovered; but they are so numerous that the limits of this review will not permit mo to pursue the ex- •orthography of the definitions and text. The candid reader can readily judge whether it is justifiable on the part of Mr. Webster to censure or ccndcfan Johnson s "discrepances in his definitions and text, when he has more than hvelve hundred in his own dictionary, some of which are evidenUy copied from Johnson's dictionary, for they appear under the Hivie words in both dictionaries ! [See pages 13, 15, IG, and 17.] I'laving thus pointed out some of tlie most prominent dejects, inconsistencies, and contradictions in the American Dictionaiy, which are mu^di more numerous than in any other dictionary, I will now show, that tlie " innova- tions and anomalies" introduced by Mr. Webster in his several books, have done viorc to in- troduce irregularity in orthography, than all of the other works published in this country and in England within fifty years, even if we take his American Dictionary for the " Standard." I will a\so show that nearly all of the errours in spelling which now appear on almost every page of the best written books and periodical publications, and in nearly cvei^,'- column of our newspapers, have been introduced and kept in use through tlie medium of his Spelling- Book and former dictionaries, tlie orthography of which is now rejected by him in his American Dictionary ! First: he spelled a great many words in the s]-)elling lessons of his Spelling-Book, con- trary to the text of all his dictioiiaries, ixx\d that of Johnson and Walker; and, this contra- dictory orthography has been continued in his SpcUing-Book and dictionary more than twenty /ears ! ! Thus, «ncle, achievment, boult, bass, (a long,) biggen, chace, calimanco, chalibeate, cViolic, clencli, cobler. doat, epaulette, enthral, ctherial, faggot, frolic, fellon, grey, goslin, hindrance, haVoc, impale, jocky, laste, laquey, negociate, noggen, phrenzy, paroxism, rince, sadler, salUd, staunch, streight, scignor, shoar, tatler, ihresl^ &.c. &c., instead of ankle, achjcvemeni, bolt^ \>as;e, biir^in. chase, calamanco, chalybeate, colic, clinch, cobbler, dote, WEBSTER'S aUARTO DICTIONARY. 19 epadet, uiihral, ctlioreal, fagot, frolick, fjlon. gray, gosling, hinderance, halloo, empale, jockey, last, lac'.coy, n^gotiat^ noggin, plir^a^y, paroxysm, rinse, saddkr, salad, stanch, straii^h*;, ssignior, shore, tattler, thrash, &c. &c. Th3 first and incorrect spelling of th::30 v/ord:3 above noted, will not only be found in our , . ..... ^^ Mr. Webster's Spelling-Book ! and ev^n ?v'Ii-. WebsLor " /a'.vi.W/*" ha.s spelled nearly all of these word? in this erroneous manner in th: dafinilions of ihe American Dictionary ! ! [See pages 16, 17, and 18, of this Review.] Secondly: he has spelled many words in his dictionary published in ISOfi, contrary to his SpsUing-Book, and also contrary to his dictionary published in 1817: thus, abridgment, bueeane^r, callico, doctrin. determin, cnlerprise, examin, havock, niediein, opposit, perquisit, reqaisit, &.c. &c. Thirdly: he has .s-pelled many words in lu-s Quarto. Octavo. Concentered, Concentred, Fiber, Fibre, t Fiber, $ Luster, Lustre, Luster, Maneuver,(?j. cind v.) Manceuvre, {n.) Maneuver, Manoeuvre, (v.) Manoeuvrin;^, Maiweuvred, Metre, Maneuvering, Maneuvered, Meter, Miter, (n. and v.) \ Mitered, Niter, Ocher, Ocherous, Scepter, Meter, Mitre, Miter, Mitre, Mitred, Nitre, ) Niter, ) Ochre, > Oclier, ) Ociireous, Sceptre, i Scepter, | (n.) (V.) Quarto. Octavo Sceptered, Sceptred, Sepulcher, (71, and v.) Sepu Sepulcher Sepulchcring, Se]julciiercd, Specter, Verteber, Omber, ) Ombre, J Peter, > Petre, * Saber, ) Sabre, ^ Saber, (u.) SciUpeter, } Saltpetre, ) Theater, ) Theatre, ) Massacer, ) . » . Massacre, J '^^•'^^■'•'' chre, (/I.) 1 cher, > chre, (v.) ) Sepulchre. Sepulchring, Sepulclired, Spectre, } Specter, j| Vertebre, } Verteber, y Ombre, ) Omber, y Petre, Peter, Sabre, Saber, Sabre. Saltpetre, Saltpeter, Theatre, Theater, iVIassacre, Massacer, Massacre, (V- n. Thus we see that in the octavo the termination re is preferred in alt cases in the class of words above given, except in reconnoiter, reconnoitermg, and reconnoitcred which he has spelled cr, contrary to all of the others in the text of the octavo! ; nnd, that cr is preferred in all cases in the quarto ! and the re is given in all cases in the definiiions in the octavo, but er in the quarto, as center, his/er, &c. centre, lustre, &c. so that tliere arc hundreds of con- tradictions in the orthography of this class of words in the definitions of the quarto and octa- vo ! This class of words forms one of the most prominent distinctions betv/een tlie ortliogra- phy of Mr. Walker and Webster, and it is one for whic h Mr. Webster and tlie friends of the quarto claim as much as for that of any other pretended improvemjcnt in the orthogi aphy of the American Dictionary; and, Mr. Webster \\a.s condevined the orthography of the termi- nation re (both in the quarto and in his dictionary published in ISCG) raore strongly than that of any other class of word-s in which he disagrees with Johnson and Walker ! The co/Uradictions between the quarto and octavo in this class of words alone, (ia the /c.ri and definition^,') amount to more \hd.nall the contradiction',^ contained in the whole of Johnson's Dictionaiy ! The class of words which usually end in //", Mr. Webster, in the quarto, spelled generally with single/, in the dissyllables and trisyllables, either in liis text or in the '^ corrections^ at the close of his dictionary ; and, he gave the single f the preference ; but, in the octavo he has spelled these words differently and hixs preferred ihe Jf, both in the text and definitions t Thus, the discrepances in the orthography of the text and definitions in this class of words contained in the quarto, pointed out on page 10, " are corrected in the octavo." The words of til manner following, in tlie oo* this class are changed in the text agreeably to Walker, consequently these words agree wi the definitions in the octavo ! These words are spelled in the tavo and quarto : thus — Quarto. Octavo. EniViff (text) Bailiff > BailifCcoRRFXTiONs) Bailif Caitiff (tex!) Caitif (c.'»r.) Danflruff(/erO Dandruf (co:»-.) Mastiff (text) Mastif (^cor.) Plaintif Pontif Archpontiff Rcstif(«.) Rcstlfness Reetif (a.) Caitiff Caitif Dandruff Mastiff) Mast if S Plaintiff) Plaintif J Pontiff) Pont.if } Arrhpontiff Re.stiir(/t.) RestifTuess Rcstiff), X Restif J (^■) Quarto. Sherif Deputysheriff Boundbailiff Bnmbailiff Undershcrif Distaff Hippogriff Midriff Cliff(/o7) Clif(a-r.) Distafflliistle Tarif (n. & v.) Sherifalty Octavo. Sheriff) Sherif J Deputysheriff Dcputysherif Boundbailiff Bumbailiff Undovshcrifl Distaff HippoCTiff Midriff Cliff Distafflhistlo Tariff), . Tarif \ C^) Tariff (r.) Sheriffalty J9 WEBSTER'S OCTAVO DICTIOiXARY Quarto. Octavo. Sherifdom Sherificlom Sherifship Sherifiship Quarto. Octavo. Sheril'wick Shei'iifwick Undersherifry Undersheriffry. From an examination of the orthography of the preceding class of u-ords, we shall discov- er that the termination ff is preferred ni every instance in the octavo, both in the text and definitions ; and, that their orthography is contradictor]/ in the quarto, alt.houghsz?(^/ Drouthiness, Droughtiness, > \ Droutiiiness, \ Drouthy, Droughty, } DroutJiy. ) He has in the quarto, spelled Melasses v/ith e in the first syllable; and has said "Mo- lasses, an incoi-rect orthography ofmElasscs ;" but in the octavo he has given molasses the , preference by placing it first in the text, and has not given melasses in its place agreeable to alphabetical arrangement ! In the quarto, he has spelled porpcss with ess in the last syllable, and has not given any reference to the former orthography /^w^o?'^^?; but m the octavo he has spelled ii three ways porpoise, porpus, porpess, oise, us, and ess, and has given porpoise the preference by placing it first, ^nd porpess, theorthography of the quarto, last! ! ! And yet he says on page 13 of his pamphlet, recently published; "Porpoise is a mere blunder!" In the quarto, he has spelled nigh'mar without final e, but in the octavo he has spelled it nightmare and nightviar, with e and without it, and has given with e the preference; and, in the quarto, he has also in de- fining incubus spelled nightmar without c, but in the octavo with it! He has, in the quarto, spelled hagard, when an adjective and noun with one g, and hag > ardiy with one 5- also, and in defining httgardJy he has hagard. with one o"; but, in the octa- vo, he has spelled Afi^^'ifii/y/, noun and adjective, imd haggardly, with gg ; and, also in defi- n'lDs; hagsardly, he has spelled haggard with i?"^.' Ne^arly all the discrepances in the text and definitions of the quarto, pointed out on pages IG, 17 and 18, remain the same in the octavo. PerhciY.s cue hn7idred of ihe eight hundred '■'•are cori-ectcd''' in the octavo, mosdy, however, by changing the orthography in ihttext of tlie octavo, and making it agreeable to the orthography of Walker and Johnson! The limits of t.his review v/ill not permit me to pursue the exposition of the contradic- tions in orthography between Webster's quarto and octavo dictionaries. The critical read- er who wishes to know more of the "uniformity" of Mr. Webster's works, can pursue the subject, and examine mm-c. fully imd vAnulcly. I think, however, that enough has been shown, to convince every ivipartial scholar cf the iviprcpriel'y, injustice, and absurdity of his condemnation of all Englith Dictionaries for want of '•uniformity," when there are not in existence two Engihh or Amen can Dictionaries which disagree in orthography as much as Websteis quarto and octavo dictiojiarics disagreed And yet Mr. Webster has stated on pnge 1 of his pamphlet, published during the past yea'-, that "one very important object of this series of books; (quarto, octavo, school dictionary, and Elementary Spelling Book,) is to reduce to uni/orrdily the orthograpjiy of a great number of words which are diJ'ererUly written by dijjereiit authors" ! With regard to the justness of these remarks by Mr. Webster, the candid publick must decide, after having read attentively and critically tlie jn-eceding and following pages of tliis tfcviev/. REVIEW o? WEBSTER'S DUODECIMO DICTIONARY [T,\e copy, quoted in this Eevum hears date 1831.] A FEW months after the publication of tlic ocravO dictionary. Mr. Web>;i» r rjublishcd " A Dictionary of the English Language : abrjcI^^J trum the Anicncaa Dicuouary, for iho use of Prn-nary Schools and the Counting- House." 1 ^ '■ "" '■• ' the cbs as My i du peal ed i rnak spell every w...... - ^ . - _ _ _ _ «' «/'r«;/T^»/7/"annlif.ition has been made by ped.olixg compilers, to teacliers and others, for personal, cippucauuii „,,:.|-:. ,_,, i.„..i. /.,t».,,!:..... .„ k:., C'.-.„ii:„- i:>„„i.\ -...i to the octavo dictionary, published bnl a.ix mnniki previous, to tlic date of the preface from which the preceding extract is made, he stated, that " The (juarfn edition will, of course, be consider-d as presenting his exact tieivs of Ike pnopKK arrangciaent a7td cxhibilion of words. '^' respect to their orthocraphy ar.d pronunciation" I ! Again, on pngc 1 of his pajY^viilet, published the past year, he has stated, diat " one very importont object of tliis se^es of books, (quarto, octavo, duodecimo, and Elementary Spellini^-Book,) is to reduce to vniformity," thereby conveying the idea that these four books are " uniform" and consistent in their orthography ! I now propose to show diat " tliis duodecimo volume, his last work, all written and cor- rected by himself," is no more to be consulted as a " ST.AND.iRD o;-' Ortkograpuv," than the quarto and octavo dictionaries, tlic contradictions, inconsistencies, and anomalies of which I have already pointed out. All the contradictio7is and inconsistencies in the ortliography of the class of v/ords whicli end with ck, except hassock, pointed out on pagf.' 8, contained in tiio quai'to, re,>iain m the duo- decimo I The following inconcistencv, contained i)0th in the quano and octavo, is still re- tained in the duodecimo. He has spell jid viimic, when a noun, witliout /', and wlili ii. wf.f n a verb; yet helms made no such distinction in the wonlsfrclic/c and trqfjick, having sj^cMcd them Vv'ith k, when a noun and verb! This rnnovatlon makes anotlier "' ancmaly" in oi.r language, that oi spelling the noun ancl verb differently, when ih jy avcpron,i'U7twJ alihc. The orthography of the class of words which end with cr, in the quarto, as tlic r. .• of f!r or y.itu more! and has given the termination cr the preference, contrary to the octavo, pubMsl.cd six months previous ! Thus, in the quarto, he has sprlled fiVr. hs^it* r, milrr, ocb' r. ixvH specter, but one way, with er ; but in the duodecimo he 1ms .«;pill( d them tiro ways, »./ aiiU re both ! The word bcUeslettres he has spelled v.ilh re in tiic quiu-lo and octavo, but WiUi er in the duodecimo ! In die duodecimo, he has six different ways of exhibiting the orthogianliv of tins rlasa of words, which end with er or re. Thus, center; acre; amphithcaif r, for /rtj ; fiber, fibre; luster, lustre; and scepter, [sceptre]!!! duite a " nniformily" ii deed, which is '• a prime excellence in spelling." He condemns, in the iniroduction lo his quarto, the teiniina- lion red in sceptred, yet he has, in tlic text of tlic quarto, octavo, and duwlccimo, spelled hungred with this termination, althoup-h hunger is spelled with th*^ termination cr! Tnc class of words which end with ./Tin tlie octavo, as Uie preferable orUiography, he ha» changed back to th*5 crthogrrrpby of ili" quarif), witli single/, with twc or Lfircc adJilionai •i 26 , WEBSTER S DUODECIMO DICTIONARY. contradictions not in the quarto ! Thus, he has spelled niastif and mastifF, with sino-Ie / and./.' He has restif and restive, with/ and ive .' He h:iA distaff with f, but all of the other words end with sniglc/.' He has, alter the words sherif and tarif, inserted [sheriff] and [tariff] with /T, in brackets; but he has not inserted the old orthoeraiDhy of any other words except [sheriff] and [tariff] in bracket.-^, after the new orthograp:iy ! He has, in ths duoJecimo, spelled midriff with J] ccutrarV to his text in defij-iin'^- dia- phragm. He has, m the duodecimo, all the inconsistencies in "the class of words whicli end m ance and encc, pomteflout on page iO; but he spelled entrance, {verb,)\v[± c, contrary to tlie quarto, in the duodecimo of 1839 ! In the orthography of the word aclic and its compounds, he has not, in the duodeci'^o, as many contradichovs as m the quarto, pointed out on page 10, for he has only pari of the v/ords. Thus, he has not bellyache or boneache in tlie duodecimo ; but he has some 7icw conU-adictions not m cither the quarto or octavo! As, headache, headalce : heartache, heartalce, with che and k both ; but toothache with chc only ! when headache and heartache are spelled but one Avay cither in the quari^i or octavo. Thus, he has these two words each spelled tk7-ee ways, m his three dictionaries. rSee pa^-es 10 and iJ.l The contradictions in tlie oraiography of ibe class of words Vv'hi'ch end in Zor II, pointed out on page 11, remain the same in tlie duodechno, except that he has added to the number of Uicm; thus, he has medalist v.-ith smgle Z, and medallist with ZJ, contradicLorii, but both hlilte, witJi U, m the quarto and octavo ! In tlic quarto «jd octavo, he has spelled widial, therewithal, and wherewithal, with single I, but in the duorlecimo. he has spelled withal with II, contrary to the quarto and octavo, and dicrcv^-ithrJ and wherewithal witli single /, agreeing with them 1 and the I should be douWad in all c>f them agreeably to his ''rule. * Again, he has not doubled I in extol, " which must be doubled in the derivation" extollin"-' &c. ; but has spelled it as Johnson and Walker have.. He has, iji the duodecimo,' spelled brimfull w itli ZZ, contrary io the quarto and octavo, and handful witli sino-leZ/ *A o-reat many of the words pointed out on page 12, as contradictory, arc ivot in the duodecmio- but in those v/hich o.re inserted, tlic contradictions still exist; as, vizard wida ~ and un- Tisard "' ' ' ' " ' '' ' ' -^ "--> ---' - • - ... ferree without quarto and octavoj so that this contradiction does not exist in either of tli^ni ! He has in the duodecimo, scurilous, scurilously, and scurilousncss, vrith single r, but -with rr m 'die ?uarto and octavo ! He has berylline and coralline v/ith II, and crysUiline vith single Z / le has kale widi k, anli scacale'c.' He has, in the duodecimo, spelled bi\ilder, bflder- building, bilding; and built, bilt, tioo ways, with ui and witli i only, bat in tht. quarto and octavo, one way, with nil He has also spelled built, bilt, two ways, but airbuiKbut one! In the duodecimo, he has spelled burden, disburden, and overburden, oneway, with^^ only but unburthen, unburden, with th and d, and has given ih the preference ! He has, \ the duodecimo, torsion with s, and detortion with 1 1 In the quarto, calice, without A, is »|ie "preferable ortliography ;" altliough chaiiced is spelled v/ith A; but in the duodecin-h, chalice is spelled with h only ! He has, in the quarto and octavo, spelled cumfrey, com- frey, and comfry, three ways, but in the duodecimo he has it but one way, comfry, tlie or- thography tlie least preferred eitlicr in tlie quarto or octavo ! ! lie has, in the duodecimo, spelled pierce one way, witii ie only ; but unpicrced, unperced, witli ie and c both, contrary to the quarto and octavo I He has, ui the duodecimo, spelled unsteadfast, unstedfast, and its derivatives, tv;o ways, v/ith ca and e only, but in the quarto and octavo one way, ca! He has, in the duodecimo, spelled venturesome with e after tlie /■, but adventursome without e! In the duodecimo, he has burg without h, and burglier witli it! He has accruing with- out e, and rueing with it! He has bullfinch with It, and bulrush with single /, and the u preceding the Z has the same sound in each. In the quarto £uid octavo, he has given villany, without i, the preference, and has spelled archvillany v/iUiout i ; but in the duodecimo he has spelled villainy with i ! In tlie duodecimo, he has changed the ortliography of chemistry and its derivatives, back to tlic quarto, contrary to tlic octavo ! Octavo. Duodecimo. ChL'.iistry , Chimistry Chemical Chimica.' Chemically Chimical'y Chemist Chimist Alchemic Alchimic Octavo. Dvtodecimo. Alchemical Alchimical Alchcmicaily Alchiniicnlly Alchemist Alchimist Alchemistic Alchimistir Alchemistical Alchimisdcal Alchemy Alchimy ! He has, in the duodecimo, changed the orthograpliy of plough and its derivatives, back to the quarto, contrary to the octavo ! Octavo. Duodecimo- Plough Plow Ploughing Plowing Ploughed Plowed PlougWard Plowland Octavo. Duodecimo. Ploughman Plov/man Ploughshare Plowshare Drillplough Drillplow Unploughcd Unplowed WEBSTER'S DUODECIMO DICTIONARY. Tf In the diiodacimo, \\z has spoiled furlow with oic, contrary to the octavo, in which it is f iriough ! He has, in tho duodeciiTio, spslied brid'^iu^oom without r in the last syllable, n.