The order of orthographie: or, Sixty sixe rules shortly directing to the true writing, speaking, and pronouncing the English tongue. Necessary for all sorts, for want wherof strangers blame our English tongue of difficultie: many of our owne nation speake it corruptly, many write it falsely, and many are discouraged from learning to write it; and others that can write are ashamed to write to their best friends..

THE ORDER OF ORTHOGRAPHY .

1 THe first and least thing in writing , is a Poynt or tittle , which is marked thus ( . ) without length or breadth .

2 By artificiall extention or drawing forth of which , inlarging the forme is made a Letter , as a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h , i , k.

3 The ordinary number of Letters is foure and twenty .

4 The Letters are two sorts , the one called Vowels , and the other Consonants .

5 These fiue , a , e , i , o , u , are Vowels , all the rest are Consonants .

6 A Vowell maketh a full and perfect sound of it selfe . A Consonant , or diuers Consonants without a Vowell , spell not any thing .

7 A Syllable is a perfect sound made of so many letters as are speld or sounded together in a word , as in this word la-men-ta-ti-on you see are fiue syllables .

8 Any of the fiue vowels will make a syllable alone ; as in these words , amongst e-vils I-dolatrie o-verthroweth v-nitie .

9 When two vowels come together in one syllable , it maketh a sound called a dipthong or double sound , which must not be deuided , but sounded together ; and they are in number eight , which are these , ai , ei , oi , au , eu , ou , oo , ee , as in these words : Faith , heighth , moist , taught , neuter , ought , foote , feete .

10 There are two Latine dipthongs vsed in English writing , ae and oe , as Aeneas , Oedipus , which you must sound as if they were written with E only , as Eneas , Edipus ; not Aneas , Odipus .

11 Aa and ao make no dipthongs , and therefore must be deuided when they are found in a word , as Ba-al , Na-omy .

12 J or V comming before another vowell in the beginning of a word or syllable make no dipthongs , but changing their sound are turned into Consonants , as in these and the like , James , Ieremy , Iupiter , vaine , verely , viper , vocation .

13 Ie hath the sound of ee dipthong in these and the like words , chiefe , Shriefe , briefe , siege , shield , field , atchieue , &c.

14 Vi in these and the like words , is no dipthong , but is pronounced like u long , as suite , fruite , bruite , bruise , sound them as lute , sute , confute .

13 Y is a Greeke vowell , and naturally ought to be vsed but in words borrowed of the Greekes , as hypocrite , mysticall : yet it is vsed for i vowell , especially if the syllable following begin with a vowell , as saying , flying ; also in words ending in ie , as denie , or deny , leauing out e , and ordinarily in words of one syllable , as by , thy , why ; not bie , thie , whie .

16 When y begins a word , it it made a Consonant , as yet , yet , your , which differ in sound from ies , iet , iour .

17 Obserue that th hath two manner of sounds , as you may obserue in these words the , theefe , thy , thigh , thine , thinne , and many other .

18 Ca , co , cu , sound alwaies like ka , ko , ku , bu ; but ce , ci , like se , si .

19 Ph is sounded alwaies like f , as Phisicke , Prophet , Philosophie , Phillip .

20 Ga , go , gu , keepe alwaies one and the same sound ; but ge and gi change , as agent , get , giddie , Giles , but there is no certaine rule found to know when to change the sound .

21 This sound si , may be expressed fiue diuers waies , as si , ci , sci , xi , and ti.

22 ti before a vowell , ordinarily spels si , as in these words affection , action .

23 If s come before it , it keepes the ordinary sound , as question , digestion .

24 Some words by changing their manner of writing , change also their signification and yet not their sound , as . A Prophet , much profit . The Sunne , a Sonne . He heard , it is hard . The Reigne of a King . The rayne that falleth . The reine of a bridle . He ought to doe it oft .

25 Some words are written with one and the same letters , and yet are different in signification , as The hart of a Man . A beast called an Hart. A Foule in the ayre . Foule weather . Thou art skilfull in Art . He may liue till May .

26 Sometime the same writing is diuersly sounded , as to vse , an vse , an abuse , to abuse : where s is sounded also like z , amased which differeth from chased .

27 Ow is likewise diuersly sounded , as know how a bow to bow .

28 Some words are written diuersly , and yet change not their sound , nor signification , as Broune , or Browne .

29 Some change both the writing and sound , and yet not the sence , as a bottell , or botle .

30 Words ending in or , are indifferently written with our ; as honor , honour ; sauor , fauour ; except dor , for , nor , abhor , &c.

31 Marke for your next rule what Consonants follow one another in the beginning of a word , as after , b will follow only l or r , as bla , bre ; for bsa , or the like , will spell nothing .

32 The Consonants that will follow one another in the beginning of a word are these , bl , br , cl , cr , ch , dr , dw , fl , fr , gh , gl , gr , gn , kn , pl , pr , ph , ps , sc , scr , sh , shr , sk , st , sm , sn , sp , spl , spr , sq , st , str , sw , tr , th , thr , tw , wh , wr.

Here marke that with those letters that you cannot begin a word , you must not begin a syllable .

33 Marke next those words and syllables that are shortened in English writing by a stroake ouer the head , for m or n , as Turrian for am or an , con for com or con ; and sometimes a word is shortened by leauing out e in the last syllable , as hang'd for hanged : other abreuiations also there are , as that for that , thou for thou , the for the , with for with , which for which , &c. for and so forth .

34 The vse of this letter e when it is not sounded in the end of a word is diuers .

35 First it is vsed rather for beautie then any necessitie after i in the end of a word , as bie , nor bi ; but not after y as by .

36 Secondly , it is vsed to draw the syllable long , as may be seene by the difference betweene these words man and mane , mill and mile , hid and hide .

37 Thirdly , it both draweth the syllable long , and changeth the sound of these letters c , u , g , as pac is sounded like pak , but pace like pase ; so rag , rage , hau , haue , and if d be put before g , the syllable is pronounced short as ledge , lodge , &c.

37 For more distinct pronunciation marke that which the Gramarians call accent , which is the lifting vp of the voice higher in one syllable then in another , as to offer incense , to incense or prouoke .

38 Thus much for letters and syllables , and their pronunciation : now for the deuiding of long words of many syllebles , the generall rule is ordinarily to marke how many vowels a word hath , so many syllables it hath , as re-ge-ne-ra-ti-on .

39 First , except such words where e is little or not at all pronounced in the ende of the word , as madde , made , hide , &c.

40 Secondly dipthongs , as vaine , may , our .

41 Thirdly , words ending in es , as Iames , hones , names , hides .

42 Lastly , after qu and g , as quicke languag● .

43 Marke next for your diuision of words , if you haue two vowels come together , and both fully pronounced , you must put the first to the former syllable , and the next to the latter , as auoy-ance , tri-umph , mutu-all .

44 But heere take heede of deuiding the vowels ea , as some corruptly doe , pronouncing Whe-at , me-at , be-ans , pe-ase , for Wheat , mea● , beans , pease .

45 When the middle Consonant is doubled , deuide them as com-mon , com-mand , let-ter , ac-cord .

46 Except they be needlesly doubled in words of the plurall number , as plumms for plums , hills for hils .

47 Thus much for deuision of words and syllables : for your more distinct writing and reading , obserue those markes called stayes or stops in reading , which are three .

48 The first betokeneth a small stay and is called a Comma , and marked thus ( , )

49 The second sheweth a longer stay , and is called a Colon , & is thus marked ( : )

The third is marked thus