^raoahly to the quarto, but cnntrarij to the octavo, as brldegoom, witlioutr in the last sylla- bU, doss not appear either in the text or definitions of the octavo ! He has, in the duode- cimo, changed th3 orthography of ribin, back to th3 quarto, contrary to the octavo' In the duodecimo, he has spell'?d melasses v/ith e, contrary to the octavo, in which ni'dassss is given as the preferable orthography. In the octavo, he has given ponioisc the preference, but in the duodecimo, he has it porposs ! In the duodecimo, he has nii^htmar without final c, but in the octavo with e, as the pr^hrable oriho^raphy. Pie has, in thti daodecimo, chang-^d the or- thography of hazard and hagardly, back to the quarto, contrary to the octavo ! He has / single in although, always, and jackal, in which the « is broad, and the I should be doubkd agreeably to his rule, " that single I would lead to a fahe pronunciation !" He has in the du- odecimo, apposit withoiit final c, and inapposite with it, contrary to the quarto and octavo! In the duodecimo, he has gazetteer v/ith it, and gan-cteer with single /-/ lie has in the duo- decimo, ffjliaccous withco«.5, and cxti'afoliacious with ions! He has diphylous with single I, and hexaphyllous \vi\hll! He has in the duodecimo, lungi with n, and allonge with o! In the duoJeeimo he hag pinnate with i, bipennate with e, and tripennate, tripinnate with e and i botli ! In the duodecimo, he has gillyflower v/ith y, and clovcgilllfiowcr with i ! He has clanish and clanishness with single 7l, contrary to the rule of spelling derivative words, which is, that a consonant that ends a monos^dlable or a word accented on the last sylla- ble, preceded by a single vowel, should bo doubiod, v/lien a syllable is added begiiuiing with a vowel, as span, spanning, &c. In the duodecimo, he has turkey, turky, witli cv and y both, but all the other words of this class, as jockey, lackey, &o., he has spelled but one Avay ! He has, in the duodecimo, spelled stead, sted, witli ea and c, both ways, but instead one way, ca ! On page 13, I have pointed out what qualities a dictionary should possess in an em- inent degree, if intended to be a " Standard of Orthography." Thii; duodecimo dictionaiy is as defective as either the quarto or octavo, particularly as ho has exhibited a greater want of decision in giving the orthography of each vrord than in them. Thus, he has all the va- rieties of spelling the different words, pointed out on pages H, 15, and 1(5. as, apostrophe, apostrophy; epitome, cpitomy ; enlist, inlist; entwine, ixtwine, &c. &c. He has, in the- quarto, spelled proceed, procedc ; succeed, succede ; ^i exceed thvec different \\'^\%; but in tlie duodecimo he lias changed them back to tho<^rthograp/iy of Johnson and Vv^alker, all with ccd! In the duodecimo, he has, in the <^rlhogr|^iy of the words which end in aunt, a great mv^ny contradictions. Thus, l^' ^as da>«it and taunt /J7ic way, but flaunt, flant; haunt, hant : and vaunt, vant, tioo >Xys ! .^gam ; altliough he lias given iJicse three words tvjo ways, he has given vau^^sTj va^ng, hco v/ays ; flaunting but one way 5 not iri^^-fl iiX/"^^ ! . He has, in^ tlie duodecimo, strow and the participle haunting is _ . . strowed; strew, strewing, strewed, ^v^lOut hpj^mg^given any prcl'erence ! ^ He ha.s, in thj duodecimo, In the duoi cision at all in his orthogrnpl/; ^o'' U>^.''^"^'^. ^^s says m the quarto, iJiat wiry is prcferaWe to wieiy, yet ho has placti>^^'icry |>^t in the duodecimo! He says in his nev.- Spellino-- Eook, page 137, that nv^.y wor<> which are spelled with -m should be with c onlv ; but ). spelled crauhch, crancK hauiipA, hfrnch, tv:o v/ays, and stanch but one way xlecimo, he has Czar,^^i" ; CT^riaa Tzarina with Cz and Tz ! He has no de- \U in his orthogrnpji?? ^"'' ip^.^'^^^f . 1'- ^^7^- i^ the ([uarto, Uiat wiry is prcferaWe yet ho has placti>^'^'icry |K^t in the duodecimo! He say , ^ ge 137, that ip^^'Y wor'> which are spelled \;\i\\-€a shoii in his 'duodecimo dii^i'^^iy V^-'^ ""'p^ of tliem with one spelling, others with tii-o; as, spread, spred ; tretv^ steady ^ed, &.c. &c. ; lie has also some of the narticiplcs with one spelling, others v^^li two f^^, spreadino;, sproddmg, treading, «S:c. He has sovereign and suveran, both v^ys, in yie duodecimo, v/ilhiAU having givrn a preference ! Tlie contradic- i2r??i5po;nte(ioiiton nxges 16, 17, and 18, between the definitions* and text in orthography, arc not as nuv-'-r'^'i^ i«^ V^^ duodecimo as in the octavo tmd quarto, as most of the d.ti'nitions are change-'and ablvevmted, yet the greater part of th--m which are inserted, remain contra dic- torv,^^, holidfiy under ferial; faggot under dunnage; entmst under confident; ensnare un^er catch; intreat under obsccrate ; intreaty under obsecration: halbcrt under glair ,-• pcupify un/fer dull, &c. &c. Again; he has in the duodecimo, in defining anconv, .sotJIcd bloomer?', contrary to his text, blomaiy ; in defining travesty he has J^pellcd burlcs'k w'ith k which is not the orthography that he has preferred in his text! In the d-.iodccimo, the definitions of the words subtile and subUe are confounded. In the duodecimo, he has ip defining nauseous and nauscousness, spelled loihcsomc with e, contrary to his text lothsome ! «5:c. &c. It is very improppr and perplexing to exhibit ^K-o diflerent spellings of the same word- for, the scholar will always hesitate in spelling it, sometimes u.sinsr one orthogrnphy, some- times the other; as vaunt and vant, unburthen and 111 ' ' ' • M.TiScc. A:c. • yet Mr. Webster has, in his duodecimo, not only given tv, , _ i" tlie same word, when coupled together, as vaunt, vant, haunch, h.inch, u-.; but he has irivcn two flifTrpnt spellings of the same word, when -• ' - led, with tlu- rawr . . -.ijjjf,,,^ i 'p|,„5 sovereign (fl.) supreme in power; , (a.) supnr.ic in . , sovcrrign (n.)a supreme i-ulcr; suveran (/t.) a supreme lord or ruler: sovereignty, supremacy, ^supr. me dominion; suveranty, supreme power, supremacy: ache, to be in pnin; akc, to be in cotir- tiinued pain! vant, vaunt, to boast, to brog; vaunt, vant, to boast,, to brog! enlistment, act 5« WEBSTKPJS DUODECIMO DICTiOKARY. of enlisting; ; inlistment, actof inlisting! engrained, dj-ed in tlie grain; ingrained, dyed in the grain I encase, to inclose in a case ; incase, to inclose in a case ! encage, to confine in a cage ; incage, to confine in a cage ! &c. &c. &c. His system can not be compUte, unless he shall give oJI the difterent spcllLngs of the savie word in each oihxs four books, \\z. Cluarto, Octavo, Duodecimo, and his new Speljing-Book; as stevil, sterile; vaunt, vant, &c. &c. Mr. Webster's duodecimo dictionary is very deiicicnt in one impoitant particular. Many words in common use are not cont^TiJned in it; as, achor, ambitious, arc, asseverate, benig- nant, bruit, cantharides, capias, chronometer, composite, dictation, discrepancy, discrepant, execution, suspire, fascine, indign, Icgarillmis, obs-.a-vatory, stupidity, &.c. &c. all of which, except discrepancy and execution, are in his nrv/ Spelling-Book ! and there are numerous other words, not above enumerated, contained in his new Spelling-Book, which are not in the duodecimo dictionary', " for the use of Primary Schools ! I " [See page 38.] On page 131 of his new Spelling-Book, he lias, in the recoad column, seven words, only one of which is in his duodecimo school dictionary ! As this review is limited to the orthograpky of the language, no particular notice will be taken of the contradictions in pronunciation which exist between the octavo and duodecimo dictionaries. These are more nuuierous than even the contradictions in orthography, particularly in the division of words. Thus, in the Octavo. Ax-iom Aux-il-ia-ry Bagn-io Do-mes-ti-cate Duodecimo. Ax-i-om Aux-il-i-a-ry Ba^-nio Do-mes-tic-ate. Octavo. Ev-er-y Gcn-er-al Gen-cr-ous Com-i-cal Duodecimo. Ev-e-ry Gen-e-ral Gen-e-rous Com-ic-al He has, in the quarto and duodecimo, given iho,short broad sound in fault, default, assault, &c., and the long broad sound \n the octavo ! Again ; he has a great many contradictions, in the duodecimo, m the division of words of similar or precisely the same former termi- nation. Thus, Anx-i-ous Nox-ious Car-riage Win-dow Fe-brUe and Ovcr-anx-Ious Tn-noxi-ous V7heel-cer-ri-nge Bor-mar-w.v^,d.o-^y An-*.i-feb-rile Psst-i-len-tial Iii-cum-bent (?'rus-ta-ceous Le-gion Li-tig-i-ous An-ti-pes-ti-len-tial Su-per-in-cumb-ent Tnit-ta-ce-ous Re-gi-on Pro-disr-ious, &c. &c. The contradictions in divisWi are sovjij^^ipiovis. tliat the limits of this review will not -pennit me to point out one twcnf^ih part ^f them. He lias, in the pronunciation, in the quarto, octavo, and ducdecimo,^hani;o^i agrt.t, many words to that of Walker , Qxmu-vn-y lo his former dictionaries and fc.peUing-T?.-,ok : t- angel, danger, are, folio, convenient, <«.'.c. &c. although he has said that Walker's pnmi.nciac^,-i is not heard in " any dcceoit society in En'^land"'.''! The keys in the djfTerent ditiionarie. ovg different, which create sonie per- 140! &c. &c. . , . Mr. Webster has, in th". introduction to the quarto, m page 3 of the .^luodccimo, and page 11 of his pamphlet, published during the past year, SDclied enth.-all witi. (.-, cwtrary to the text of all his dictionaries, in which it is spelled with t/ In shor.. to poiu ^ut a!l the ctm- tradiciions, inconsi.ste7icics, and anomalies, in orthography, pronunnation, i^cent, and di- vision of words, which exist in the quarto, octavo, and duodecimo, wo^ld requu,. ji book as lar"-e as the duodecimo dictionaiy itself; and I must therefore be cor.tent wii'i. having- pointed out a part of each, that the reader may have a clew or index to thtrn, and ermine them at his leisure. REVIEW OF MR. WEBSTER'S AMERICAN SPELLING-BOOK. FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE ALBANY ARGUS, IN IS27— 8, As the publishers of Mr. Webster's new Efementanj Spelling-Book, compiled hv AARON ELY, have reserved W themselves the riL'ht to puhlish eiilier the old or the neip .^peUin^-Book, as should best suit their Interests,* I have concluded to insert the review of the old Spelline-Book which was published in the Albany Arpus, except that part which pirticularly relate? to Mr. Webster's innovations in the orthozraphy of his oU Spelling-Book, and Dictiona- ries published in 180S and isi7. For this part of that review, the reader is referred to pages 7, 8, 9 and 10 of this R» view, in which the impropriefv of those innovations is taken into consideration. Mr. Webster's spellin?-book was founded upon, and .succeeded Dilworth's. It was so supcriour to its predccesanr, In many respects, as to acquire an immediate and unparalleled popularity, which it has sustained with little inter- ruption for mors than forty yrars. So masical itH.Uxid has been the charm of popularity woven around It, that all desire for, or efforts to improvement, seem to have been paralyzed ; and it is not until within a few years, that any successful attempts have been maile to imnrovo upon this popular system. The merits oi Mr. Webster's hook have been duly considered by me ; and while I would award to him the jusi meed of prai.se for tiin-^ly efforts in the cause of education, I am not disposed to deny, that, since our systems of instruction have undergone much change, ar^ the elements of 0(ir lanTuaije have been more closely invpstieated and more clearly defined, useful improvemenu In the department in whiclifMr. Webster was so successful may be made, if they be not, in fact, from circumstance! and the spirit of the ase, absolutely required. Great caution is necessary, however, that the laudable spirit of Im- provement, and the love of variety and change, should not be imjwsed upon by speculators and pretenders; and that a work, entitled to respect for thoeo'd which it h;is hitherto been instrumental in effecting, should not b« driven from the publick confidence, except by one of equal or superiour merits. First— as the eiiiding principles of my invcstication, I will state the leading characteristicks of such a^iellins Book .as I should deem worthy of a general introduction into our primary schools. 1. It should contain as sreat a number of the words in Djmmon use as practicable, to the exclusion of extraneous and iiTelevant matter ; as many who attend our primary schools have no other opportunity of acquiring a correct knowledge of the elements of our lanimacre. 2. The classification of words should be judicious and distinct; and the system adopted be strictly and correcUy arlhered to. 3. Tlie arransement should be plain and simple, with a due regard to the expanding capacities and the progressira Improvement of the learner. 4. In orthography and orthoepy \t should correspond with the standard dictionary of the country; or strictly con- form with the principles of the work it professes to follow : for the dictionary, and not the spelling hook, must b« the standard of reference; and hence ;he importance, for the ui-iiformity and ciirrectness of our language, that lh» latter work should be founded and carefully constructed upon the principles of the former. CON'TEXTS. Mr. Webster's spel!in?-bool' romprir^e?: Ifi"? pages: 14 of which are introducton' : fiS contain 'words taken from the dictionary : 29 pa?cs contain the names of p<»rsons, places. &c. ; 47 contain reading le.ssons : 8 contain pictures, and fables : and 4 p;i?es contain numbers, abbreviations, explanations of the characters used in writing, and a census of the United States. Tlujs we find that is pases less than half of Mr. Webster's spslling-book, are devoted to the insertion of spelling lessons, containing words of our language to the nttmbcrof 69'iO, including the examples of the formation of plurals, derivative and compound words to the iiumb-^r of U50, so that there are only ssno words of the languare in his buck arranged expressly for spelling, with the pronunciation noted ; of these 5¥00 words, 2-20 are inRcrted more than once In the different spellini: lessons, not including tho.-;e subject to diflerent accentuation when differently ap[)lied ; as, page 19, sp'ke and spike; 18 and 19, npe, ride, vriile; 19 ami i'\. hence, pence, fence, ^cich. rinse, brick. sH'-k. kick ; pai'o 30 and 3l , ailvrsity : pacre 32, and 33, slay ; pa?e 23 and 51 afase : page €6 and f 7, adniis-rCble ; pare 35 and 146, i.onrs", conr'-e, kn.oin, h^w nt^w. 13 anil I4«t, sale, vale, &c. &c. Mr. Web.ster's spelling Icvons are al?o q^iite drfir ci'nt inasmuch as he has not. In anv of them, inserted any words ctifour syllable-^ accented on the/w/rr/i.as super' intrnd, riivltipH'an'l. &-c. : words of five .syllables accented on the/, as administrator, snperintertiiem. &c. ; words of six or seven syllables with their different .accentuation, as s^iperninnerary. i'le^timacy. indefatigable, eitperiority. encytlopedia, impracticabVity. <&c. Aeain, Mr. Welister omitted a creat many words in mnsf common usse: as, abborrenC'», abridge, absorb, abstain, abundance, academy, access, accord, accost, accuse, acnuirenient, achieve, acute, adapt, adopt, aduU. advancement, adverb, advice, ;iffect, airent, assress, asrce, aeuc. alle«lge, aliepa- tJon.allesiaiici;. .alley, alphabet, ami)ush, analyze, anile, animate, annul, anvil, ap|ieal, anple, ar-nie, armour, article, assault, assemble, assist, assistance, associate, atmosphere, attain, attract, attribiue. au.stcre. avail, avarice, average, averse, avow, await, award, a.vis. a.xle, &c. &c. throughout the who:e laneuaie. a £rreat lortion of the most common words was entirely omitted, by Mr. Webster, in the spelling lessons 'jf his old Ppellins: Book ' The omission of these words is a veo' irreat defect, as most of them are very important words, and in general ase • these classes of words 7eere inserted in the spellinebooksof Dilworthand Ferry. In consequence of the fewness of words In Mr. Webster's spelling-book, tho,=^ scholars who use it cannot become ac^iuainted with one half of the words in common use, either in their orthography or pronunciation : and ccnscquently the scholar will find %vords In almost ever>' sentence of his reading lessons, with the onhoeraphy or pronunciation of which he is wholly unac- quainted, not having seen them in his srielling lessons of the same book. And asain ; there are a erent many words in the spelling lessons of his Spelling Book which are not in his die- tlonarv published in 1817, " compiled for the use of common schools in the United States," of course intended to be used with his Spelline-Rook, containing these words ! and some of these are not even in his " Compemtlout Dle- Uonary," published in ISOR! Those in iualick are not in the "compendious dictionary :" Acanthus annunri.ite, antibacehvs.upcmtaUcal arropim astrological, teal, bedchamber, belleslettres, belove, bibllothscal, bodre, botany, cachexy, canfhirides, eantheru*. canthari.s, capuchin, carle, catechumen, caucht, cham.ade. chamois, chancre, chmr, chereril, chevisanre, chirtw- rapby, chevauxdefrise, chorography, chromatic, chronometer, clomb, cogger, co°-tra/«,cognl2or, cognlzeccondho* • If m.iy not he improper (o trtnte hi»re, that ip conw>finrnrf of tlie puWiontJo" nfihl^ rr^'v: Id IJi* Albany Anru4, Mr. Wehj<^ t hr tm- tfoned his old SncHine-n.mIr, viyi\ rmployorl Mr. Anrrn Kly to comt-ib a ii«e one, whi"-)! wai I'tiblithH morf thmi tvo yeart b»for» tW «opy-rieht of the nirl Rn-nine-r.-iok fTplr-'l, (.Sept. 15, t'^ol.) an'l every rtlcrt wan made lo piisli it inio u".. That Mr. Wchitjr wonjd ♦lot have pnhlished a ni-ic Sjieljine-Book, hiid nm the critiri»m» in the AII«.-inT Arpn l.een (riven to the Dnbliek, in. I think fairly to tw Inferred from the two followineFtafcnienH mor'e l.v h'm in lis AlTKAl, "Ti>THK PURLIfTK," puhhshed in New Haven, Merch. ISOL Thin .Mr. Webster remnrkrd, " Mr tables, i ?r t'< i.-'llv t!io«e of.rrppilar wnrdii. the n!o«i .mpomnl o( all lhtr'»j.t^ ire ac connroelM. and so nr.nrly complete. THAT TUF.Y f.ANNOT RK IMPRUVKD." And he remark* f^nhfr " My 8pcll;rr Prwk, which Km hwl an iinpara'Ioled sale, and has, it is lielievcrl, had a verv exien-ive eflVrt in fariljtatinf; the arqnijilion of ihe Ian«iia«e aM In V'ti^m the popular pronunciation from Tulfarities— WILT, tif. ADJrSTFn (n»tth«t he wciM writ* »a •miforniity with the dictionar>' in pronnnciaiian. " The pi-e«en»«» tha Arfira so WEBSTER'S AMERICAN SPELLING-BOOK. 8ive, customary, decrial, discoficern, dost, doth, cliinceon, entendre, epidemical, exmnen, Jlook, foreseen, fratehsirt, iconu-ary to his s\)elhus-bQOk,)frcam.fors!vorn, froze, giljber, gilt, grown, grew, has, hust, Iiatn, lieard, him, him- nelf, hli, hithe, iambus, impnulcnt, jagged, kern, knagg^', kneiv, knoini, hiid, lain, leggeJ, iieve, liiho^iapl-.y, lo^j- (KVithms, ij7igcr, longest, macilent,miu\e, mMiesis, nieathe, meant, mendacity, iviics-, wiserattencss, uicrdacity, 7:ioicn, nugdcHy, ochinnj, omniircnoiis, (contnirj^to his spelling-book,) oririlloiis, ovenrhelitiing, i)ix\d, paradigi'/i, pedagogical, perspiratorii, per^pivacity, pljnth, plothoiT, po. '.;.'(.-, pr-para:or>j, piOCaciO-iP, Xjjrrliicliius, (.ueiii, ia- Icer, liui. ratli, reeve, rliomb, ii^uish, riien, rode, rofmelaiiie, (coiitraiy to speliing-book,) rmwv.ou, sawn, soys, segun- cit}-, sliaw, sigil, sougrit. soini, spilth, spondee, stiuilnolder. squeal, siaiil, stile, stirp, stronger, syncope, synecO'-che. pviiUiesis, synthetic, teague, t;iii::iit, tew, tliane, tlieomachy, tlico.ioUto, tlii.l, tiuew, throve, took, tOst, iribuochwt Uiplicity, ucchee, ureibra, vegeiant, vert, waif, wages, wast, wherrct, wiiitstcr, &c. CLxVESIFICATION. In tlie classification and arrangement of wcrds for spelling lessons, Mr. Webster's book was, nnqncstionably. far superiour to Dilworth's. Mr. Dilvvorth's classiiication and arrangement merely consisted in ari'anging and classing t!« 6 monosyllables according to itie number of letters contained in each word, whether vowels or conso- nants ; and the words of more than one syHab).e according to their peculiar accentuation only : Avheroas, Mr. NS'eb- ster not only arranged the words according to their peculiar accentuation, but ciassed them agreeably to their i)ar »icular vowel or consonant sound? ; as iong«, e, i, o, ti, u\ and y; short a, e. i, ji, and y ; Hat a; broad a ; c i ;aifl o, when sounded like u short, &c. : the rtesignatiOii or classilication of the diliercnt sound? of th ; the cla.?sinail!on of the words in which c, / and y are sounded like s.'; ; «p like o lojig; s and z like zh; i like y; the diiiereirt sounds of c7j ; as, ch like k an(! sh; g hard before e, i, and y ; g double in the pronunciation, thoush single in fb« orthography ; c and g pronounced like s and j at the end of syllables ; tr sounded after h, though v.ritten before it ; a- sounded like gz wlien followed hy an accented syllable beginnin!: with a vowel or h ; irregular v.-ords not com- prised in the forewing tables; and words of the saiine sound, but dif^'erent in sijclling and si,^nification. I shall now attempt to shov/ in the first place what I consider defects In his ckissification, and in the second place, the defective arrangement of the words thus defectively classed. Table 2, and 3, containing the first mono- syllables in which the scholar must beexercised after learnin*: thoalphahet, contain many words in which (touble vowels and consonants are exbihitod ; as II in call, Jill, ss'u\ bless, gg in egg, Lb in ebb, ee in bleed. &c. s like z a.s \nhas, nose, spasm; e silent in hence, 07iince; ck in brick; fch in /natch; and a large number of words in the phnal form in which s is sounded like z ; a'.l of which render the.se tables the most dur.cult for the scholur of ;niy in the book, CMisidering his capacity when introcUiced io them. Table 2, 3, and 1'3, contain many Vv-oids ulhCii are spelled differently, though pronounced alike, which causes great perplexity. This, however, will be tyken notice of more particularly when 1 shall review Tabie 53. Tlie objections wlucii fhave prefoirtd against Tal-Jes iiand 3, ?.re, in some degree, applicable to Tables 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, To, 11; though the mo, ;,?, or?/; let him ai:sv.cr v.hy iTsr. Webster classes linguist with the 12, as it is followed by zi ! In Table 43, h is pronounced bet-ire «% tl-.ough wriiten auer it. At the close of this lesson he has whore, v-hole, vho, vhom, ic/icov. and vhose, with the following note : " In the loll'..\Sr ing, with their compounds and derivatives, tv is silent." If the ?i' bo silent in these words, tl.en it is rot sounded ajter the h ; why then are these words in this less,on ? In 'J'able 44, x has the sous.d of i^z. Vtiiy are not uxorious, page 66, and auxiliary, page 91, in this les.son? 6See letter X, Welister's Analysis, fable 47 Clmpri^es inci;u!ar words not in the forej.'oing tables. Why are not one. page 33, once, pag^ 40, so'dier and anxious, page 91. vhinr'As, page 97, inserted in this lesson, as they are irrexular words, instt aii n; beirt,' at tlie briiiom of pages with reftrt> ces? Apain, why were not those words v.'hich cor.ia.in two different ptcuiiar consonant .'oundsinscfied wiih lix' irregn- hir words also, for they do not q.roperly belong in any other lesson, as on;y one peculiar sound is now no'ed : "for instance; page 91 in the word ff»/xi//a7?/ Io l.as noted the round of i like?', but he has not noted ilie sound of alike gz ; p. 93 the sound of th is noted in clor/iirr. but not the sound of i like y ; p. 95 the sound of ch like k is noted in ch^iwlicm, but not the sound cf z lilCey, ^;c. &c. Table 53, page 145, conVMn% '' tnords of the same sound, Ivt dlJTerent in spelling and signifiratir/n." as Ihese vrords are Uiken from the dictionary, this lesson on-jht, uinlniiiiifilly, to have imnicdiatcly siu ccccied table 47, paye 112, instead of being placed af.'f?- the namoa of ler.sons, pU cc^, &-c. ; but Mr. V. ebslcr probably placed it in tliis manner in poliiene.ss to i\Ir. Dilwoith.anlBfcr of tliis lesson, vho 1 d it thus arranged. This is one of the most important lessons contained in any ^jiellirg-book ; for. unless these won's are associated with their respective distinctive definitions, it is impossible furtbe scholar to br-come acJift!/-vev-:n words each of which lias another word correspoiiaiiit; In sound in Mr. Webster's rticiionary, not one of which is in this table (oU.) or in any olLcr sp nUn;; les.son of his bo(j.c. consequently the scholar cannot, from the use of Webster's spclliiis,' les.sons, become actiuainled with the oniioirniphy or liistinciive deliniiioiis of Uiejifnj- «£r£/t words correspondin;? in sound with these; as, bur. ' . bay, dav, hav, wail, wain, trau?--:, bait, gait, steak, knee!, .toll, poiir, bloat, lo.ui, port, hoanl. Ccw, bruit, jamb, limb, >. . . .,, ■, rout, singte, subtle, counsellor, i;ession, anchor, plfjue, gild, rigger, w. ..'. -ji one hualred wOidsof 'hischis-; i.-i Web.^ter's dictionary, that is, two .... ''•!'- ferently, not one of which is classetl in table oi, neither arc tliey m ;i book, con-sequentiy the sciioiar will never be tauglit their sound, ori;. ,. ., .■ .u- ster's spelling lessons, neither will he even learn that there are su. .n liie lanmuige ; a.s creek cniK, iroar gore, place plaice, bell belie, dam danrn, marshal m;irtial, chagrin s: :. drc. : hixUdy ; as Mr. WeiL^lcr lias not given the pronunciation of the words in tabic 53, wo c;ir.not :> : liow he intended a number of these classes should l)a pronounced ; as, altar alter, asrent .. coll sell, century centaury, lesson less ni. meuil mettle, pear pure, re.-:t v/re-;t, &c. : .0:1 •' Words of the same sound," yet he h;i3 not given the p;Oauncrat'on <^ ;e.<, in tiiis or any other spelling '."es.son in liis hook! wiventhly; there i> .1 .. . i^! v, :iio!i he h;is classeu only tioo words of similar sound when, there are tlircn in i. .1 in his Diction;u-y ; as, by buy. pt'ar pare, seen scene, son t .scent, too two \- >' v .• ■. seine,, cent, to, v;un, and ewe: EiL'hthly ; there is a numiier of words c v.hic.T evidently ure not, and shoulil not be; as, centaury and centuiy, ' .;* hr;>ir:ri;.i and princiule ; and the live following words are not so spoile.l <,-v. ?iveii,)mton. «f/5-?io>-, «/.5rtr, and p/s€; Ninthly ; many of the 11 y incorrect ai\({ awkirarcl, .and at variancf; v.'iththe delinitions of tiic; saine vvorda in u> ; ;i.- aUur, for Siicrilice ; bier, to carry the dearl ; kurroir. for ratOMts; fayir. a w.-.',ri,or crick : ,;c &c. for liie definition of whic!i, sec Webster's P is, unUoubicdly, very much indebted 10 Mr. I :. A^ain ; Mr. \" • iu., he has not taken notice of the words V,- .-.-J. He h.is not iiiiormci us at all in his - • i : ' 'ii: lessons, nor even toM us that t > Mr. Webster in his Dictionary, c._ ' ' ''-.-^ons of h'S spelling-book, a:; itanyri .in or pcculiiir use in the Ian-- . .11 any of. - . in the different accentu;ition noied : as siujl'J, p.i^es -^i, nn.X z't, miidm::, \i\}.2a eind 24 ; conjuic, pp. i-i and 49; invalid 26 and 28 : the /ourfe^rt following words arc in.scnc»l w'r'i rvily 0!ie accentuation noted; neither am we learn from his spe'ding-bcok that they ever sliould be differt as convert, p. 23 ; coutine. co'ier.t. gallant im- pres.s, p. 24 ; project, protest, concert, p. 2.5: rebel |t. 47 : • .ort, p. 49 : de.^'^rt, n. 52:co:i,ii0imd, p. 53 ; 'pre- cedent, p. loi ; of theremainiii^ C2 words r." ' 'ir. he will foi'ever remain ignorant, unless he shall refer ti' ^>ent, frequent, mi- nute, retail, diirest, export, inijiort, record, i-, i.v ,-i.. u,. ■. .; -n; n , ,■ , ui. i.-i.-iui. AUiict. u iiisier.contest^ contract contrast,conver.se. object. attribute, august, (fcc. &.c. are not in anvof the spelliiiL'lessonsbf his book ! Again ; there are many words ditferently prw/.o«nc£d when diiTerently app'.-'i ^' '" ".hich are classed in his spellins-book. Some of these words are inserted and interminirled in the di;. lessons with the different jironuncia- tion ; as tear, pages 32 and 33 ; lead, p. 33 .and 147 ; use, p. i5 : lu-j . . . IJ ; sow, 40 and li3 : otliers are insert- ed with only one pronunciation noted inanyoftiic ie.^soris, ne.i.-.er c .n we learn from lils spelling-book thai they ever should be differently pronounced ; put, paee 17 ; wind, p. 18 ; close, p. 35 ; house, p. 40, abuse, pT 01, &c. hut there are others of this class, which are not in any of his spelling lessons, as mouse, disuse, excuse, raven, tarry, diffuse, lower, &c. &c. Althoueh there are (Ml ' ' inthec?" " i sonant sounds -which 3Ir. 'Webster ^ia« notea m his anahjns, yet hi^ ;3 still n ., as lie has vn' n-ted or classed many particu- lar consonant sounds, oi \. Ill .1 V. ;ii;e classes :i.-' u: «_>■ interspersed tlirougli his snelling lessons. 01 these I shtdl take notice v.'licu treating of his Arui:uii~> . u;:cia*Licn. ARRANGEMENT. it will no doubt Iv? readily admiffed, that next in i. ntion of words intended foi Epellins lessons, omtaininir tlte different and peculiar . • _ the due arrangenunt of the words thus classed, according to tlie ease or difficulty wiui . y and pronunciation ar>' h;amed. Immediately succeeding the alphabet, are two tabl^^ ro-: i' r the scholar's tirst "xerci-e iri spelling ; and at the close of these are thi ttion of the vlural from the singular and of other derina'AvM." As lar fomi. wi'h tKo ortharra- phy or pronunciation of, winch t) ' ' t not to :i insi^ricd here, more ptmicularly as there :. ..I.sasi:, ~p; nor is «in italickat the cndo" " '■ • ... ..i ;, ^ ^ 7, 8,9, 10, andii,coiu:.; i.iiion noted ; ihf-n !.-ib'.-! i-j. t- . " ..,,.,, i^nn-h/'r Inssnn oi " Er(uiij)!e3 of the for) nation < -.vhv Mr Wc'.jit Inserted /7ro lus.-ons of this kind, niorr- : ... , u 7. ,.\.'>-r^ lesson, there are no figures todenolr • 1 ^ouiids, noi ; ieiiers noted hv 1 Other les.sons, except tVi» ^r in it/ii*, /and 6o;''/f .' ' • n-d it rnv- ''; ■. , .. diflfictiU than the i- •; and tabic; ir, c. nfains •■; , tiuirtoota or v plural nouns of t «," &c. Mr. Web.^tf-r h.-n- ifnliok Iprters to . l*ronunciation of ii.'-i; \Miiil.-;; a:id. what rcn ' ir i.s UrU a sreat part of the.^e words is not in the other \ ,'.ii' 'q^ i'^ ■Webster's Dictionary, r.'>-.' I -ntly if can' ■' im..-. : , ■',,.'<; of three, four and fivr inv.hici nnd?-. ;i; t prominent defects in t; licnn. .,- ,- .,, i ,r^--\ notice of hereafter. Tab: ,1^'^ peculiar con.sonarit sounds a and z sounded like zh : c and : and J/ ; c and ,r =oft I'k" ? nnd./ and X pronru r are not .diet; words in wl . /,; .u.d s/Landsthe :i tho^Mn whichf ha.si ,; , c uml I :)..: sound ot nh. i and y (.>l,i,< 40 ; /tprono";.. . .. . : • .■ .|,.,^ those words in wliich c, r n . nij- «fi, table 39 ; yet all the for: ..[- ,;jj^. teen •' Eianip'ci nf rh/- t:.r. .. (7 j^j'^ ■Wet)5ier has 2iven neither . ! ,,'/,o: more th:m one half of these wc. learned from this hook. At the Vharlatown, and Gtorse^'nin. i. uni x.fjsc eg •.c'ljijv.iiia 'vviai, \>-..y a.c ud :.mi»^,j:j.^ p. u, ^;d Jn.msiQun, i> ar 111 re B WEBSTER'S AMERICAN SPELLFNG-BOOK. 130, (and a nvimber of similar words in the other lessons,) also called compound words, and classed with these * Tables 48, 49, 50 and 51, comprising 29 pages, contain the names of persons, places, rivers, lakes, &c. All of thesa words are here given without any classilication, relative to the vowel or consonant sounds ; and neither rules nor figures are given to denote their pronunciation. This defect in the classification and pronunciation of this large number of words, has caused great diversity in their pronunciation among teachers, and has greatly embarrassed them and their pupils. Thus we shall find, on examination, that of the lessons intended for spellins, furti/ pages contain words, to represent the pronunciation of which, Mr. Webster has not given any classification, figure or rules. Many of these words are spelled diflercntly from the Gcograpliics, Gazetteers, and Histories of the present cay, as it seems evident that Mr. Webster has not paid much aiceuUon to liieir correction since he first published his «pelUng-bool£ i ORTHOGRAPHY. 1 shall now take notice of the orthography of Mr. Webster's Spelling-Book ; particularly as it regards a compar{. sou of it witli INIr. Webster's Dictionaries, published in isOGand 1SI7, and Dilwortli's Spelling-Bcok. As Mr. Web- ster has not, in his Spelling-Book, professed to follow any particular Standard, but has publi.^hed a dicti'marv' him- self since the first publicatfon of his spelling-book, to the orthography of which we might reasonably expect him to conform his spelling- boolc ; it will not, I presume, be considered injustice in me to show wherein the orthography of his spelling-book and dictionary is at variance ; and also to show that much of this erroneous spelling was evidently copied by Mr. Webster from Dilworth's spelling-book, as many of these words are spelled ui Webster's spelling book as they are in Dilworth's. contrary to Webster's dictionary. About twenty years or more after the first publication of his spelling-book, Mr. Webster published "A compendious Dictionary of the English Language." This was in the year 1S06. In the year 1817, Mr. Webster published •' A Dictionary of the Engli,>.h"^Lanimage ; com- piled for tlie use of Common Schools in the United States." With these two dictionaries I have compared his spcl- Jinj^-book, and have found the following words spelled differently. The wonis in italicks are spelled in Dilworth's as m Webster's spelling-book, contrary to both of the editions of Webster's dictionary refened to. As, trissvllable p. 10 i chace p. 18 ; di/er,jul^p p. 21 ; faggot, hansel, pcnncl, sadler, sallad p. 22 ; taller, jockij. spinet p. 23 : intpals p. 24; offence, subtract \). 25; ecstacy p. 26 ; empannel p. 28 ; epittime p. 30 ; apo.siacy p. 'si ; calimamo \\. Zi ; balsc, maize p. 33 ; doat, holme, show, sluice p. 35 ; clench, niche, rince, boult, moult, cnniib p. 36; stiiunch, laste, swash, fosse, inosr^ue, launch, scoat p.33 ; bourn, ousc, croup, ton p.39: ronl, grci/, skein, streight, sponec p.40; thowl, ihwak, loth p. 41 ; meethe, though, seethe j). 42 ; woo p. 44 ; gnonian or g)iomon, heinous, ancle p. 46 ; hin- drance, phrenzy p. 47; satchel, cobler, frolic, goslui p. 48; hulloe, verjuice p. 49 ; finesse, quadrille p. 52: vulture, Straight p. 56: enwrap p. 5S; cimet;\r, definite p. 59; epaulette, hypocrite, jessamine, libertine, nnckerel, paioxism p. 60 ; almanac, quarantine, ro(iuciaur p. 61 ; achievment p. 63 ; malecor^tent p. 64 : catastrophe, parishioner, ai)OS- trophc, chnse p. 67; vergaloop. 70 ; commemmonuion p. 75 ; encumber, thresli p. 77 ; benumb p. 78 and 167 ; en- snare, suitor, tipler p. 81 ; abscision p. S4 ; negociate p. 86 ; noviciate p. 88 ; laquey p. 89 ; behaviour, connexion punctillio p. 91 ; enthral, etheriid p. 93 ; burthen, lother, carcase p. 94 ; cholic, alchymy, chamelion, chaiibeate p. 95 bombasin, buccinier p. 97 ; twigsin, noiriren, bigsenp. 99; imagin-? p. lOl ; whurr p. 102; bailor, piiyor, methoa- Ize p. 109 ; batteau, women p. 1I2 ; avoirdupois p. 113 : bas3 {a long) p. 145 ; fe.llon p. 146 ; seignor, shoar, vise, fcite p. 113 ; seii. stile p. 150 ; n.olasses, cyder p. 154 ; beach (a tree) p. 155 ; recompencep. I60, &c. In addition to the above, there is ;i num.ber of words which are spelled ditferenily in the dilTercnt lessons of Web- ster's spelling-book, and are spelled in one manner only in his tlictionarj* , as. piisre 13, dote 35 doat, p;ise IS. chace 100 chase, p;ige 19, rinse 36 rince, page 20, wo 44 woe, page 21, brier 92 bri;ir, p;»ce 33, m;uze 155 m;uz, p;ige40, streight, page 56, sirai'irht, p;i2es 39, 50, 51, choose, 67, 69. chuse. page 48, frolic 107 frolick, page 91, connexion' 96 connection, page PI. seiffhior 148~selgnor, which is, undoubtedly, a very great defect. I think ItVill appear evident to every person on the perusal of the precedins comparison, that the orthography of Mr. Webster's spelling book is very defective, and that rilr. Webster hus net paid that attention to t!ie improvenierM and correction of ins Ijook, which ne ought, considering the extensive I'.atror.age he has received from U»e Amencai" publick. Mr. Webster, in the preface prefixed to his dictionary, published m 1817. observed, " It is very desirable that a uniform orthography m;iy prevail among the citizens of the United States. This c;ui never be the Ciise while ihey use a v;irietv of English bcKiks, which do not agree in spelling ;" yet the dictionary, to which these remarks are pre- flxL J, disagrees with his spelling-book, which was revised -aixA published the sainc year, (1817.) in the orthography of all the words noted above ! and the same words were also contradictory in tlie diciionary publish.cd by him in 1806, and his sprlline-book then in use : and farther, his dictionary jiublished in 1817 differs in orthography from the one he published in IS06. as much as any two English dictionaries extant. It is certainly of the utmost importnnc* that correct or unifonn orthography should exist in the syjelliner-bopk and dictionary, for the habits of spelling which we acquire from them remain with us through life. This is' so evidently a fact th:\t hv observation we sh;ill find that the wonls, which are spelled in Webster's spelling-book, contrary to Webster's dictionary, or those of Johnson and Walker, are spelled in this erroneous manner, iiot only in most of the newspapers of the day, but in map.3' of the writings of our most distinguished scholars and statesmen, who ob- tained their first knowledge of these words from Mr. Wolister's book. I sh:dl now give an e.viiosition of the contradictory orthographyofthe two editions of his dictionarj-. published in IS.16 and 1817 ; but as the hmits of this review will not permit me to show all of this class^ I shall confine the exposition prlncipallv to the words which are contained in his s-peillng-book, for the two following re;isons : First ; many of these words were spelled in his dictionary (of 18O6) as they were in the spelling-book, differently from the dictiona- ry published in 1817. and the others agreeably to it ; so th;tt in his dictiouar>' published in 1817, these woras which agreed with his spelling-book, in his dictionaiy (1806) are changed, and dif^agree w'lXh it ; and those which disagreed with his spclling-book,"in his dictionary (I8O6) are al.so changed, and agree with it, while the orthogranhy of his sijelling-book has remained the s:ime; during the countcrrevolittinti of it in his two dictionaries alluded to r StcondTv ; some of these words agne with. Walker's ortliOgraphy in Webster's dictionary published in I8O6, and others with that of 1817. In almost every Ciise. in which lic disagrees in his spelling hook with his dictionaries, and agi-ees with Dilworth's spell ing-lvxk, and in which he disagreis In his dictionary, isi7, with that of isos, he agrees with Walker! whose orwir):?™/)/!?' and protiunciation he h;is treated with contempt whenever he has spoken of them ' [Sec the preface to his diclionarj'. published in ISC6, p.".go 11 ; and his appeal " To the -ptillick," published at New Haven. March, 1826.) The fo'lowing words form a part of this class ; the first spelling of the word is agreeably to the edition of the di> tlonarv, ISO6; "and the latter, that of 1817: abatable, abatcahle: abridgment, abridgement; acknowledgment, ac- knowledgement ; aiddecamp, aldecainp ; allege, allegcahle, alleged, alledge, alledgeable, alledged ; appnsit, apposltlv apposltness, apiiosite, appositely, anpositeness ; ;i.- candid re;ulcr will admit, after having examined the following expiwltion, and wh:it has already l)een shown of his orthography, that the pre- ceding ve^-y mild remark is as justly appliaible to Mr. Webster's orthogrdphy, as to that of any other author: As, In his dictfonao' (1806) he omitted the nnal e in the terminations im and ite unaccented ; thus, in doctrln. deter- min, mcllcln, quarantin, iessamin, libertin, examin, deposit, hypocrit. apposit, opposit, reposil, requisit, iierquisit; and retained it in the same termination in exquisite, favorite, and infinite; And in his dictionary (1817) ho kas reL7inpd the e in the last thrte noted above, and inserted it In doctrine, determine, medicine, examine, appo> Ate. qppositr, <>«niui9K«, attd lequiiiiiti, ia wU«b U Yi'U fio; lA U.« dlcUouu'y (liio^ t H« hae> Jock;y with ey, asd WEBSTER'S AMERICAN SPELLING-BOOK. 38 tatlcy with y only ! cloke with ofc«, and oak and soak with oa ! tranquillity with II, and intranquilify with one /.' and in his dictionary (1817) he has apiiO.-ite and requisite with final e, .md jirc-roquisit and innpposit without lit ahateahle with e alter t, and delwUibie without it ! &c. and yet in all nt the al)Ove ra:jes, in whicli Mr. Webster's or- thograiihy is neither consistent nor uniform, Johnson and Walker observe both consistency and uniibmnty. In view ot the expositions I liave made, 1 |)re>uine every iiers(m will perfectly :i£,'rf'e with INlr. Webster in his (Statement in the pieiace to his dictionary, that •' the more books me mmte, the more the hoiicst infiuirer will be per- plexed and confounded with discordani princiiJles," when he has published two dictionaries which do not agree wiUi each other, and both disagree wi:h his speiling-book i PRONUNCIATION. I shall now take notice of Mr. Webster's " ANALYSIS OF SOUNDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE," prefixed td his s})eains.'-book ; and sh;ill jiDint out wh.^t 1 consider de/ccf ire in this " Amilysis." Mr. Web.^ter ha.-, in his Analysi.<, •jiven a very useful explanation of the word LANGUAGE ; has piven verj' ex- plicit definitions of an articulate sound, a vou-d, a cunsoiiant, and of a diphtfionff ; yet none of these were takeu notice of by Mr. Dilworlb. except the v'»i-cIai the termination eu we must not, .agreeably to the above rule, ev(/r pronounce d like t in this termination, as at (ached, passed, fa-ced' &c. &c. nut at-tatsht. patf, fasto, &c. He h.is not told us tliat d is silent in the first sy liable of stadthoider, p. 61, iri Wednesday, ifec. or that it is ever silent. " F has its own proper sound, as in life, fe»vr. except in of, where it hcis the S'^und of i'." This letter is not silent in his spelling lessons, yet he has not sfated it. " G belore a, o. and u, has it.' hard sound, as in gave, go, gun. Belore e. i, and y, it has the same hard «"Und in some words, and in others the sound of>." But he has not informed us whether fr should have the soun > of j before / and r,oi its hard srund, as in glove, grain, &c. He has not told us that g is silent bcfoie n in tlio --vune syllable, as in soveieimi, p. 49, in arraign, and assign, p. 51, in benisn, condign, design, &c. p. 52, or that •- '•'' ever silent. In sj)eaking of H he savs, '• H can hardly be said to have any s.Ainci, but it denotes an aspira'-"" ''r impulse of breath, which modiiies the sound of the following vowel, as in heart, heave." He hit-s not told I's that li is sih nt alter » , as in rli( mb, p. .40, &c. " J is the mark *el, ami is preceded by a consonant, and is like zh when followed as above, and preceded by a vowel ; neither has he told us that s eve» h:».s the sound of zh when followed bv w, although in his table 33, over which he has, " in the following words, si sound like efi," he hfts inserted Mx wordjs in which s is followed by u! Again, he has noi told us that c 34 WEBSTER'S AMERICAN SPELLING-BOOK. ever has tV 'Otind of sTi. when rvilo-vvod bj- lon;^ 2< and prccedod by Ihc accent, as in censure, fren3ua!,&<. fit has not told us that s i* silent in isle, idand, vlscc/unt, &c. ;i 112, or ihiat it is ever si]«nt " T has its proper sonn4. as in turn at the Lies-inning of words and end of syllaijlcs. In all the terminations in tion, and tial, ti have the sound ofsh, as in nation, nuptial ; except when pre.:;- other v.-ord in this table. (33,) wc may reasonably swvpose that Mr. Webster intended the z to be sounded like zh, hitwithstanding he has not informed us in table 33, or when treating of tho letter 2. that it ever has this sound. " Ch have the sound of tsh in words of English origin, as in chip— in some words of French oriirinal thev have the sound of sh, as in machine— and in some words of Greek origin, the sound ot fe, as in chorus." He has hot told us that ch is silent in schism, p. .-50, yacht, p. 38, or that it is ever silent. "CWl have the sound off, as in laugh, or are silent, as in li^lit." He h?s not told us that gh is pronounced liko fc, in housh, lousrh. shouih, (see Webster's Dictionnry) : that the h only is silent in some words, as in ghost, p. S5, gherkin, p. 99. " Ph have the sound of/, as in philosophy ; except in Stephen, v.'here it has the sound of v" He has not told us th.at ph is silent in phthisic, p. 47. or that it is ever silent. " Sh has one sound only, as in .shell ; but its use is often supplied bv ti. ci. and re, before a vowel, as in motion, gracious, cetaceous." Here he has stated that the uso 3f 8h is often supplied by ti. ci and ce. but has omitted to mention si also. Again, in the above rule, he says that the use oUh is often supplied by ci nd ct : but in treating of the letter C, he states that th.e s^jllablc slides into the sound olsh. •' Tic has two sounds, aspirate and vocal— afi-i rate, as in think, bath— vocal, a.s in those, that, bathe." He has not told us that h, in this combination, is silent in asthma, p. 46, in isthmus and phthisic, p. 47, m thyrae^ &c. : or that it is ever silent. " ,*?c before n, o. it and r. arc pronounced like sk. as in scale, scotf, sculpture, scribble before e, i, y. liks soft c. or s, a? in scene, science, Scythian." He hr.s not told us that sc has the sound of sh, ax in tonscience, conscious, &c. : yer Y^e has these words ia' table 34, in which c, s and t have the sound of sh. After these rules, Mr. Webster has ixiven rx;nci.=-c c.xpianiitions of the "Formation of Words and Sentences," and " Ot Accent. Emnhasis and Caaance.'" Then follows his " Kev to the following Work." In which he has given examples of the different vov.-el sounds, as represented l>y ./;:r!f'r.''s plain! over the vowels of the accented syllables in his spelling lessons, the rcpresmtarion of which he has explained in his " Explanation of the Key. A figure stands as the invariable reprosentative "1 a crrtrun .'iound. The figure 1 represents the long sound of the letters, a, e, i, v, u, or CIV, ;ind y ; number 2 the short soitTvd of the same cliaracters ; number 3 marks the sound of broad a. in hall; number 4 represents the sound of ainjKihcr ; luinibcr .5 represents tlie short sound of broad a as in vot, what ; number 6 represents the sound of o \n moire, <;o\-aTc\on\r expressed by oo : number 7 represents the short sound of 00 in root, bifn; number S represents the souita of u short, made by c, i and o, as in ficr, bird, corite, pronounced hur. hurd, cum ; number 9 represents the first stajnd of a, made by «, as in there, rein, pronounc€il thare, vane: number lo represents the French sound of i, which >* ti.e same as e long." Thi.s representation of the vowel sounds bv figures was. unquestionablv. a .crreat improvement t^jon Mr. Dilworth'i? Spelling-book, in which, as w.as stated oh i).age 33, thevowel sounds were not classed or noted, in the application of these fisrurcs in the various spelling lessons, the vowels are classed whose sounds arc of the &vme quantity -. as loner a. e, i, o, &c. under number 1 ; short a, e, ^, &c. under number 2; or those whose sounds ai> similar, as her, b rd, come. Sic. under 8, in which the vowels e. i. and o represent the sound of short u. &c. . and y : number 2. the short sound of the same characters ;" yet he has not given any example in his kev in which cip or o is placed under figure 2 ; neither Is cw under 2 in any instance in his Rpellin;: lessons, nor o but in the two words dot'i, p. 4!, and acknoicledge, p. 63 ! He has given ihe word tun in his key, to represent the sound of ti. short with fiijurc 2 over It ' and on p:ige 40 he has spelled it ton with figure 8 over it ; and it is spelled tun in his dictionary published in 1806 and 1817. " He .says, "number « represents the sound of o in move," and on p. C3, he has maneuver with u under 6, .alfhousrh he has no example in his key to shov/ that « ever has this sound. He says, " numlMirS represents the sound of « short m.ode by e, i, and 0," yet he has run. p. 39, and dunre., p. 40, with the u under 8. instead of placinc them urder 2 ! Great perplexity and embarrassment frequently arise from the majiner that thes: fuiures arc p'.ified over 'J>» WEBSTKRS AMERICAN SPELLING-BOOK. t» wrwc'iX, bdns oil tlie same t.vpe wlUi 0..e !et!er, It Is auite JliT:cuit for the scholar to cleienj.ino which flgure Is on th« vowel before him ; and \vheii the fipuie i is piace>i ovor ( it is pari;i;ulariy perpleAing lo a young scholar. Tha figures ought, undoubtcJly, to be on a seiiarute typo from the letii'r, whecovsj'r the goundiS of the vowels change, that uiev may be at once distinguistied both by te;u;her and scholar. The following: nile of .Air. Webster's Key, which is to denote the silent letters in the spelling lessons by printing them in iia'.ick characters, wai alsoa rcz-j/^rca/improvemeiu. [This hnprovtmen:, hov^ever, was, I believe. origi^ nal in Mr. Perrys .spelling book.,' '• bilent letters are printed in ita'ick characters : ttms. in hea.1, roal, buiUl, peo- ple, fli'/it, the italick letters have no sound." .Mr. Webster has omitted to mte ibc silence of many letters in his spelling lcs.sons, although he has noted the silenc<3 of ."Whers which are eviucniiy of the same class, as will be fully shown. " S whiu printed in italick, is not siient ; but pronraincc.l liKC z as in lUvv'e, pronounced devize." If » should be pronounced like ^, when printed in italick, why is it in italick in table ihirtv-three. in which it is sounded like zn .' 'J'heio is evidently a contradiction between the rule quoted above, and the rule and examijles placed over the table tliir'y-three; for if v/e follow the above rule, we must pronounce the « like z in table 33, as mezur, plezur, ra-zur, &.c. &c. ; and if the rule over the table, rnezh-ur, ple/.h ur, ra zhur, &c. &.c. A::ain, if « should be pronounced like z when in italick, iiow shall wu pronounce Rhotie Island, p. l*2i ; I«leoburg, ji. 130 j Carllfle, p. 133 ; I-ong-l«iand, p. 139 ; Presque-Isle, p. 140, In which the s is in italick 1 The rales respecting ch aud th as it regards their classification, were treated of on page 32. With regard to what I shall deem ca7ir/a{Ztcror2/ pronunciation In this treatise, I will obser^"e, that I apply it tle lo give o the sound of bro;id a sl;on, as in •what, ;U5 represented by figure 5, in these words, as the o is loUowed by r and another cr'n.-;onaiit, and necissarity has the sound of broad a loos, as in lall ; the same may be observed v/ilh regard to o. which l.e lias nmler figure 5, in abhor, p. 25 ; nrnamcnt, i). 27 ; abortive, indorsement, importance, p. 63 ; oichester, j). 95 ; whereas it .she uKI Ije under 3, broad a long, in all of tlie above words, beins followed by /• single, or by r and another cons':iianf. ;is in border, corner, mortal, 6ic. p. 48 ; adorn, su!x>rn, &c. p^oS; deformity, siibo>^'J'n'>ie, &c. p. 67 ; a in wasp and want, under 3, broad a long, p. 37, and under 5, broail a short, in wa.~h, \\-^t< and wand, p. 38 ; o in dios.<. lo.ss, &c. under 3, p. 37; and in fosse, under 5, p. SS; a under 5, bread a short, ni tault, p. 29; and under G, bnad « lonir. in ihes;..',.e syllable in fault y, p. 43 ; oo under 7, in loof. p. 39 ; ;""' under 6, in aloof, p. 52. The evideni contiailiction in liia pronunciation of words in which i is followed i>r r single, or by rand another OMi?on;uit,vv-as ttdien nonce ol on pase 34 ; as, virge, (verge,) t like n slM)rt, p. [}9i virgin^ (vurgiii,) i like u short, p. 49, &c. He has e and ijh^ih in r. man in the terminatioiify in abbey, p « ; and the i in italick and the j/ only in roin'!.n, in tr.c same tenuiiiaiion, in chimnev, p. 47 ; he ha=; the tainl h both silent in asthma, p. 46, but the h only is silent in isthmus, p. 47 ; he l.asr silent w'hen preceded byaand followed by en, in chasten and eli.sien, p. 47 ; and has sounded it in chri.5ien, p. <)' ij which it is preceded by s and followed by fii, as in the two words above referred to ! On p. 47 is franchise, with il'ie t hissing and the e in italick, making the i short ; p. 63. disfranchi.se, with the s in italick, S'^uml-ed like z. ;ind the e In roman, making the z Ion?; p. 66, disfranchis'^meut with the « italick, sounded like r, and thee in it:ii;ck a'so making the i short, so th.ii the syllable chi^e, being imra'jdiutely preceded by the accent, is pi-oniamced three dirter- «ni ways in tlie three words above noted; thus, tsiii.^, fsiii/.e, andlshiz! Page 47, e in italick and oioinan in Uu.eliCin, and saine page, e in roman and o in italick in puncheon, and i'. 48, truuchccn, pronounced lunclum.iHinchrii. and trunchen ! Page 49, o in fortune, under 3, broad i: long, and e in roman, making the it long ; an i p. 63, o \u mis- fortune, under 5, broad a short, and the « italick, rnaXing the u short, thus, fawr-tune and niis-foi tun ! P;ige 49,1 under 5, in knowlcdije, and under 2 in the same syl.able, in acknowledge, p. 63 ; p. 52. the final e ,n n man in ap- prove and above, and itaiic4< in disprove and be'ove ; o\'er T;ible 30, he h;is given whole syllables for examph s when speaking of the stiund of txh or sh. as tiort, t'Mn. cicin, cial. iVc. ; and over 'I'able o4, he hits ;rivcn parts of sj Ihibles for examiile-', as a>. sie, iifi, &c. ; )). 9i, the s is not it-tlick in billiards and billion.'!, as it should be agreeably 10 his rule respecting e, for it is imi)ossible to pronounce these words unless we pronounce the v like z. The coiiinidic- lion in his pronunciation of xio like k^hu in anxious, and not in rloxiou, r;u\ion. &c., n. 91, was taken i.oiice o( on page 30. On p. 95, chord is umler 5, broad a ahnil. tuul on p. .;r. corl is under 3, brc:id « Ion;:, an. I on p. 145, he has given them as being pronounced alike, making figures 3 and 5 synonymous in tl.eir repie^ei.tntion '. Piiae 97, « ronian in machine, and italick in m;icinn?-ry ; p. los.^.iree.xiiiiusland exhort, in the former of which h is souii.ic»">, and in the latter it is silent, allhouch h commences .an ;u:c*;ntcd syllable, and is immediaie^y inx-ceded by j in i)oth words. Thus I have given a list of words which 1 conceive to bo pionounced in a contradicti ry Uiarinei in Mr. Webster's spelling lessons. As I intend to compare the principle.^ of pronunciation by J Walker with tluse of Mr. Webster, on some future occasion, 1 shall not briiiJi Uio i..\p»i::y or jUoine.s.* of Wr. Wcbetc;';' printijiles into question until that time. As Mr. Wel)?ier ha.s aiven the pronunciation of finr words (except tticir accentuation) in hJs dictionary (I8I7.I we can notdeioct wmnyconiradictionsin pronunciation in his dictionary and .'pc'liug-boik : but I'rom i.'.o lew which he kas pronounced, I presume, had he L'iven the pronunciation in n!i dictionary of all the word.i contained in his spelling book, there would have been the s.ame flippy con^i:,trncy nnd umfnrminj b'jiween the dictionary and fpelling-book in their pronunciation, that tliere is in tlitir orUio'-criphy. which 'a' as r-xi.bited on p.ige Si. For in stance: p. 25, romance is accented on the second syll.xble, :- ; p. 46, asthma, ; silent in the sj>elling-booJc. arid Founded in his dictionary ; e italick in brimstone, making' the short, and ronian in the dictionary, makunir the o lomr; p. 4- bustle pronounced busll, t sounde.l, and in his dictionarv pronounced bus.^le, t silent : p. 49, >overciL'n i-ronounced suv-ren, 'wo t vllables. and suv-er un, three syllables, in his dictionary : p 52. upright and y.iotini acoonted on the $ec : di-: . ,» roman, makiog theilon^', e. italick, making the i short, dictionarv ; p. 66, compai.f''lc. :uTeiitt>l on n I syllable, and on xh^Jlrnt in the dictionary : p. 71, monosvllable and p^ilvsylhsbi", ac»rn:ed on the ihirn the .foi/rr/j in the dic- tionary ; p. 95, te-trarch, c long, r.nd let-rarch, c shoit, in the dioilniuiry ; p. 97, iJfn •■ .rr-.-mcd on ilie i-covd .<) ji, ble, and on I'u^ first in the dictionary ; j). lOl. pagcantrv, a short, .iiat a lopc. n. l'J2. adagio, a sl.oi', (second syllable.) and a lor^, diriioir Bter's pronunciaBbn Is contrsulictorv both in his own spelling b<^'k and school dictionarv: -^nd ''^"''f ''» *" ''i •Pfiling btoJi to a very great extent with Walkers, which i» generally lued In tUc uuam -^woi Wi« 11, wtero lu 86 WEBSTER'S AMERICAN SPELLI^'G-B0OK. orthography Bpelling-I perceive; ''^HavVn" p^hued'ovil Vhat 1 considered defective or contradictoiy in Mr. Webster's spelling-book,! shall now con- elude my remarks on that lx)Ok by taking notice of some dcciavations made by Mr. Vvcbaler relative to his spelling- book, in his APPEAL " TO THE PUI3L1CK," published at New-Haven. March, 1S26 From a review oC his appeal, above alluded to, I was lully convinced that Mr. ^\cbsterwas not aware of the defects and contradictions contained in his spelling book and school dictionary ; and I have therefore l)een more particuhar in ''ivin<^ proof of what I have stated, fn speaking of his si;cliing-book, lie observes, " my tables are so constructed and so" nearly complete, that tltey cannot be innJroved." Again, he says, in speaking of the attempts to rival his book : " In order to accomplish their object, it has been found e.\pedient to depreciate my work, and to charge me with innovation, and with introducins a synem of orthography and pronunciation in viany re-iptaa vague and pedantic. Surely, if this is true, if mv book is really a bad one, I have been very much 'deceived and I have done not only an injury, but ereat and extensive injury to my countiy." In the preceding review 1 have shown that his book " is really a bail one," not only in tiie contradictory and defective manner in which his spel- ling lessons are classed and arrauL'c.l, [see pa^es 3u, isi) but in the incotisisterit and defective innovations in orthog- raphy adopted by him, which heliid not, or could not render consistent or uniform throughout the language! iSee paees 7. 8, 9, 10, u.] ^ , ^ ^ To my remarks on his spelline-book, Mr. Webster attempted an answer in the Argus of the 12th Dec. 1827, but Instead of disproving my assertions, or endeavouring to ofter any remarks in justification ol having continued these errours, defects. -And inconnistencies in his spehing-book for more than joriy J/eflis, many of which are at variance with his school dictionarv, [see pa<;es 19, 22] ; he'iias adnalied the truth of my assertions, in the following language : " That there are some errors, defects and inconsistencies in the work, is not to be wondered at > lor this is precisely the fact with everv English dictionary which 1 have yet seen;" and he indulges in a decisive condentna- tion of every English dictionarv now in existence, for the purpose of justifying the errours of his spellini.'-book! Mr. Webster, in speaking of the defects of Mr. Johnson's dictionary, observed in the preface to his diciionaiy, published in 1806, p;ige 19, tliat •' To assign the causes of these delects is by no means dinicuil. Vv e arc told in tha accounts of Johnson's life that he was almost always deinessed by disease and poverty ; thai he was naturally Indolent, and sehtom wrote until he was urged by want, or the necessity of fulfilling his engagements with his booksellei. Hence it happened tiiat he often received the money for his wriiimzs before liis maiinscri[its were pie- pared. Then, when called upon for copy, he was compelled to prepare Ins inmu^cripts in haste; and it may be reasonably supposed tha» in some instances lliej' were sent to the press in an unlinished state. These fiiCls, while they may account for, bv no moans excuse the multitude of errors in his dicticnary." But Mr. Webster CJii-.not, with anv degree of pro'prietv or consistency, assert that poverty is the cause • f the errours in his spelling-book or school dictionary ; for, in his appeal, after ha'vinir stated that his book had ei)C;nintered pieiiO.-session and |ntjudic« with success, he ob. neglect the correction of the a-jeria and eirours i^ointed ; ui by me in this review. Notwithstanding Mr. Webster's spelling-buck has been very exteiisiT'oly patnnised, and he has re- ceived thoiisaiuls of dollars from the American citi'-.ens, yet he has sutlered these enoovs to remain in his bcok yearaftpr vear, without correction; [seepage 3-2;] and then he is so incon^.istent ntn\ ungenerous as io tell these ■Citizens who have thus patronised and supported him by makinsr such an extensive use of his siiel.ing-book. that a " species of slavery hantrs like a min-stone about the neck of all literary enlerprize m the United Slates." What Mr. Webster coiisidcrs " a species of slavery," is, 1 suipose, theconduct of many of the res)iectable citizens in the United States, who have presumed to nianiiest an attachment to the principles of orthography iuid oilhocpy of Walker's dictionary in preference to those taudit by him. Again, he olisevves in his ajjpeai, -as 1 have been preparing a dictionarv for publication; have for niany years been teased with the cisn or ai out Wa.lvcr : 1 have made a v-isit to Ensrlahd, and partly with a view to ascertain the rc-al stale of the language" It is indeed finite su:- prising that Mr. Wel)stor should have visited England with a " view to ascerltiin the teal state of the luvguagc!" by spending a few months there, more particularly as he had previously condemned, without n serve, all the £>/§•• /w/i dictionaries now in use ! I Again, he observes. " I presume, I can select a thousand words, if not double the number, from Walker's dictionarv. marked for a pronui;c'ai:on wliich i;on:an would venture to use, in any decent society in that countrv." And yet he has 7iot r.emdtscended to uirnisli the citizens ot the United States wwU ASingLe example of Mr. Walker's indecent inonunciation I Now. I would inquire of INir. Webster whether ti.e jnonunria tion of some words.iou vviili ihteeof his l)icuin>irics. TUs puniililet Ivi- h'x-u wideiy circulate 1, :i!ia tlio leconimcii'iHtions nre oiiculateil to impress the |)U!)!ic:< nindwith le l>elief U«t \.\\c Elementary Spelliin;-BoO:C is unilonn in \U ruhCKftapliV, pr. iiui:ciaii< u, ami ciassitiction, nml or this rea.-oii is wonlij" ol beiji^ Htl »pt-'J ill our sci >)ls .iml :»c» l-.niei. L'lioii whit principle thcs* U!iqu:i!iftil rocoiniiiendati.ir.s o:' th:g work liave been piven, it is iliiTiculi lo determiu'; ; siiix' in all the.se pnrticil.irs it U ir mo c erroneous and deleo live tli.iii the Amciiaxn. Speiiin,' Booc. 1 do not iiiiend tliat This t.ict stall rest uon hare assertion, hut upon proofs. Which I c'lalL-n-.'e .Mr. Wcbs^ter and all his friends to irain.^ay. I ;iin .ware that n .s-iyin? this, I am cullins iu quesiion the ce:ti.'=.&it.->3Cf men of siCai erudiiionand praCiiral o.pcrii iicem variou. departments of literature — m;n whose lirearv r i)utatlon and puhlic : functions present an awful prpoiulnane ti< my bin;:le counterijoise ; but I ie.it .secure inthft irre^i^t hie f.)rce of irutli, aud the sincerity of m.icoiivictio.-, while i hesitaie not tn say that it would hettc-r co;n' ort with the principhs of Justice and the interests (f .society, )r iireutlem';'!! to state where- in 'his CO npilation hy Air. Ely is piel'eralile toother ho ^ks dosigncd for iiJ,truc[ioii,tluui barely loastert it, hOkV imposing so?ver may he tlie weight of their uaines. If the luction were— whether Mr. Webster is entitled to re.^pect for his ihours asi Lex ir/>srai)her— there could be n'» divi.-rsitv "if opinion ; hut when it I ■; alloi'e.l iliat h': i.as reduced the orth"ns "o wiiirh they refer. Were I not p'n-s-onal!.* aC(]UMiiitd with the fact that in this city m"etin-'sof trrachers were h a t for the purjiQse of securing pledu'es to siippot the £/?;iCn/rt?7/ Spelling B'Xik and Duo- dccira I Dictionary which were ihenunputtishe.l, that .Air. Webster attendel these metir.gs in person for the purpose ef e: • .ainiiiE Ins principbs and eulozizina his own Iwoks— that at one )fthesemt^lin'_'s a committee previously appointed made a report coiii'vieniliii'.' the Elementary.Spelllng-Bof.k. amliTsin-.' the doption of thai reporlupon tlw authority- that one ofthecommiite? " had seen the borit. in manuscript" fl\\M\ at a sbsfquent period Uic most un- war aniable mea Mires wore ad'.)(ite.l by the friend? of .'\Ir. Webste". t> prouire an ciiorsemcnt lor (his compiUtioii bv th*; teachers in this city, wh'ch failed except as io a few individuals— aid, were liot pei>:oiially ar/jnainted with the iiamole-'s devices whicn have been resorted to— for the purpo.-e of fotcinv liiesqmblications upon tlie commu- nity— Imieht suspect mvself iruilty of illib'^raiity in e^riiressin^r this dou^t: hut jjosessinir the knowledge I do In rclati'tn to this matter, and knowinir also froine\i)erience the tim'i and aM>'ication equi.-iie to form a oyxxco. opin- io!! of their merits— i am irresistibly impelled to the conciusion, that penoiial frierlship luis contributed largely U> ihe procuring of the^ie reco!iinieiid;t'ions. Ano'her part of thi< pamphlet is n'orthy of a passing remirk. For th? purpose ^f disseminating more widely than could be done throuah iSe medium of the quarto dicfionan*, Mr. Weister lias tou'.'ht pTiiier to publish in this pamp'i'ot, by a liberal extract from the introduction to that work, his warfare upon the dead, •' ichose inorr,* were nocr hnf/n'ii" ? * The truth of the 'matter is, Mr. Webster well knows that Walk»rdil more thai any otlier individual to render analogous the orthoepy and orthorriphy of the lanuiiage- that Ids princi»les are ainost univers^illy adopted in this country and in Rnel and — -m I that in tha' country as well as in thl.:, 'Uhc iis.igfo'' irellbrrJ p''npl'" is d»nive>t from that -"nthor, inste.iilof " formin? a 2ulde," as he would havens lou'iilerstand How preposterous the Idea that In a country like that of Encrlaud.wli"re science she Is her lucid beams vith r-fulent splen ;our, there should be in this branch of Philoloey no ?iiido hut the varyine and c ipriciou< usrire of- iroi i society." .Mr. Webster has stated in the preface to thH work, that " it is d'^sicn-d as ar improvcinent on the Amencan Ppelling-Book :" anil, he also ail Is. "t!ie ciaointout what I consider erroneous. Cf)>)tritlirror>j.-M\(y inf-.o-n^istrnt \\\ the onho^raphv, prom nriTiion. classification, arraiifrement. and divi.iou of worts; more particularly, as the propriftor (Mr Web<»cr) ha^ had I le work before him miire than f u;o years: and h;is therefore hnd an oiuiortunity to corrert anv hluvdfrs niiA\\' and corrcctJy adhei^d to. 7 3 T\\CMr;-t. and not xWip'-ii'iiT-hook, must ha the standard of rfference ; and hence the imi>ort.inr<' lorthe luiifo.. ii'f and roriertiu-ss of our language, that Iho laittr worl: should be founded and carefully coiisiructed upon Uic inltic.ples of il.e foruier. CONTENT.^. This spelling b'lok comprises I'S paies, ront linlnsr about nine tliou'^and words, arrm^reil In spellin? lessons, Inier-Tier^od with rpadim? le-i'^nns, cnipo-.-.l of detjtrhe I seiiifiic.'-s In the selection of the wonis cout.iine^l In the lessons for spelling, Mr. Ely stems to have used but little diicrtikfi, or discrimiiatiou ; for, he has na' Inserted • Stirely if (he dictionary of Walker w;i» heiPtofore not knnwn evpfi to Mim»'er«orih<' nri'i.h Purtmmfiit imiil thev viiK.- I thii country, tnch .1 circiirrm.iiicc can never lirroafiur Impppn wliere the |>»I)lioalim>s ••f\}\r AmM-ican I.cli -oyr-ipfwr h*vp foiiiid an intrc- duclion. The ff'llowine is nn cxiraci froii Mr. WMikht's (wraphl.-!. p.ie» \i. Th n. " W.iHch\nrt : nnd it i^ rwnarkablf that the NUmb^ri oT t'arlianieui, ^^^ rutlad thU couniry • l«w yean tm^ lajd iKey IM^ Bcvar b«ani of ihat nulbor till tb(y aajna to lhi> comiiry^ ss Tdstcr ELEMENTARY SPELLING-BOOK, euiiiea, gj'jjsiim, hulloo, luinisale, lilu-asi, Itflivof, hei'ii.xg^e, hesiuitien, herOie, hindenil hose, hosi, lioicl, hover, huge, litnan, huiiul inihitter, iiniuura'.. uiipaiieiioe, fcpoverisli, impiulence, iiiclule, ineo.^io, iiidit, intlulse inspect, insuill, instance, insieul instigiile, nonsense, iiurtlieiii. uotliins, noli* ulive, Oi)])OSO, oranff?. Oi-ph.inl, orcj iiiR, palau-e, pahn. palsy, parade, patch, pjv-rit, pnueuce. paliiot, U f»erstvei"aiiee, pcisiiarte, peruse, pq near ail of the worls in mst corarri n use ; while he ha'i instrted a great m;uiy woras ThOt in common uso ; neither are they to Ije foiuiJ m ^X- "''VebrfCu's duodecimo scliool dictionary. The followinij list fonus but a amall ■portion of the iuoot cointnon wor*, which llr. Ely hai entirely oyniliul, und which should be in every spelling book I K-.i^l : — thus, abide, r.Louiii about, at re, abridgt-. u'lrklgment, absence, absorb, abstain, abyss, acceptable, acconipaiif, accord* uciucveiiienl, MCniiowlelge, it uaiu, aciai:, adiiurai, aclmiuancc, ailvauce, ailvautage, adverb, advice, amrin, aQbrd, again, againcti agree, ai.inii, alleJjfe, anibi: i, anaiyzei aniuial, announce, anxiety, anxious, apocrypha, apostle, appall, applaud, appreciatCi apprentice, april, ardor, arje, ar^uuKiit, arraor, arrange, artifice, assemble, assuage, assurance, astronomy, usyium, atLacki atieiiiUnce, auxiliary, avoid, |ve, aiu.-e,aDy, i;alance, bald, banish, baulize, bargain, ueard, Ijeuause, belief, believe, beware, bita, W,isiihenie, bUnd, bojub, boudge, book, louniy, rcaiifast, bridegoom, bright, bruise, build, burlesque, cabbage, cabinet, cadeno<:i ciilus, canal, candidate, capill, capiiol, tapsi/.e^ captaiii, carriage, carve, crnient, census, ceriaui, chagrin, challenge, chaplaini «lianiy, chtise, ch-isliscuieni, leal, childfcn, chill, chocolate, city, clapboard, closet, coalesce, coast, cobbler, coeicion, cofiee, col- I'-ffC, cohiuui, combat, comet, loiama, canniaad, commence, commerce, committee, community, compact, comj.ensaie, coui^ilci comrade, comjiromisc, coi;ce; ;, concord concourse, cuuHdence, confirm, connoisseur, consul, conlcuiplale, convince, cordial, countenance, coiinlrj-, cour^g. courtesy, lovet, crcctm-e, credit, criminal, crowd, cruelly, cruise, crystal, cultivate, cunuine, cup- board, cushion, Ur-dry, damage lance, deali, debtor, deceive, decree, disgust, dispose, divorce, divulge, dogma, door, dole, dragon, drama, drink, dro-vn, drowse, (ichess, diiiLess, dumb, duplicity, dyspepsy, eclat! eclipse, ecslacy, educate, eighth, elapse, electricity, electrify, elegance, element, elekte, elevatiln, eloquence, eloquent, embezzle, embrace, emigrant, eminence, empty, enable, enchant, tncircle, encomp:\ss, en'iurancelenf.irce, eitage, enhance, enlaige, entitle, entrance, enueaty, epuuiet, epigraph, equator, equivalenl, essence, eiiquet, eulogy, cvangicaV. evaualist. evening, evidence, evident, evil, c»ince, excellence, exchange, exchequer, excist, excite, exclude, exclusion, eximmunicatJ excuse, (n) exercise, exit, expand, expect, expedition, expend, expense, exrericnce, experiment, explode, expose, exkmge, exqiiiite, extension, exu-eine, liirce, farmer, fashion^ fatigue, female, fence, ferriage, field, -fiend, fierce, finance, fine, fi:iess, finis, Ir, fire, firici, Sight, floor, fluid, foej foliage, follow, font, !oot, force, lord, form, fortify, ibriy, fosse, foundery. fountain. tVanchise, Ifcnd, nolicL fro=i, tVuital, furnace, fury, futurity, gammut, gaunt, general, geology, glauec, gouge, government, governor, gradual, jratify, grajiude, gravity, graze, grievance, grieve, grind, groove, grope, gross, group, guaranty, .irjisichord, hatchet, liaughty. havoclc, hazard, hearloison. po sh. polysyllable, positive, potentate, poultice, poultry, pour, powder, power, precede, Vireface. prej-idice, prescribe, prelle, presum, pretend, prevent, prevention, priest, primary, primer, prince, privilege, procedure, prodigal, product, production, prtiiie, profei. profligate, proioi.nd, prolong, i rompt, prominent, pronoun, prononnct, prc.pag.^le, property, propliesv, proscribe, plolect, proteiiion, protesUinl, prov^, proverb, provide, proviaeiice, province, provoke, pindcnce, pr»* iicllo. pudding, pull, pulse, pulpit, j ncl'ual, pu ctuation, purchase, purify, purpose, pursue, pursuit, putrefy, i)utrid. quadruped, qualify, quarantine, quaito, quince, quire, uit, radiaife, raindeer random, ransom, rapitl, rarefy, ratify, rational, ravage, ravel, rebiritc, recede, receptacle, recline, reclust recogni/.e,jrejoiutnend, recommendation, reconcile, recovery, rectify, reduce, reef, referee, refuge, refut«lion, regard, rejoice, rel.tpse relish, relmtance, rely. re;nember, remembrance, remittance, rendezvous, renounce, repeiHttnce, rf>;(obate, rppulse, repute, reputat i, resem'oM resent, resentment, reservation, resolute, resume, retard, revenge, reverence, reverend, revile, revolu ion, rewaid, rinse, ival. roir.atce. root, rowel, rude, rush, rust, sacred, sacrifice, safe, salad, sanctify, sanction, saietity, sai-c?ii.jt, satiate, satire, sa ;ly, satyr, iiusasc. savage, savoiy, scaflokl, scald, scale, scandal, scarce, scarlet, scatter, schooner, wience. score, so.oundiel, scourge scrawl, .selede. secl'ide, second, section, sed.ice, .seethe, sentence, sequel, serene, servant:, serre. arvicp, servile, shntter. shawl, slir shelve, sMngle, shoe, shoot, shovel, shower, shrink, sbutde, sijge, sieve, sigh, signal, silence, aamplify. sinsle. sink, sirup, size, sieve, slope, dui'ce, slumber, smuggle, snare, snath, snulf, soua, sodcr, sofa, sojourn, solid, solitude, »olve, soot, soniid. spaniel, spasm, jecie. specikcle, speecli, spine, spire, splendid, spruce, squeeze, stagnant, stale, suimiard, starve, rU-^A, .sieeple, siigma, siirnip. .stoi. sioiio. sliiiglit. sirance, stiangle, stieam, .elump, sublime, subscribe, subside, subtle, succession, e.i'"uih, sudden, siiliice, suflocaie, si rage, sulki sullen, summon, superb, supersede, su|.ply, suppose, supreme, surface, surprise, sln■r^^ gate, surround, survivor, suspense, spicion, swjum, swift, swingle, swivel, tword, syiiijiadiize, synod, syringe, tailor, taint, lalun, i:ink;u-d, Uiste. tattler, tstuglu. lelegi nh. temperJnce. leinut, tense", terrace, testify, theft, ihrougn, tinge, tolerate, toqiid, ti>rrid, tortoise, to>-s. fottpr. touch, tough, towards, uvel. toweil ivadition, traduce, trance, transcribe, treasury, tremendous, trespass, trophy, Uopic, li-owel. u-nivsLrs, tnicsi, true, truly, usiee. luitiliii. tnnff. turf, turkey, turnep. turnpike, twist, ugly, understand, undertake, uniform, Mnion, unit, unity, universal, unrip unroll, iipruiy, unsteady, upbraid, upwards, itsual, utility, utter, iitleianec, vacate, vacation, it.'»«rabond, valve, vanquish, varianc, various, vtltemence, vendue, venerable, vengeance, venture, veracity, verdigris, verily, vestige, vilify, village, vindicate, viol, viole L:e, violent,, violet, viniin, virgin, virginity, virtuous, visage, visible, vision, visitor, vivirL vole, vouch, vowel, voyaee, vuliiir, waj , w.xgoner wand, wanton, warden, warn, warp, wave, wedding, welcome, weld, wliiffletrtc, whohs^le, wicked, \vife, windlass, " ilt, wing, 'ire, with, withhold, witjiout, withstand, wizard, woe, woman, woitl, world, worse, worstrd, wranel'-, wncV, wrench, J'letch, writ, writ, writing, wrung, yard, yesterday, yield, young, zodiac, zooltg}", ic. ic. d.c, ■^about ON'K THOUSAND WOUJK are not tdbe foitiid, any one of th^m, in ^uy spdhng Jr^^on of the book ! '. I •Secondly :— and vnt, such wli-d.s as climi)i, paj-e 23. coot, moot p. 30. gaff, ih ff, plyn p. 32, umber p. 35, podiie. ;:ir.ells with -insle .fin hij qitart-i and duodecimo dictionaries : tins, bailif, cuitif, dandnif, nia.-tif plaintif, pontii". restif, sherif. undershenf. distaff, midrif, farifdo n-r appear in the b Ik. [Mr. Ely, in a communication, published in the New York Evening Po.st, All'.'. 27, 1329, stated, that "Thevweii in the manuscript wliich lie wrob", and ti.ey must be inserted in the next edition of tliespRllin2d)ook."!] CntiheT h.avcnot yet beenin.-eried. Theciass of words which end in frd,t'yo.'et\, proc/;ed, and succeed. (e.\ce|it that exceid is\in a distinctive class of words |i. 144), Mr. Fdy ha.s not inserted ' Of tlie CU.S.S of word.s which end in rr. Mr. Ey Kts in.serted but four in any of the f^p. llin£ !(\ssons! as. center p. 43. maneuver p 59, ncl\f r. sepulcher p. 123: biit accoutre, am.tihitheatre. Itelleslettres, concentre, fibre, lustre, metre, mitre. .=ceptie, ."-ppcfi'e. vert-l)re, ombre. netfe, sabre, saltpetre, theatre and mass;icre, do rjrr.-ippenr in thel)0ok ! Of the lar-.'e class of word.'?, (nhoxn on f hiw fret in number) wl-.ich eiid in tion ;mt\ Cinn. cnn\\'0>v(] o\\five .sylhrhirs, Mr. Ely has not. in any of the spellin;: hsslns, inserted but vine of them ! as. sic;nif cation p. 138. exaggeration, refriiT'rafirJT. 'olicitatiriu, felicitation, iinariimtion p, 125, arithmetician, academician, geometrician p. 128: hut ab- breviation, abomination. acceiituatio:i, £CCi»nmodation, atcumulatii n, .administrat-on, alleviation,. annihilation, apf)rop nation, association, .'irticulation. f.-sAssinafion. anticipation, ca'umniation. classification, cominiseniiion, Comniunir;itifin. conf' 'eratimi. consi leraioa. continuatioi>. delibcr:itiiiii. dt lineatien, denomination, discrimiin- tion, emanciparWin. fo. fication. hutuiliatioi!, inri-.qioraiion. insinuation. inteircL'ation. inxcstifration. .jusfillcatior', a?sociation, capitulition, enunciation^ examination, paiticip.'iiion. ])ronur.riation. pvo)jitiation. renunciation, sanc- tification. niathf>tn:dieian, illumitiaiion. mtiuijiliratioii. f;;i;diIicalion. ret:iliation, traiisfiL'uration, &c. &c. Mr. Ely hns oinined cnt\io\\" ATain, many of the words, in which, Mr. AVehfiter, in his old spelling book, pronounced a like ?/, he now pionouncxs differe'tdiy. a.=: Walker, Mr. Ely has omitted; as, folio, genial, genius, convenien:, auxiliary. &c. i%c. do not appear in the book ! Asaiu : Mr. Ely has inserted a ereat manv word.?, in the diff.'rentspcIlinele.s«ons, which are not in Mr, Webster's dundecitno .school dictionary, iind manv of tliem are not in common or eeneral u.se ! This is a creat objection, par flcularly as he has omiPed many word.? In mosr/mmmon use \ Thus, ttb, eih, huh, lub, lac. sac, six;, sed, pid. ti'L Itam, lam, mam i>. 20, dum, dan, kip p. 21, ioi\ laicc, wo-ke p. 22, iculp, lunss, baft p. zi, boat p. S4, t-lli^, diib. COMPILED BY AAilO^' ELY 1 39 bret, brlt p. 2], ilook p. 30, siicli. wcii:, ii'.c, hask p. C! , hisk, burl, dcra , trass, cess R 32, ittd^e, ^I:h, ha^ch. potch p. 35, naaf p. 39, ViCiil p. 40, caaerj' P- 41, a-.vk ji. 47, ojiur-v^it'; p. 53. uJUcr p. oJ, py.irit p. sit, occri.-",!, ir^'uii:eii, lum- bago p. 59, ciassis, seiitrj- p. 61, ba'^kei. ^valiel p. bo, liic'iconi p. Cd, aipias. cuiieip. 7o, ins^imiii. iwindbili p. 7i, niiimop, calix, p. 74, as^cvtjiate p. 76. ouspire p. 7;, piirmacc p. ?:?, tlimie, ruuAmeau, iiaih, tairl p. b4. lx)w- line p. ba, lurqu'jis p. 8a, turgUliiy, f-uijiiany 5'- i't>, apj)c;iaioiy p. 91, suppDjiiory.Viib.Hivieiicy n. !f2, Ul«;git)ility, destructibiiiiy p. 93, discr- pun, loleiani, subiuaaf p. ui, inad VL-riency, diciai ton p. a. vederali; )). lOi, llfc!m^lJCh p. 106, causeway !>. lo7, impciceplitniity, iiiinialle-ibility p. U3, pleUiory, uretlira, ocaiiliu*, ijibiioihfcCiil p. U4, tush, iwixt p. 117. hitiie p. lU-i, v.huk p. lis, eAU.-t.on p. r^l, miiiious p. iv2, acliur, cllmioa' p. \'ii, cocker, jc^ging. l>hr'.lg^'lrlg, lug;,'injj, laa-;;ecl, ^a^'•^in^, ga^'^c^i, gagging, \n-n2'^(ni, uaggod, bi;,'il |). ki, nendacny, liciious p. VX, Rjiilji'iious p. 1/7, acronic, .sopliidlJC. symnietric p U9, aaalOi^ic, aslrunomic. Ixiromeuic. c.)metric, livpoctitic, hypeibolic, )iypotl)ftic. Lriortc, piiiiolc^ic, theologic, typograptuc, zoograplii'c p. uu, enlunoiojjic, gcaeaiogic. loxicojiraphic, Oiiulholo.t'i''iVieol»gic, iihysiologic, ichlhy- ohjgic. liyninic, cliiiuicii. bis;iQ;Uliic, thooric p. ictl. ion this piWj'e, ibl, second roiuuiA coiiainiiix' seven \V(jrd.s, six are noi in Webster's school dicuoiiary :] huloibeiain, raiioaaliain, scholastici.--in, Uriinatize p. ia-2, bcstialize, car- dlnrilizc, citizenize, oihereali^e, gelatinize, incii-onzc, prodJg;ilizv, prcpelyii/.c, vitridize, :heveriilzc p. i;«, sang, stringer. I'ungle p. 134, knari p. 136, lascine p. 137, laLen, graven, loaden. slidden, stiiWn, sjiiken p. 139. wrcalhen, forgouen. ansen, deaconess, diastiJe, liypailai:e p. 140, skittle, wimple p. 14-2, etl'al>|L' p. 143, beaux, does, says, womb p. 154. tcague p. 15«,— amounting to u.\E HUNDRED AND iJiuHrV SIX V\ ( ilbS-aie /ler's spe!lini,'-book, those .>«;holars wtio u.se it will not become ac^iaintid ciiher with the or- fl'O^raphy or pronunciation of a. iireat portion of the most impcrtiint words in our lansivigc, .nd fon'^quently will finif words in almost eveiy sentence of their rcadiiisc lessons, with the orthograpliy or I'vonuiciaiion of whicii they are wholly unacjiuainted, not having seen thein in ilic sjielling lessons of the s;>.nie book! As. shell, oyster, fas, teacher p. 2?, starry, careiesa, traveler, fo^rler, iiuo, dajicer, around, strive, wicked fi. '/», scitiue, iinagu, likeness, contemptuous, service, theft, allowance, tillage, woid, wickedness ji. 42. single, degree, oipLuj. exchange, becuuso, al)Ove, body, judgment, seduce, justice p. 43, through, stove, ya.-d ]•. 47, gambler, home. in>Urser. diguit«r>- p. 49, country, In'mself, exercise, relish, children, faiiiish p. 6'). fragrance, druiikenness, (inenj, inselves, tipplers, diiTicuit, devil p. 52, aniinHl, iuiormiiion, writer, stieain, con- tribute, oration, attend, heirer p. 33. library p. 112, notning, covetous, rarely, supjjos.'i, ueiiionsfably, false, uivorco, husband, wife, incompatiole, remarkable, geaeraiiy, asbestos, sickiy p. 113, clo. in-c. are not ii any of tlie spcUing tebsoas of the book i CLiVSSIFICATION. The primarj- o'ljccts of arranging words in distinct classes, are, the designation of tbc vcwcl arjrl consonant sounds, and the acc.niuation of syilabies for the more read^' acquirement of these 1)y thelearaer. Classification and proinincialion are therefore in a great raea.sure reciprocal, and much of t!ie propriety or inntroprjety acquired In tiic latter, will depend upon liie accuracy of the lonuer. Hence this department thoidd flngaae the most .>cnjpu- ious attention, and accurate discriniination, Ln c .mpiling a work for elemenuiry insrrur|K,n.' In .Mr. W'eb.ster'K Amcric;ini?i«;lliiii:Book. the classifiGi'ion isgoverneu hy the number and accftiituanon of syjlaiiks. and the suunds of the vowels and'conscnants, with additional tables for irregular words, and words of distbicii%c definitions. In this, the Elementary Speliing-Dook, Wc.: Ely has, in addition ;o the former classilication, classed ne words accord- ing to their terminations. This addiUoii does not app'.-ar to be an impiovrnieiit on the furnicT mode, beim; in many cases inapplicable, and scenes to have led to the insertion of a great number of words in talik's w»iere the sountl of Uic vowel or consonant is not given, and consequently cm not be leamcd ; and, to rtinedy wj:cli,hes<* words must be again insened in tlic labks^ wliere tiie peculiar sound of the letter is desisnated, or their inahgjcal inonnncia- tlon be wholly omirted. Again ; Mr. Ely has inferred the mine word twice, uf tlViX times, inihe i>ffi:rent or saint spelling leS£on>:, through evident negligence, as the rei'etiiiou of l!ie word was nor necessai-yto erlnbit any pecu* liar vowel or consonant svund, not noted where the words lirst ix'cur in tne sjieiling lessons, 'lluis. pa^c ti, ad column. j'ld is inserted ?J»/ce in the sa//i* colurini ! Same page and column g-id is wrongly c!;t page 124 in which g has its hard sound before t. i, and y." ^5:lme page seventh column rVl, aid it is inserted again in the next column ! 5iuiie page eiirhtii coiamn oamc page lifieenth column, s'Ct is wrongly cia.^.scHl, it tHooldlnjon jw-'C 124, where "g- has its hard sound before e, i, and y.' 8 -me page tweniy-tldrd column xca'*, and it fc in.erteil again on page 55 ! On page 22, fust column jaxle, and it is insr rted nirain en page 42 ! ."^me p;iire tulce ^ inserted iicicr in the seventh column ! Samef^ige twenty-second column liuu., and it is iigain in.s-jrtcd on page !4 .-uk; acnin on pafre :i7 : ! &ime page and '"olumn «ff7i«. and if is inserteil again on. the ncja jia-ze sixih column \ On pai-'C 23, tii^i column fi«£, inserted again on page 47 ! tkuiiepage tenth column sxUttp, and ciLrli'eenrli columng-i/ir botii wrongly classed, and they are ixTth ag.aiii inserted on jtage 121 where ihi-y sriotilU Ije with " words in wiu';l\ i-- i; ji.ud before e, <, and y '" Same page nineteenth column tuf:, and it is in.-^eried r..gain on pa?e 31 ! Same pjtgeiwtntietli column gill, in which S! is hard before i, and it is inserie>! a'.'ain on p.V-'e l J7 : Same" column ndlt, in'-eited s^.tiii on paijc 45 ! Same page twenty-second column ^runt and aiaut. and tiu-y are Mth inserted ag:nn on \kvX- 47 ! (jn jjage 24 fourth column liwt and «/;.».'ned again on pnt'e7l! Kime coUnmi tiS^r, wrongly classed, and it is in.seiied a^ain on jiage 124 wliere ilsfiovld Im with '• woiils in which ^ i. h;ird Ijelbre e^l, and y !" ' Same c*.»iumn treton, wroiiifiy cla >s(;d, cUid it is inserted vtsiln on p;ige 139 where il slmuld X*- with " w'ortls in which c. t. and o. before n, are mute :"" .Same p:ige sixth cohnun oval, and it is •n>erttli at'iin on iwi.'« 87 ! On page !JG fourth co\\iTi\nsttd. and it is inserted .a-rain di^Kienily six.died (ste:ul) on paire 137 ! H-tur- pnu'e sixth column /ttiain, and it is in.seited again on the fsanu: page Jicxt colujen \ eame page thirtf entli columii tirtp, and It i.i inserted again (//2/i'"'''y s|)elled (swap) on page 47! On p:ige 'j7 sixth coiuinn »ccr/, in>er»ed a^iin on |ia?'c47 ! £Jame page eighth column rich, in.s<,rte.ige 64 ! S.in)'* pace second coluni.'i po:af>h.:\n:\ acain on paiie 49 ! < ::i nngr> 3.5 t*ir>t cnuunn sluccr, inseiicd a^ain on paw 36 ! Same paw tldrd column iT' /?/;■// ;uid 'ui'vi. and \.Ui-y.iei-f'j«l afain on thesaw/^ page winmn/'«.'i coiunm Oopprr. iriM^nrd a-^^iin on \y.\s.c 56 I Same paiie second column lentil, and it is ii'serted nirain »«//«/" | 'column! Same rolunm rrrr/, in sorted asain on p;i;;e 72 ! On page 47 twelfth cxilomn state, and again aa, :ir.tr rolumn ! on p;i?e 48 flrst column dignity, wionitly classc-d, inserted a'.'ain wn-Te it shuntd bj on i«n;. i >• : .Suue pig" liilrd column wurii, wronely classed, should l>e on puL'c 122 with words in which s has llie sound of zh ! ji his w ord is pronounced n'zury. "» as z" in the quarto dictionary, hut in the octavo. ,•» /ater work, he h;is it uzhury. s like zh .'] i m |>ai.'e 49 first column incitcfneru and excitement, and they are both inserted asain on page loi i bamo page third column enlnrali-ntfm, • Thus Uie tchilap or teacher wiU not Kn«rr- nni;'. ic s'orIi have rasf«,' more lh!U) on* fwrtdrti'. ppgrt that »» ;• alent lit ttion. 40 Wehstr's ELEMENTARY SPELLING-BOOK, wrongly classed, It should be or pa?e l H where Xhe sound oTth is noted, and the scholar will net know until he shall arrive at page 114 whetl'.er th lave the "asijiratcil' or •' vocal" sound, and only tlien by seeing the primitive word leni/irrt/^ in which the soujid is io:ed ! Smie column «?^as-^/rte/i?. inserted ajrain on pare !C2 ! On jiiige 50 srcond o-.liimn sijTnbol, it is inserted arain on page 7i. and acain on p :j;u 1 17! S.ime pa,:^.i iliivd cjiumn sicumr. m.-eited a^ain on pa^e loy ! Sams pa sa fourtli column //?.^/a.'e, inieiteD asain on paire 88 ! S;i»ie paire :-t'venth coiumn triumph, inserted again ^n pa/e US ! On page 51 tirst co.umn nu^cUoTy, inserted a^ain on tlie next page (52) • ^ame co.umn necessarij. wronjly cUs.sed, should be on page 125 wirh \vor(l:s in whicli " c accentod oremlii.g a bvlUble, has tlie sound of s .'" tianie pige second c >lunin exeuiplanj. wrongly classed, it is inserted asain on p;ure 120* wiiere It should be wiih vvords in wlich • x passes iuio ihe ^oand of ^r^ .'" Thus, the scinlar will pass sevtntu pages ot the booc after le;irning the orthography of extmp'ary before he will know its pronuniAation ! Sanie page third column adversary, insetefl iL-ain on the next page (52) \ un i)age 52 sccviid coinnm presbrjtery, and it is inserted again on page C7 '. Heit on wse 52 prishytery isclas.-ed with woi'ds which have •' the primary acc.^ni on the first and the secondary on /i« column ! Same pa<:e third column tdwiilative, le^ilaiurf, h^ialator, all wrongly classed, shnild keon page 12S with wnds in which "g endinir a syllable, has the sound of > .'" as Ff^- etate, ■Six. On page 5i 'thin column imlosure. dis:^n-iure, composvre.' exposure, awX foreclosure, ^W vronsly classed, should he on ijtee li2 in which s has the s utid of zh ! These live w irds are aU pron uncea, « as ^^,in the octavo, but in the iH»nary, wron:^y cUssed, it should he on jiage 123 with words in Vi'hich '■ the terminating syllable is pronouticed z/iK/f," where ditislon, A;c. are inserted! Same column Jiiissictwry. dictionary, and stationary, idl wnMigly classed, they should bjon i)a£re 123 with " words in wliich ce. ci, ti. and si, arc pronounced as sh .'" Same paire third column casuistry, wrmgly classed, should be on page 122 with words in which s is pronounced as zh ! \\tis pro- nou zeA s as 2h \i\ Webster's octavo dictionary.] Cm page 68 fourth column sanguine, wron^'ly classcd.should be on page 134 with wcids n which " the sound if ng is close," wheie tongvish. *:c. are iii^ei K d ! f;n e 1 age fifth column spcndthdft, xrongly classed, should be on i>aee 114 with words in which the sonnd of th is noted '. Same column surfeit. Inserted acain satne pa/* is in.sprtfcd ! Same column rrgiw?v'«/a/, wroinrly classed, should be on p. 125. with words in which "fend ng rt syi.tatile. has the sound of;," wliere regi/n-pnt is inserted! On p. 83, sixth C'^\umn withall, wr^ndvclassed. sh 'uhl be on p. 115, where the souuil of r/z Is note I ! On p. 84, thinl column, ?/'/?7/ is instated twice in rlie iatne (oimnn! Same c ilnmn thought, inserted ayaln on p. i-,6! Same coinnm, thronsr. thing ami ?/io/r.-. ami //«'«? and /^J9rt^ are inserted aiain on |) 134 ! On p. 85. third robmin thursday and pa.'hi'-in/. iiorh wr>ngly classed, should !« on ji. II4. where the sonnd of th is noted : thursJaij is inserted aL'ain a'Wr^v/, a I rhree wroni/ly classed, should boon p. 114. where the sound o{ th is tn'ed ! On |ia"e «^. first co'nmn PlHi-furr. jwatjire, and tieosnre, all wrnm.dy classed, should be on p. 122. with v.'oids in which s has tlie .sounil of 2/z, as hn^ier. Si". ! Same coinnm censure, pressure. :iv.<]Jii"'i'r'\ all wrongly ctasse I, should beon p. 12, whe-e c, /. and *. have Ihe soninl of sh .' |S has the sound of jsA in all these wo'dsin \V>hMf>r's octavo ilictioiiary. and in ccwsv/iran I Jiffture in tli<} quarto, but none of them are so proni un- ccd in the diiodeciiiio !\ Pleusurc, nieavu7e. anil treasure, are inseted aeain on p. 137, with words in which "ihg vowel « of the cisraph ea. nas no sound, and e is short, but it is not there stated that s has the sonnd of zh .' On pai'e .«9. fitst column, ri;iinfi.ant, inserted airain on pa;:e 138! On paste 90, first column, integrity, inserted ;igain on pace lr9 ! Oii pase 92, first column inuiginary and iinneces.wry. both wrongly classed, sliould v« p. 126. with words in which " c accented or ending a syllabic, has the sound of s, and f that of j.'' as' nr.agf- na/um, Ac. on that page! Same column confectionary, wronL'l.v classed, should be on p. 126, with "words in which ce, ci, ti. ,Tnd si. are proriounc«;i as sh"! On p. 93, iUegibility imdjlagelet. wronglv classed, should be on p. 125 with words in which " g, ending a syU'Me, has tfie sound of,;," as le^le, fragile,' Sie,. on that p.ige r On p COMPILED BY AARON ELY. ^ V4, second c«litmu irutular, and it is iii?erted ai^ainon tiie sami'. p. next coXuxan \ On p. s.'>. mpcrfluiri/ occurs twiCA lathe «am« column I Sama p. second column socJoW/iry, wronirly cloir.-isd, biiould l)eo:i!). Vi~, with •' words in which ce, ci, ti, and ni, are pronounced as s/i," where sfjcial, &c. are inserted ! b;imc column slni^ularUy, wroncly classed, should be on p. 134, with words in which •' the sound ot" ns- is close"; On pa;;e lou, tirst o-lunin mi/tjive axii.foTSive, both wrongly classed, sliould be on p. 124, with " words in which g Xv.is its liard sound before e, j, and y," where give is inserted i Same p. fourth column adovt Is inserted twice in ihe sa/;/: column 1 Samecolumu among and belong, both wrongly cUissed, should be on p. i:;i. with words in which n? have " tlio open sound ot ng;" among is inserted again on p. 134, where it ehouUihe. but belong i:i not, alihoufrli long is on that p. (134!) On p. 103, second column passionate, wrongly classed, should be on p. 126, with " words in wUicli ce,ci, ti .'•nd si, are pronounced as sh,' or it should be on p. 108, where x^assiow is inserted ! On page 104, fiitli coiumn staggers, wrongly classed, it is inserted aeain on p. 125. where it sliould b3, witli '• words in which g Utis it3 liard .sound beiore e, i, antl >/ " ! Same p. seventh column zealous and yea^ ;w, v.-ron^ly classed, t'.icy are both inserted a-jain on p 137, where they should be, with words in which " the vowel a of the digraph ea, has no sound, and e is short " ! On p. 10,3, third column m^oi, wrongly classed, it is inserted again on p. 134, where It should bs, wi;h words in which " the sound of ng is close" ! Same p. fourth column zealot, wrongly classed, it is inserted again on p. U?, where iiahouldbai On p. 106, first column /jewttsn't/j, wrongly c!ci.s.sed, should be on p. 123, with " words in which before h h.as the sound of k"! On p. 1U7 third column hawthorn, and liltii column soiyietltin-'. bnfli wion^ly classed, should' be on p. IH, where the sound of f/j is noted! Samcp. seventh column, /z^oi/j. ' ' 1 be on p. 137, where head is inserted ! On p. los. first column headache, toothache, and - -d, should be on p. 123, with " words in which c before h has the sound of oft," where c^/r; is in.-'if.-a; -y-uw^ Lniumii pre^na/u, wrongly cktssed, inserted asain on p. 138, wliere it should l>e ! Siime p. Kcoml column pUciant and peasa7it, wrongly classed, inserted aeain on p. 137, where they should be, with words m v.'hich " the vowel a uf the digraph ea has'jio sound, and e is short" ! Sams p. third column d/tyspring vv-rongly clas-;ed, should be on pasu 134, where spring is inserted ! On p. 109. first column thcocracif. pldlanthropy, and niisanthropy, all wron^'ly classeil. Inserted again on p. 111, where they should be, wliere the sound of r/i is noted ! but philaruhroru \i ditibrontly divi. dedonp. IH.thusphi-lanthropy (109) phil-anthropy (lU!) On p. ll9rirstcoluinn;/-(Z(//r/3/i'7Z. wrongly cla.S;.od. should be on p. 127, with "words in which cj and ri are pronounced as «/j, aiul are united to the pvecjJing .syliable." where addition, &c. are inserted ! Same column intentional, wron'.'ly classed, should be on j). 127, v/Uh " words in which ce, ci, ti and si, are pronouno; 1 iissh' ! Sirne p. second a)liimn cxorJuini, wrongly chujsed, it Is inserted again on p. 120, v.-here it should be with words in which •• x passes into tlie sound oi g^'! Thus, tliC scholar, afi»;r learning the orlfuigraphy oi exordium will pass rcu paiies belorohe will know its proauncialion, viz. U;„:;rhas the sound of g-.r in It ! On p. ill. first column triangular, wronglv classed, should be o.i i>. IZ't v.'here angular is inserted with words in which " the .sound of ne is close"! Same p. second column epUotnue, apostatize, and ini- vioTtalize, all wrongly classed, should be on p. f33, with " v.-ords ending in ize."! Same p. third colunm occciionaf, wrongly classed, should be on p. 122, v,-herc o:,casion is inserted witli v/ords in which s has tiie sound of zh ! Here on p. Ill the scholar can not learn how to pronounce <3Cfa-»/&««Z until he shall arrive at p. 122, where the pronun- ciation of tlie primitive word occasion is given I Same column irrational and propirtional wron:.'ly classed, should be on p. 127, wiiere -'cc. ci,ti and si, are monounccd as sh"! Same n. foiirtli coitmin exhilarate, wiongly classed, should be on p. 120, with words in which " x passes into the sound or gz'\' Thus, ih-^ scholar can net learn tiie pronunciation of this v/ord anv where in tlic book f Same column originate, wrongly classed, i;i ' .dii ", thus, on'r^'/iate{U\) origin-ate (I23:) .lumcp. ; .-:u exasperate, wronglv clas.sed, insened again 0:1 )). i?o, wisere it should be, but diffcrcntlij divida}, thiu .. .. ,,. , c-te (111,) exaape-rate (120 ') On p 112 first coh^imn covipa^sionMe, dtipasiionatc, and aff'-ctionatc, all wrongly cLis.-;ud, should be on p. 127, where •' ce ci ti nnii •>/. are pronounced as ah"! Snno ji. third column leviathan, wionsly clas- sed, inserted again on p 114 wiiere it should bo, with the sound of th noted i Same p. fourth column uxorious, fifth coiumn luxurious wronffiy'classcd, should be on p. 120, with words in which ••a: passes into the sound oi gz." as the x is followed bv an accented syllable beginning with a vowel, a.s in exordium, cxuberunt, &.c,. \i. 120 ! On p. 114 first column thistle, inserted again on p. 143, with words in which t is silent ! Thus, the scholar will not kno\* that t before le is sileir, in fhiitlc when he learns its orihogrnpiiy on p. 1 14 ! Same column next word t/irostle, t ii alsosilent, but throstle is not inserted again on p. 143, so that the scholar will never learn in tiie i"peUing-Bi)o:< that t is silent in throstle ! S>ame column throttle, inserted a-'ain on p. 143! Same column authorize, inserted acain on p. 132, with " words ending in izc"! Sums column thininie. inserted again on p. 142! Pamc p. secoivl oUnim ca,'A- die and plethoric, ijisertod again on p. 131 1 Same column authentic i\nd pathetic, thinl column athletic and m- thartic,a.U inserted again on p. 129! Sau^e column atheistic and rritiinietic, inser.ed a'-'ain on p. 130, an.l both dif- farently diviiled ! Sa'me column ??M:iAodiccZ, again on p. 131 ! S;aue column po/)/r;i£t./;/j. lurain on p. 132 ! Same o^lumn ichthyology, again on p. 124 ! On p. 115, first column clothier, inserted again on p. 121 ! [AH tl^is repetition of words in the diiterent lessons might have been avx)idcd, hac*. the sy-. U3I Same p. sixth column trhoopitigccugh, v/ronsly cla:;.sfcd, it siiould no/ be in . not/; in the word in imy of Mr. V/ebstcr's Dictionaries, or iii the dictionaries of Johnson or V;dker 1 on p. i^o second column exaggerate, inserted asain on p. 126, and is differently divided, thus, ctagge-ratc (I20) exagger-ate 1120 •> Same p, third column, e,voiic, aiiain on p. 131. On p. 121 first column christian, again on p. 123 ! same p. : unn ex- hau-itl/ni and cxustion. ' "What sound has x in these word.; '.' Mr. Ely has told us ni his " Aiialysi - in the English Language," that ^cis sometimes pronounced as gz." but 7chy it Is so pronounced Lc has /lo ::n )i med us I whe'her because it is loilowed by an accented syllable b.-iginniiii/wi'th a vowel or nor. On pn:.'e J-..'2 Ihiid colMian teraglio, it is inserted asain on p. 155. and is differently divided ! thus, seragl-in (i-^-^ - - '■ ' " •> On |). 123 firstcolumnwc^, inserieil asain on p. 154! S;mie p. second column t/i«jc, wfongl>- i.'inthis lesson, for there is no /i in the v/crd in any of "Webs'cr's diciion.iriD.s, or in i!., "" and Walicer! S.imo column scirrous, inserted with "words in which c before A h:; els no A in the word ! Same p. si.Kth coiumn c/J nn, emaciate, ingratiaie, &c. ; and it Is evident that the words in \-h\r\\ .'. r. and -? h?<\ . ' bn classed in separate les.sons for the same reasons that he ha-^ <: nuj k; a.s we learn their pronunciation by assnci.ation, so should . icd to. On page 123 fifth column noxiout inserted with " v.ords in •■ , • ' "m • fn there is no ce, ci, ti, or ai in the word ! On page 127 fomth .^ilum. . ■■, and i; »tA p. sixth column! Same column rtffir.iouji, fifth co\\.\\\\i\ fruit ion, an 1 i. • . .^ft! ?'>"• •■ ^ge 129 arithnutician, ethic, and ethnic are so classed that the scholar will not Y.- ... as they are not on p. 114 or 115 where the difTcrent sounds of //i are noted ! On p. 12. ; , ^..11 on p. 155 ! Same p. fifth colv.mn alchimic. wrongly classed, should have been nn p. 123 with " words in which c l^elore n haj the sounJ of k" I "In this clas.-'lfication of the worls cndine in i'- Mr. E'y waii not consistent or uniform j 43 mf}i.ter-s ELEMEKTARY SPELLIKG-BOOK, thus he has catholic, aMet;c, on p. I14, mccfutnic on p. iCl, inserted where the sounds of th and c?i arc ncted, ana rcpeiiff :1 licrc ; >!C has aiihiyni the Eoiii;tis of ti p. seventh colun^.n pneumatic, usain on p. . , _ cented, thus, rhe-tor-ic (129), rhei-o-rio (155) ! ! On paso iiO alchinnstic. analogic, camistic, cafcc/utic, cf})o)Wiotric eucharisHc, geologic, kypoth-Mc, 7iiijtho}ogic,n!Clhc7uc.tic, onhograT'nic, f,c.tithcistic;j:arenthttic, -pathclogic. phil ologic, pklluhthropic. 'pyrotechnic, synfpatheticthailos-ic, theocratic, 'hcorciic, zoclogic p. HI, charcctnistic. en thuiiastic, entomologic, srsmal-osi^^ ornitholos ic, ostc.oJogic, "physiologic, ichthyologic. gothic, chimerical, illofrical whiri^cal, bismiithic, chclsric, tiieoric p. 132, gcthicism, provincicdis/ri, Catholicism, vionotheism. hulotheism, rationalism, scholanicisiu p. 133, niethoiizt, theorize, anathcnuitize. IcstiaHze, catholicize, characterize, ethcrcalize, nationalize, cheiyrrilize, have been inserted on these )ia?es without nny riile having heen jriven, by Mr. K;y, for the pronunciation of ch, th, g, ich, and s. which ocrur in them ! Tims, the scholar who con-^ults the pp.ellinc-book only, will forever remain unacquaiiited with tlicir pronunciation! while art! hint tic, atheistic, chaotic, exotic, polytfie ism, authorize, &c. which occur on the same pages have been inseited on pa,ies U4. 124, 120, . S4, are pronounced (m the preceding I'aees 1 i:oK\c of these words here given as being "nearly" alike in pronunciation, are very distinctly different ; as air (d long.) ars (aflat,) as distinctly different sounds as any two in the language! ^jcisnot pronut need in t])0 Siicllina'Entik, neither is the word to be found in Webs )ster's sclwol dictionary, but in his (piano he says "it is usu:\lly pronounced ronounce ilrt?' (afiat I) alley and ally nre iliffeiently accented': decenxr -.tv.A disease ; £ long in the first sy liable, and s sharp in decease, but, e" short in the first syllable, .and * '.ike z in botii syl- lables in disease, not very " iiearly alike" in pronunciation ! dost and dvst : dost is not pronoimcrd in the ^pl•lling- Book, or in Webster's quarto dictionary, and the word is not to be found in Webster's .school dictionary, which is, of course, to be used with the Spelling-Book : but in Webster's octavo dictionarj-, it is iironr.uncod with like »' short, so that these two words p. 145, dosi and dust are not "nearly" but "exactly" alike, if Mr. AV'eb-ner's octavo dictionary be the "STANDARD ! !" pint (i long) point. (oMiphthong,) these are not very " nearly alike in pronunciation !" &c. &c. &c. On pace 145, Mr. Ely has given a class of "words of the same orthograph.v, hut differently pronounced!" Of this class of words, there arc in the language, lacknowledgcd by Mr. Webster in his dictionaries,) about one hundred and sixteen, that is, differently «ccc;iraJ and ?);w/o?OTt^f?. when differently applied. Of tliesc, Mr/Ely has clas.sed but twenty-one, in this lesson p. 145 ! Vt'e might reasonulTy suppose thai ivir, Ely would insert all of "these words, subject to different pronunciation or accentuation when ^iiiferenily applied, if any, in a lesson of this kinl p. 145; for, the scholar would, most unq'.iestion.ably, O-'olude. when looking at the title of this lesson, that IMr. Ely has classed all of them ; and, with this conclusion, wouid for ever renxiin ignorant of the fact, from the use of this lesson, that there are in tlie langiuuie, IN'LN'ET ii -FIVE other " words of the aavic orthograjth-)/ , bvt diffej-entl>> p7 0- no?/ncfd 'or accented, similar to the TWENT'V'-ONE Avhich he has classed ! Again, Mr. Ely has. in The preceding lessons, intermingled NINE of Ihcse ninety-five words with their dittorent accentuation or prornmciation noted ; as, concert pages 85 and 144, contest pp. 35 and 76, contract pp. 68 and 71. termen.'. pp, 71 and 105, object and subject pp. 64 and 71, rebel pp. 44 and 100, refuse pp. S3 and 8S, soto pp. 45, 55, and 149, which are not here classed on p. 145 ! and the SIXTY-ONE following words are inserted with 'miy one accentuation or pronunciation noted, neither can we learn from his spelling-book that they ever should be p. 37 and 144, rise pp 37 and 119, gout p. ?3, grease p. 39, attribute p. 49, minute p. 50, frequent p. 53, overflow, overthrow p. ci, abject, instinct, progress p.'fi4, descant p. 63. counter- march p. 70, jircfix, augment, abstract, affix, extract, insult, traject, co'.icct, conduct, conflict, pr'^iect, conipact p. 71', Impress p. 75, digest, import, transport, escort, comport, desert, contrast, convert, protest p, 76, retail p. 73, supine confine, console p, 79, abuse, excuse, diffu.se p. Si, transfer, con.-crve, convei.sc p. lOO. tonnont p. 104. aliscnt, [ircscnt, convent p. 105, accent p. 108, exile p. 120, precedent p, 125, raven p. 139. cousori p. 144, lead p, 14S, are inserted with but one accj^ntuation or pronunciation in any of the spelling lessons of the bcok ! Aeain: there are TWENTY- FIVE other wrras of this class, subject to diirsrcnt accentuation or diffen nt pronuiiciation when dificrently appli- ed, of which the scholar will fur ever remain isjiorant unless he shall refer to some other source than tlie Elnn-yntOr ry Spelling-Book, as they are no; many of the spelling le.ssons with cjf/jfiv acceiuuation or pr; nur.ciation ! i as, fore- taste, presage, export, bombard, discord record, fxilluigue, produce, comer t. incense, undress, discount, cr-nfcct, comi)ress, complot, compound, countermine, countermand, misconduct, disuse, put, &c. &c, and these words which Mr, Ely has entirely omitted are a.s important as those lie has inr.crtcd ! Several of the preceding class of words are pronounced or accented but wje way in Mr. Wel,ster's dMOf?(?c/wo dicti'mary, hut are r7P0 ways In Mr. Webster's octavo dictionary ! As pei-fume, bombard, discord, colleague, abject, entrance, discount, confect, instinct, mouse, and frequent. The word entrance is .spelled with », when a verb, in iMr. Webster's quarto, but with c in his octavo ! In his duodecimo published in i8so, he spelled it with c. agreeing with the octavo : but in the edi- tion published in 1831, it is spel'ed entran.se with s, ugreehiir with the ouarto! Thus if we take the octavo or d!//3dcc?;H0 of 1830, for the standard, entrance, verb luiu nonn, should bo 'in this les.son. as spelled alik^. differ- ently accented ; but if we take the quarto or duvlecimo of i83l for the standard, they should not be in this lesson, being spelled differently ! [Surely rtlr. Ely would have been in a dilemma relative to the ortho.?raphy of this word had he not wed " Walker's Rhymitig Dictionary, London cd/non, 1824," icheti classing these irords.'] On pages i45, 146, 147, 148, 149, and 150, Mr. Ely has given a lesson of "Words pronotinced alike, but differ enl in orthogra'phy." This is one of the most important lessons contained in any Spclling-T3ook ; for, unless these Vfotas are associated with their respective distinctive definitions, it is iropossiblo forth* scholar to become ao- COMPILED BY AARON ELY. 43 mialnted vrlihlheir ortfio^aphy,lhciT pronunciation being alike. From the title of this lefjcn, ftnd Its evident fmportance iu a Sijelling-Eook, we Mii^'ht rexisonaLiy exiiuct tiiat iMr. Ely hivl inserted all the comnion wcirds of this c1;isb in tlic language ; tiiat l:e had not iiiseited any ot these words in the ]>recei!irig f^peliing leaions where the Uis- tinciivedeliuitions -.uenot given, as it is iiupcnsUte lor the sciioiar to aistingu:.:h the si«ll)ng <.i words whic)- 're pio.'iouiiced alike, but speilud -inrcrentiy, wnen tliey are iiiternnngied wiiii oUicr wcids, and ttoi ii.son isdcjcUvt.in all the prece- diniT. and in some otlicr paruculais, us will be fully siiown. Fiist :— There aie icknowiedged hy lilr. Wehiter, eitlier in hjs spelling-book or dictionar)', ahout seven hundred and cli;h(ij words of this cuuss : set .Mr. Ely I'^i-^ c!a»S! d in this lesion cnly Jovr hunuiea and fjrujsix, of which he says two nr more are sounded alike, hut tew more than half \n tl;c lanj;ua^e. Secji;dly :— There are two hun:lredand ninety-three cf these /<>«>• hundri'ii and forty-six words, intermingled in the precediiiii and ildloivinsr siiellins le.5sons, where their distinctive deiiniiioDs are Jiot i/iven, which, as a matter of prudence, should not be inserteil tioice to the e.vclusion ot other words in co'nm-in am", general use : As all i.age W, Ac. pss'; 22, air jjiipes 45 .iiiil 144. lieM- p:ige 45. alier jj-ige 107, aut paee'Zi, iirk j.a^e Sf. aiuiMt j.;ipe 103, (where it is d'iffcieiil\y iicciiileil !) auger [> i2C 125, liitil page lU, 'ij.-a<: |.a.(:e '^, l/;iii puet; 1'2, lnwl l-iigc 47. Iiase l-age 'Jii. _' 20, {l\pict on ihiit pa<;e !) b.er l-age 45. i>iii page *'l, and again on page 32 ! LiLiry page 01, buiy uage l5->, Ijeat pag'i; 43, bi . ;tu i age 46, Uue page 38, boar page 45. bore page 'ii, bow I'age; 5.5 ami 145. !)ow uage 45, bread page 1S7, bred p;i»re 26, h- . „ -Jj, Ijay, bey pagt 55, bee page 23, beach page 3a. boll jiage 32, bowl pagt 40, bole page 22, uoii j.ago 23, bui page 21, ln-ake pa-e42, i.reali p .ee 40, caiu; page iti, call pa«;e 32, cannon, i-auoii page 56, cession, session page lOS, •anva>s page 101, se.'d page 40, course, coarae jjage jS, cuat page 45, core page 2i, corjjs page lol, sell page 32, cenlnry paae ii, cnolcr page I2S, ollar page 34, cbonl pag'i 123, ciie,eiiapa?e 22, sjfjiit pa?-! US, chronicle page 123, compferaeiil page 91, <-oiriplii::ent page 62, ami again on [ngeSl! coiikin, cozen page l39,"cMrrenl p.ige 105, deer page VJ Hear page 45, cask page 3T, cedar page 25, and aeain on pad i.az'j MO, ly,r p^ge 35, low page 15. lac« i-ige L<'., i-c page 29 leal,T;i,lVa/c 39, loan |.ag<.- 10, lore page ii. lower p ice 1 ij. locK pag- 31 . iocii ; igc l'<3, main page 4t', inane, ra.«l2, male paS'^ 'ii, maid page 3U, mail p. 40, manor, p. 43. meet p. >, p'le pag'e 22, poll page 32, | ccl page 29, peal page 40, pair page 45, i-ure page 141, plain p-age 10. pray, prey page 55, in.pt ei 111. .. -i'J, wjod p^ure Aj. v.oiil'i '.age '151, wether p-ge 115, been, bean. oue.'Joue do-.-.j:'! - . . - , . - . _.-..■;■-. DKKIJ ANjy MXETY-THliEE V>"ORDS— all of which are inlerrj.iuglei iu ilie 11 iiH.ii.-: With other worus wnere lueir UuU.ictice uelinilioiis lue not given, and are again inserted on these pages, 145, 14S, 147 148 149, and 150 ! > ' . Tiiirdly :— Tliere are in the preceding spelling lessons, where their distinctive deflnitions are net piven, fifty-six words, twoof which are pronounced alike, hut which Mr. Ely has 7ict classed in this lesson, neither ain the scholir learn their distinctive ilehniiions in any of the spelling lessons of the l)COk ; as ate paije 22, end eight page 45 ; bare a'.id bear page 141 ; day and dey p;ige 55, flew p;ige 43, and flue paire 29 ; fore pa::e 22,~and four pajre 45 ; gage page 22. and gauge paie 1-54 ; gait page 45. and £:ate page 22 ; hole p:i:re 22,' and whole page 119; maiz jiasrc 39, and maze page 22 r niaie jiage 141, ana mayor page 74 ; mead jiage 39, and meed I'age 29 ; pecir page 29, and jiier pag^e 45 ; pbiit p;iate page47 ; soar page 45, and sore page 22; sine page 22, and si^/n pa'^ge 138 ; !a:0 page 22, and tail paire 40 ; tole p. 22, toil |iage 32 ; tiay and tre.v pase 53 : wane pajje 22. and wain paee 45; ween paire 29, and wean p:-.i.'e 40; wail pairc- 32, and waul pare 47; dust i-'ige 24 and 145, aJid ddst page 145 ; [Th^se twoword.^ri™ clas.'^cd on page 1 15, as being "/jof exactly alike in pronuiici.ition," but in i\]r. Webster's octavo dictionary they are pronounced alike ! dost is not in V.'ebster's duodecimo ilictionary !j nit page 21. and knit pa^e 136 ; bruit iJa£re 45. and biute page 118 ; anker page 5S, and anchori^age 123 ; travel pai^c 57, and travail page 73 : cruel pa.?c £5, and crewel page 87 ; asijerate and aspirate iia.'e 103— FIFTY-SiX— are not classe.l with their distinctive dehnitions ! Fourtiily :— Mr.Ely Iws also inserted in the other lessons seventy three words each of which ha.-^ another word cor- respoiu'in.g in.-rouml in ."Mr. V.'eh^for's dictionary, not one of winch is in this ie.-son, or in any other speUiiiir lesson of ilie book, consciiueiHly t; ' can nor, Irom the use of the Eietiicntcry Spellint'Bo k, ever t>econie ac<]uaint- ed witli the oithO;:rapliy or ,• definitions of the sixty-eight words c'orrcsponiing in round with these ! as bait paL'c 45, h ■• .-,.,.. . . .,. 29 yn,i . ,.>_,. 45, (wy: in Webster's ducdecimo. liiil in his fctavn dictionary,) swear paw 45 and 141, tiaone pare £4, core pai'c 22, thyme pacre 37, beaux pa^e 154, wade pa.?? 22. wail paire aife 47. sense paire 145, 1 ';5, gild page 124. Jest p;u:e 24, g 15, jam, na:: piV?e 20, retch I'age 36, runs pnio iJi, terse fia;" -'i 31. whnnp )i-.irc 119, threv.- ;) 'er pav! sr, li'ly p:iee 25. prior, razor page 57, trea- thvpi'-'j tT. c ' ' . '■' r " " ' -■ fjf- 61, pei.cil page 44. uN'.iii |). "o : , inieiition pages", seii'.c ; • . r... i J • I riiw.i.. S' 1. i^i,-.-,— u.', \'.tJiu5 i.'_ii'- pv;:'.'.:i.^ '.: ^- '^ 1 "i-ii V l;!cii are «or in any k! Fif' " T rrrr.-it i-,-',-.i- v-'^'-''-- "<■''-;- '-'-'r>^ In Mr. We'" ■■^'''■''''on:iry, ♦>»;«.♦ 1", rwo or more whicli ar^ h lias Mr. F, t in this Ic.--Min, neillif-r are thcyinr.j; r ,.,ik;:;'' r v,:'! :\er he laucht their s iind. or' .c are .such words inihel.ii;. ;e. sice, and sichs, ^rc and sii'iier, i.l:aii:h: tier, waive and wavi'. iialdaiid l.;;.v;ed, cinqiieaiid .-ink, hnjb ;>nd limn, links ",iid l\ ;ix. hrui.-e .:nd CTev,--, (nitin" ;m d, Iv-^'inu', w»akly and weekly, n.arp-rhal, marshal, t'.: d, l»;;tor an.l h.tuir, calh.u.! am! c:> '-L-ie. cy^rnet and sitrnet, disc4 u- and discu.s, subtle a arnar and nrriero chnerln a>'d '^' 1 and aspiration, &c. &c. noae of whicl\ are In any of I: I 'J.'.'lV.'- ' . ' ' ■" ':■ .1 .Sixildv: — .\ ii of the words in this i.'^spon, wc can not .nsrortain how he mfnde.l a nm.Mi . ui ;,. ■. .,- > ~ -1 mun 1 • d ! as bell and l)ellc, by and buy. sealing atid rcilif g, ci<'n und -iuu, council and course!, die and dyo.di: r, Idc and hirli, hire and hiL-hcr, indir? ai-d indite, l;sr. tier, and lyre, o'l and owe, f' •> "■' ■■''■- >•'■■ . . 1 \. m.:i' Im'v .umI (■..> \i.ni;irid viol, &c. ; 3.1thixigh Mr, Elv las -aid at the : 'i the pronunciation of e/.'/zT o^ 'lie wo-.-;',.>of 1 ! hc'Tiiid.v :— 'i'iicre i- > l.issed • n!y tiro or three words of sill I'ai- sound, when in Webster's (':rfionar>' : as by buy, pare pair, raiti leipn. .■.•uarsl.fcr, s' ly slv-y bleigh.loo two, vaiic vciii, iiui has cnitttedto cless with them bye, bear |i. Hi, rein, i-hire.slalc.to, vain p. 45 i" Eighthly :—?dr Klv hn? clisred a ninnber of V. • . - - " d aljv-p. whirh rvld^rtl.v nre not, and biould r^c: b2 ;dike: as c'.nt:auy and cr-: ; t :nd cu'.f i.i ,■;' nibc) and cyr.:b(l, I'rli.f ;p:d and priTtp'.e, #:c, (Oi '" ' ^' r'ludatd n<'".'!f wlti; - woids Tiearli/. but nor exactly alike in prc>nunci' d liic prpccdir.c wo. :. rhiorleal and chronicle, pi liM-ipal and principle, haviiigi:- .'/,, :-■.. .a. ..1 - i.. ..i. '■ .;i.dd'«!), as Ijeing icoim unred ^W.-?.' '" Xirihly:— Mr. Elv has also spelled a number of tl:cse word* corurcry to Wcteter'i dictlc!^ar>- , ihuc. Ui2£ Ob 4i Webster's ELEMENTARY SPELLING-BOOK, ttiUsiO do«S not appear at nil in Weoster's school dictionarj'. nnd this class (b;ist?, low. vile, ar. of " words pronounced alike, hxxirdifftrent in orthography," while they are in Webster's dic- tionary with but one ortliography ! Tenthly :— Mr. Ely has, in this lesson, on p. 146 second column, inserted cent, sent and scent, with their distinc- tive definitions ; and, he has inserted sent and scent again on p. 149, first column ! ! On p. 147, Hun and nap are inserted txirice ! On p. 119, he has " rear, to raise,"' and " rear, the hind part." with rear spelled alike in loth cases ; yet Mr. Ely has classed it here with " words pronounced alike, Ivt DIFFERENT in orthography" \ i ! Same page 149, Mr. Ely has inserted " shore, sea coast," and " shore, a prop," v/ith shore spelleil alike in both cases ; yet he has classed it here v.'ilh " words, different in orthography" ! i [In Mr. Webster's old Spclline-Book. he had, 'on p. 148, "shore, side of a river," and, " shoar, a prop," a blunder which he evi;Jcntly copied from Dihvorth's Spel!- ing-Book. This blunder Mr. Ely corrected, cither by the assistance of Walker's R,hyming dictionary. London Edi- tion 1824, (See Introduction tothis review p. 6,) or from llie criticism whicli appeared "in tlie Albany Arsus (see p. 32,) yet he has reffiw?^^ the word in this lesson with words rfvj?erf»f in orthography!!!] The definitions ot some of ihese classes are rather sinsiilar, as " nap, on cloth ;" ''fane, a weather-C'"ck," >\ rr, as lees, breer.c. goc.?e, oi'd, ehb, c^p, pass, purr, itc. niid pace S6 in which dse, tch, lp"7, mph, &c.. as midge, scratch, sylph, nymph. d:c. But, on p. 42, he has word.^ v.-ith a, i. and o lone, as bhide, slide, choke, p. 43. spo::e, Idame, p. 47. tine, drone, brave, drove, which are much raoreeasy for the scholar to learn than those on pages -.j!?, so, z-2. and p. 36. preceding them as noted above i Again, Mr. VAy has a class of mi-no-ylhvbles on p. 117 wliich are more easib' learned than those on pp. 32, or 3S i A train. Mr. Ely has on pases ."ji and 5?, inserted words offovr syllables, nnd on p. 61, lie has easy won'.s of nro syllables I He has a class of v.-rrds of t'nree syllables on paees 82 and S'i, and words of ti'jo syliablos "much more easib' learned on pasres W and 87 ! On paire ^4. he ha.', ditficult monosyllables in which the sound of th is exhihifed, and on n. 117. thirty pages after them, he has easy monosyll-.iblPs ! On pr.'.'es l-.?4 and 155, he has words in v>iiich g )<5 hard before r. ?, jind y. whicb. i^ one of the mo^l easy lessons in the sp^i! in e-book, placed after the v,-ords in v-hich .r has the sound of gx. p. ue, t th.e .sound of t'k, I). 121, i the sound of y, p. 122. s and z, the "sound of zh. p. if^C and 12", ch like k. p. 12?, which are the most di^cult essons in the spellitis-bciok ! On p. 13!. he has v.-nrds in which yi^" has its o^-^u and clORe For.nd, Avhich isono of the most ca^r; lessons in the bc-ok. p'acad after the words in whi'-h r, s, and t. have fiie sound of f/i. on pp. 12.^ 1-27, and 128, which are the rno-^f rtilficuit in thclanEruirrc! And again, the v/nPls which end in -"^ on pa.pe^ 141. U3, 143, and 144, are placed r'i't":r ten ov \ytpon h'sscnc, the orthograitby of whicli is move difjici'lt to be obtained, than that ^f the lessons prece-ii.ng, a- abo'-p j-iced. Thus, I thuik it will appear evident to cve"fy person, o:j examination, that- these lessons are not ail arranged vith duo regard to the ease of learning their orthography (jr pronunciraion. ' ORTHOGTlAPir*. There is, (lerhaps. no liranch of education by v.'hich the learned and the iIl!ton;tc arc so readi'o' and ro generally " "" " ses of citizens, mild be willing ition f.w chil- dren, and should eneag? the attention of parents, and an Teachers onore rvphrAcVi/. .^ince it may fai riy be assumed that one third (e eame words in fvo n'FFFRT^NT v.-pv.^, v.-hilo it 1.=; cTK-llcd but aje way In f?2 0f Wcl)Stfr> dinionari'^s M ' COMPILED BY AARU.N KLY. 45 Sixthly :— Mr. Kly has frequenily spelled a word hut om wav. while it is spelled two ways in Webster's dictiona- ries; and, he has sometimes giver, the ortho?raphy which Mr. Webster /itw preferred, by placing it first in his dictionaries, and at other times he has given that which Mr. Welreier has not preferred '. Thus, on i)a?e8, Mr. Ely has Lrancr, agreeably to V/ebstor's dictionaries, and on pa;:e 122 he has it brazier, con- trariy lo all of them ! On pa;;o 13, trissyUable with ss, crjiitranj to all Webster's dictionaries ! On pag* 20, he has spelled rui (rudd.) contrary to Webster's dictionary ! On p;ige 21. he has sp-illcd dam (du'.nb,) contrary to Websior's dictionary ! Samopai'^e r«n, ami it is ?o/r« in Webster's dictionary ! S;ime pa^e ii(H, ;md it is spelled ^wi and tidaary! Op. pa.'^e-2i, cMpt, blest, drest,cur:iC,:\nA they a.\-e s\ in Webster's school dictionary ! On pa?e 47, haunt, flaunt, and vaunt but cjie way, and thev are all spe'led two ways in Webster's school dictionary ! On page 19, entkraUtrunt, and inthrallment in a'l 'Vi^ebsier's rtictionarie his quarto 5S, ledger, to all W- jireferable spelling in Webster's school dictionary ! On same' page 59, pot'atne. contrary to Webster's quarto, hut aireexbiy to" his school dictionarj' I Same page maneuver and v/classes, and manoeuvre and mo- icsfcs is the preferable :ip(l'Mnz m the octavo! On p. 61, debonair, contrary to all three of Webster's d\Cr tionaric:; (Acbonnair,) but agreea-.ly to liis old sp?llin.'j book ! On same p. 61. sentry, and in Webster's school dictionarv, he .says, "sentry, a corruption of the word sentinel!" Scime p. j/n'n.'ri/.'and winter^-, in Webster^ dictionary ! p. 62. liLly, and lily Web.>ter's dictionary ! p. 62, holiday, spelle.l tiohjday in the dictionary ! p. 64, rihii and porpiss i nd ribbon and porpoise is the preferable spellint' in Webster's ocLavo dictionarv ! Same p. gordon, tioo svil-.tbles and it is spelled gordian, three syllables, in Webster's dictionaries' ! Same p. gri^fKn, spelled griffon In Webster's dictionaries ! On ji. C5, giinblet, spelled tico ways in Webster's octavo dictionar3-."lhus, irimllet. gim- let .' On p. 63. scurrilous with rr, but with sinsle r in Web'^ter's school Uictionary ! On p. 70. 'a'mnnack with A:, but it is spelled without /'; in Webster's octavo dictionary! Pjunc p. laiireat, and laureate in Webster's dictionaries! Smie [). 70, pompion and pumKnn, and it is spoiled pumpkin in Webster's schail dictionary ! On p. 73. fumdselani on p. 157 hansel ; and it is spelled handsel only in Webster's dictimarle -; : hansel is agreeable to Webster's old spe'i- lin-'-b'-)0'v ! S,ime p. 73. sylvan, spelled silvan in Webster's school dictionary' ! On ji. 75, vnmixt, and unmixed is tl-.e preferatle speilin;: in Webster's .school dictionary ! On p. 7S. inillennio.l with 7in. spelled with sin^rle n in all throe of Webster's dictionaries! On p. 7S, cpa-ce, agreeably to Web-ter's quarto and ccho'^l dicionaries. hut on p. 15P. it is spoiled opaque agreeably to V.'alker and to the pr.-fcrable spelling in Webster's octra-o: On p. 79. insnarc csrre^nbly to Webster s dictionaries, but on p. 141, it is spelled ensnare conrrarj' to them ! S^me p. "S, raccoon. s-jcUcd c nirary to Webster's quarto and octavo dicti .".lavies. but cc:retahly to his .•jchool dictionary! Sarac p 79, j.clircon, and it is spelieJ p-jl'roon in all three of Webslc. 's dictionaries! On p. 81, bar. inwlo. four syllables, spelled tastinad;, three syllables, in Web^tftr's school dictionary : On p. C2, cu\- Icnijn; and it ii spelled c5/.Trt'i-'r in all tlirec of Wei) ster's dictionaries ; thus, there axe three thunders in this wore, first syllable, oiie I, and a in tlic second syll-^.blo in.Webster's dictionaries, and w first syliablo. // and e in the sei- ond svUable in the spelling bo )k! ! • On p. 83. vi/'ain'jus; vi'lanous is the preferable ^vcVdn'r. in the octavo aril quarto! Same p. 83. xcit'uV, //, and it is spoiled .vuVia! single /in Webster's quarto antl ocravo, hut with // in his school dictionary ! On p. St, thoicl. spelled r/iOi''? in all Webster's dicfionaries ! Same p. n.:aili. cpelled m^aihe in Webster's octavo and quarto, but is not in his sch ;0l dictionary ! ! Sirac p. P4, hi^hth. and on p. 113. hi,. thres.'i and r/H'«.'.'2 spod'id tu^o ways and hut one v.'av in Webster's dicrioviry ! ^vn-i ]>. Si. tUanib, -.v.-ii I hu-'n wiiho.U ^ is th.e prr.fnra'j'e sneliiiis in V/ebstpr's quarto dictionary! Same p. »-'?.^v/f« (verb) with final e, but without e is the preferab'e.speliin? in Webs:er'> school diriionarv! On p. i'j. t.'irrih, and thrash in Webst.er's dictionary ! Same p. t'i'-':.ih''r. sp?!!-; I thrnahej In V.'ehsifr's iiictionaVy ! Same p. 3">, gip'ty, sn'i'lled gip^ey in Webster's qu.arto, but gtpryin his scliool d'cionary ! On p. •5,furlo^c, and fvrlou>;h 13 ti'.ep.eterab'.ospelline in Wcb-'fer's octavo dictionary ! On p. 87, hczinous and nightuiifi', a. id kei'nrus and' nig'Afnuira is thp pre firrtWe spelling in the octavo dictionary ! S.tmep. (7 trclbil. i^inr.'.o >; ^-'r'AsA wiih fc in Web- Bter's school dictionaf.v. but wi'di si'itlo e in hi-; quarto and octavo! On p. SS. r)/?V'"-''"". not in Webster's scliool dictionary, but if is spell'^'d turk.c'is in his octavo: On p. 89 iritU>fiitirA'» : ::fi,f>'t. tpeK-d wiih JT. buttbev.ire bi'h h;)> l^d with 3in;.'!e fiu all ti^re:; of Webster's dictin:'r:^s • - . ccrjiffrm-n', ^poWfd ctccou'remmt in Webster's octavo dictionary ! On p 9i. consintcnry . fct;r i^yV. •'■ • - -■•■■■' -r.-r, three svHa- bles, in Webste-sschnol dictiomrvM (Ml p. 93,7n"r?f?'/y;iWt/y sinirl'*/, *'/'s'r) - r's srliool'dic- tionarv! S.ime p 95. ^eneraVifiiw), witli II, and with single / in ail "Web-iei' /-. .•^r.v,.,..^^ e third syllable, but i in Wcbr-icr's dictionary ! On p. CI. ciin'rcr, rpellcd ci- ,-,« v' but not in his quartoai;d r<:uivo! Samep. (V5:/'vA;, >p'^lled 6flT?.'/.'(fcia all V.'el) , : . • ivcV- ten'^.v.five syllables, iiia •v.Ttcnce, four sylldiies, in V.'eb.-ter's sch-ol illciionjiry i on +> ts, appoiUr, s|»rii(^( appo- tit in Webster's sriiool dictionary, but appofUe in his quarto and octavo ! Same p 51. 'rr'-r^t"'. sp.d'fd harlecut in all Web-^ter's dictionaries! On p. 103, r<"n?i//'7r/;, v.dib W, spelled wiiii si.iLde i, in • ' lictinnarlos ! imp. 106. alioran. spelled alkorm anu koran in all W<-bstor'.<; diciionari'''.s • On p lo". w . -i-^lifd whh dd in nil Webster's dictionaries! Or) \). \0'i, hradrtr>i'':\u^ b.'^rfrtrh". <\i-^V.i''1 v.i". ' ' '-to dictionary, but with c in the octavo; and th'^y are spe! <" 1 ■vith final a-i-r a;id n." y. p. no ynHicn- nter's diction in- -^ ' On p. HO. ; soellcd v. iih II in all Webster's diciionaries! (3np. 113, valet ude ■>("■•' ■" ■<• ;•-' ■/;)/,» f . -., .i . ., p— » ; S;imc p. ailj-'sros. aibrstus \n (lictionar>M On p. r ,. Wp». ill all WeljKt-r'a (!ictinnarie.l iliotion,->ry iiiilhf prefernJ>h spi'lliir/. util k i- ,■.■ 4i. | i>n pj). 115 and 1.11, 6«r(/i»ri with fA, and tur-i-fi wfih '/on ji. i:;'. aii'l !' ''nuriMs! On n 5), "if""i6cr, jpcll.-l f'so waj-i in Wclis-ler'H r!'. • -^ \\9. trbig- »rt wiih one g, anH iftirfi?;.! v.nh e^ in hH \^ u v in rII Websifr's rliclioiiari'^. and in t'le Hictiotiari-j f ... ,•.''■ " v\\i\ U. in W»t)«t<;r'« dictionai"is» ! f^aine p frrarief «-iUi r. nnl wit'.> » in ^i rii«i«r'» li.ciK-ioK.y ! On)- lil. «riei;iag-book, evidently copied from Dilwjnh'j spelling-book. J Seep. Si J S.'.ine p. IZi, chamelion, spelled ciuvnileiyii in Webster's quarto and octavo diclionarits ! On p. 124, ha^^Lh, wiili g^ agreeably lo his old spelling baak, and to Johnson and Walker, contrary to all his dictionaries ! ! On p. 125, twig^in, contrary to his diotiGnanei. aTaea-'Iy :j his oli si'elling-booA ! O.i p. 1"23, /la^icioas, spslied contrary to all Webster's dictionaries and to his old spelling-boo;! ! (§a! p. 5l). I Same p. 12^^ noviciate, spelled contrary to all VVe'jsler's dioiionarioi, but asreeably ;o his old spelling-book ! [Stft; p. o3. 1 On p. liJ, chitniit, chimistry, chiinical, and aLcki::vj, on p. 123, aXchiinic, wiih i, spelled with e in Webster's octavo dictionary ! liil ; [Seepages "23, 47, and 43. ] Cap. VZ'i, ecjtaJ.ic,a.at\ ou p. 131, ea-(a(ic spelled tiiife/c/i!Zy ! On p. 131, prtrii^oric, bi)elled pare- goric in ail vVe Jeter's dictionaries I On p. 133, exorcize with s, but it is spelled exorcise wiib « ni all VVebstcr's diciionar.es, and in the I'lCtionaries of Johnson and Walker ! On p. 137, hucaneer, spelled two ways in Webster's qiarto and octavo dictionaries ! ^See p. 43. | EpeikJ repugnance, tfires syllables in Webster's school dictionary ! Same ji. btazen, spelled blazon in all WeDstsr's dictionaries ! p. HI, hazle with h, spelled hizel with cl in all Webster's dictionaries ! Same p. bauble, spelled bawble in all Webster's dictionaries I On y. U2, coddlev/Ah di. spelled cj.-2/j with single d, as the proleraule spelling in all Webster's dictionaries! On p. U5, rai'i!;cenn Webster's school dictionaiy ! t)n. p- 16U, lao and w.ie spelled two way.?, Iind but one m Web.*ter's school diciionary 1 Thus I have pointed out some of the most prominen! dirturences in the orthography of the Elemeiiuii-y suellins-book, and Webster's dictionaries, and have fully shown, il is believed, that the orlhograpliy of the /icui sp?! ling book is MOHE KKilONKOOS than the old one ! PRON'UNCIATIGN. I shall now take notice of the " ANALYSIS OF SOU.N'DS IN THK ENGLISH LANGUAGE," and point out what I consider jdefeclive in it. And first : — It is stated on page 9, that " the sliort sound of o in not, is somewhat lengthened before r, s, and ng, as ia \nor, croij, brolk, belong ;" yet Mr. Ely has made no distiiciion between the long liroad o, and short bm.id o, in the el.issilic uion ot Uhe wor.ls in ihe s;)elling-l)Ook 1 'I'n li. on pag3 31, he has orbit aii.l oomit, mirlar and roj'ier, etc. &j. all cKissel ui ler figire two, IsoanJed alike ! But Mr. Webster did Make a distinction between these two sounds of o, as it should be. in his ol I opelling-boo t ! In ilif I Aii.ilysis of the sounds of the consonanls, Mr. Kly has told us that some of tiie consnaints arc silent, yei there are otner coiiioiunti which are silent, respecting the silence of which he has saiti nothing. Again, he has told us tlial some ol" (he conson.uits are never I sileni, yet tliere are others which are never silent also, of which he has s;iid nothing. This I presume will be considered a very gie.it defdcl ; for the scholar would suppose (and reasonably) that as he has spoken of the silence of some of the consonants, he hail luietl ail wliicM are silent in his spelling lessons : yet this is not the case. Tiie same defects which exist in noiin^ the sounds of the letters B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Cl, S, T, V, X, and Z, pointed out on pages " j and 31, as contains 1 in his old spelling-hook, are so very similar, and equally numerous, that it seems t j lie unnecessary to repeit them here, and the reader is, iherefo-e, referred to those pages for their cxplaiiaiion. It is tine .VIr. Ely his tol 1 us on p.ige 11, that " P before s is mute ;" but he has not 'old us that it is silent iiefore t, in the same syllable, or between m and t in the same syl- lable. He has told as thai A is sileni after r, but he has not told us that il is ever silent in any oilier siiuaiimi, as in kerb, honor. &c. I AlLhou^li Mr. Ely has so.ne Utters in il;Uick in his spelling lessons, yet he has lu-t told us in his " ANALYjSIS," ihat silent letters are frintel in it.ilick ! and, consequently, inasiiiiich as he has noi alt sileni letters in ilalick in all his spelling lessons, the pion.inci.ition la 1st be '.noi-'i defective, indeterminaie, and uncertain, than in the spelling lessons of the old spelling-bpok in which the silent le.lcri ware in it.ilick I Tii.is, on page SO, in recei;)l, the p is ilalick, but in temptation page 93, consumption |i.ige 97, consumptive and pr.:sa:np- f yo page 63, p2rem;jl.j/'y page 67, &c til.! ;3 is not in italick, and we can not know from the spelling-book, whether the /> s'lonij ue sr.inJe I c- not ! Again, h is .'.alick in Aour page 33, in honor page 61, but not in herb pase 27 I SIi.ill v.-e pronounce it cr') or .'/«/-> } On |i-tge 30, t.BO, w U not in itabck as it is on page 39 in the old spelling-book I Siiall we s>>un 1 the to .•' Tiie answer lo lliis question cin DJl be known until we arrive at page 119. where tloo is classed with tcr> in which tliere is no to '. Is the fust t silent in Otiestnut page 35, or sho'ill it be sounded 7 Is A silent in tnyme page 37, or should il be sounded I The u is italick in guile page 13, but not in guileful fage :<7 Should it be sounded in guileful .' On page 45, eight, weight, &c., page SO, alight, delight, &c., p.'ge'l l3,./ig'i(, &c., gh not iit .i.iTick, but in it.ilick in daug.'uei- and slaug/tter page 107 ! On page 47, Mr Ely has salve, I italick, and calve, in which / is also silent, he h.is Lunon" irregular words on jiagT 151 ! Is the a silent in mountainous page 13 ? or in mottntuiueer page 6l ? Is t sibnl in bi ik- Tuptcy page 62 7 On page 13, we are told that when "c follows a conscnaul, at the end of woid.s, with a sinsle vowel piecediag, ili.u »owel except the dotted ?', is long as in fate, mete," &c. How then shall we sound ihe last i in pristine page 63, i \n famine, doctrine, de.-tine, &c page 73, pioms-e page 83, e.rfruf!Be page 77, &c. &c. 7 Cerlainly i long. Shall we sound ni long in /.-iL/ay piige 71, or sho-.iid the a l>e sileni and the y sounded '! &c &c. &c. Througl-.out all llie spelling lesson.';, the .same douot and niicertaiuiy exisi rehi- livs to the pronnnciaiion of the sileni and other letters. Other omissions in his " ANALY-SIS" might be .shown, which greatly inci-e.use Ihe defects. in the classificaiion, such as the comp'^ar's omitting the ralsons for the peculiar sounds of the letters in ceruiin mI lations. ?his lisl might be extended almost without limitat.ction page 120, or sli.ill it be sounded I Is t silent in rhri,t- na-i anl Christendom p.tge 123, or shall it be sounded in these words '! The p and I are n-it oiunde I in ihe precinliui, and all similar vords in Webster's octavo dictior.ary '. On |>age 11, Mr. Ely says " Tiie digraph ai, in words ol one .^yll.iMe. and in accen'ed sylUt ties, has the sound ot a long :" yel on page 141, he has a cla.<3 of words over which he stvs. " In lir ">ll.)wiug anl similar words, [bare, care, flar':, kc ) a belbre r, ihongli marked with iu fii-st or long sound, dnna'n^i a little fr im that i. >und, an I n-rorl' EXAC P- IjY leilh the soutid of ai in fair, p.tir," v/hich, agreeably to his inle above noted (sriveii on paje II.) isa loi»s 1 1 1 And, ;>2.ii;i on pfa *J, Mr. Ely h.is clas.*ed fill^dn. despair, d-rlare, &c all under figure I, as having prcr'i p i, M-. E.'y lias r!,is<.ed 2:) words in which Walker and good sjjeakers in tlii.s country and in Euufuid so in 1 t as r>'i. ( )ver this lKs;'.)n Mr. Ely has tol 1 us ihal tills class oi words run be and ire sonndeil ihiee diii'sreni ways, yet he has not inloriiie I ii,s whir:: '' the three ways to ;jio- nounce these tvoria I II is quite singular that .VIr. Weiis'er has noted the a.H>iration of .v like zl-. v/hen followeil by Img u and precedcti by the accent, as m measure, treasure, etc. ; but has not noted this :ispiiat„.n r,t' I like ?•// in 'He same situation ! and ii is j-.i»: is agree- able 10 analogy, to pronounce meas ire, iile.Lsure, mez.iir, ple7.-iir, insiead of inezh-ure, ple/h-nrc, as il is lo pronounce iiatire. f iiire, naiur, fu-tur, in-itead of fu-tshure, na-lslinre ; for they (ilie t and ,v) are both precr led by the accent a:..; I'ollo-.ve;! by u, coiiscq-icnily both subi^ct to aspiration troin tiie same principle of analogy, as we sound r, s. aivl I, like t:h, in gracious, p-iision. n.iiion : lor al- though we sound s and I like sh in pension and nation, when foll^rwed by i and aiiollier vowel, yet when s is loilowid by ;/ we hO\:\y\ \\ li'ta zk, as in measure ; and in like manner, should we (from the same analogy.) so-.ni I the t like th, when toll--wcd by long u, as in nature. On page 23. anl, chant; &c. a fiat, and .same page plant, rant, fto. same lerminaiion n sliorl 1 Oi. page 71, tramplant. a tiat in th« liist syUable, and i.-renM'-(, same page (I short in fir.--, syllable I On pjige 1^, rmas^, r'toa's, surpass, a fl.n, and same page ruirass, and morats, 9anis tennin.alion « sliorl 1 On p. UJ, unloose and tattoo are placed nnlc 'gure I, long o U On pas? .53, ilan&r a li.-.t, and on pate .Jt gander, page 61, candor, a short, and a is (bllnv.-eil by the same letler^ in each caae I ( hi pag; 103, aspirctr, a th.irl, and on page 111, exatpsratt. a flat ! On page 103, ascent, accented (in thi first syllabh, and on page 146, acceiHed on the Inst syllable ! On page 129, rhetoric, accented on the second .syllable, page 153, accented on the./fr.st ! A? I intend to point o\it, at sime future time, the contradictions and inconslslencies in the pronunciation f.nd division of words in Mr. Webster's dictionaries, I h'lve, in this review, limited my remarks pnncipally lo I'le coiitradiciions betweeti the Elementary spelli-.r-book unci hii school diciionary. . On l-'ape 11, /lu.s^jrtrt.-iry, x liir.-ini, like r in school .liciionary I On p.age 41, cdr^f/. d short, n flat .u dic- tionary I On page 17, fwll. page 70, almana-k. page S5, default, (issn.nl!, page Wl. fault'.', r.ller, almost, broad a short, and broad a long in WeliBicr's octavo dictionary ! On page 55, lennt broad a short, and pase 107, wantinz broad a long ! page 7^, assure, pa^c 8j, censure, press'ire, ^ssure,vn\.Uoni noting tlie sound of » as sh, but on case 151, issue and tissue the soiind o( sh is noted in ihesR two word.4 ! dc. i^c. i-.c. page lOS, microcosm wrongly pronounced, i Ions hi Webstrr's school dictionary ! page 43, anch'ry. liiveise f;ire- wcll, [lage 100, .^tal.ielite page lOG, ncverthelees |;age 1 15, almost p. 1C7, whoinniever p, 119, valise p. 1.54, ha'-angue p. 1^6, afflux p. &). wrongly accenleil I On p 110, o'Jirhn, page 1!7, conlumrlions, y. 122. trunnion, miliary. modH'ion, reh^. ion, rf'i'llioit ;. •if. lority p 95. ceUcrons j>. 127. v.-ron? number of syllables ! There are in the spelling lessons mure than FOUR HUNDRRO WORD.S which Mr. Ely his divided DIFFERENTLY from Webster's school diciionary ! 'Ihus. e.'pouse p 23, tiaii.sil. y.mder jj. 35, armory, victory II 42, cantor, I'e.s'er, tcs:or, elder, tinder, tiller, tenter i). 43, 1,-crnel, garn'er. fardel ;■. 44, density, niode=l) n.ountaiiious p. 43, Mm?ai7, blanduh, brandish, t nrnisti, ekirinish, varnish page 49, ellir.sis, reluctant, important, transcendent, indiiigeni, efliilgeiit.. emulgeni. as- irinsent, reslrinsent, emergent, deiergcni liage 1(1-1, &c. Kc. ; and Ixialswain. p. 74, microscope p. 99. wronjly pi.i,ounced, (-a.: The /en?(/i of this critici.'in (not the tuanl" of mutter,) admoiii-hos tr'.- that f must draw to ariose. This I shall do wiih the siiiglo KS- PleaaeCOMPAEE the WORDS, pp. 9 & 10 of Wcb'.iter-rPAVirHjiF.T.ViihVne foiiowVnff SPEC^^^^ SPECIMENS OF WEBSTERS ORTHOGRAPHY. AH the words marked with nn arterisV, were evidently ccpicd from Dilworth's SpcIlinT-Book, as thej' appenred iht same in Dilwortn • 6}Jciru(;-Korvl(, contrary to AIruii Almonao* AncW ApoMjicy Apoatrophc ATo'.rdopob Bailor Baiee Bark Bon' (In mtuiic) Abatable Abnttis Abbey or Abby A!iriii£r;Ticiit Alwcifsion Acaiiaciotis Accepter Acco'iter or Accooter Accoiilei-meiits :Achp. Ake ;Akir.sr Ac'ii'iveinetil A'lfiir.\vlt.-;lgment Aci-p. Akei- Artdil.lf. Adniiiiable A'lveiii'iresoine Aery Ase>n\ia Agiet, Aigulct do. Aisle, Aile. lis Alchemical Aloiiemict Alchemy Koran Allf'Se Alle!r."abla Alleged Almanack Ainmnny Anipbii heater Anaftrnphy Ancmony Ankle Aiiiiilo, nmoMo AnTPfi'bivian Atilislinphy Anocooy Apopluhegra Abaie.ii>le do. Abbey Abriil?ement do. do. do. do. do. do. Acknowledgemeut do. flo. AdiTiitable do. do. do. Aidecamp do. do. do. Alcl:einibtic do. do. A!ledf:e Alle-'ce-ible AlleclgcJ do. do. do. do. do. do. do. Apothem Aliostney do. Apostro'phy . do. Ari)pl!atjve do Appniri Apponite Apposilly Apposiieiy Apposjlneas AppositeiieiB Anrieli'iv" do. Hnrqiicbuss Arrar do. Ai. Basir, Baton 60. Ai)ai;ilile Abuitisaiu! Abalis do. Abridgment do. Acanaoeons Aco?|>tcr or Acci^ptor Accoiiler -AccniitPrin? Acn>-irered AccoMlornienls do. Achinsr. Akin^ do. Acknowledgment do. do. Admistable do. Aerie A??roiip. Affgroop Aelet, Aiglet, Aiinlct .Aiddecamp do. Alo'iiniic AKIiifnical A'-'iimically Alc'iim'^t A|cb';;iia!ic Alcbijnislical Alc'iiniy .Alkoran, Koran rlo. Allegeable " do. Alieefnient do. Amminia, Amniriiiy ^U). Ana=tronlie, Anaslrophy Anemr.np Aneni iny do. A not la do. AntiBirophn, -Aiitistniphy A'ir.rro(>. Apocopy A-,-- „. A; '■;l;(>n|Il ilo. Ap.isirophe, ApoH'-rophy do. do. do. do. An-hclilmic Arfrtt^liMs*», Harqnebuse A rra'k Askance Askant do. do. do. do. Anlorrasy Avoint'ipois •v.. Ay. Aye Baffelas, Baflas, Bn >ta s Bni'pr. Bailor Bailif (f'nr.) do. Absciwov Ai;ccutre,Accouler Aico'itring Acco:t[.ri>cl Ac'jouiremenls do. do. do. flo. do. Addable; Addible do. do. do. do. do. do. do. Alchemic Alchemical AlcI.erni'jaHy AL-lieini«t Alc'iemistic Al.-'ieinistical Alchemy flo. do. Alledffcable do. Alledarement Almanac do. Ampliiibeatre Ampliillieaier do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. B»rn do. do. do. do. do. do. Arclicliemic do. da do. do. flo. flo. flo. do. do. do. Axe, Ax flo. do. <\a Bailitl. Bailif do. do. do. do. do. dc. liaMTinl, BoMTioI do. da I Aclie da Aero dc- Duodeci mo t3 ol. A'^ ■•ii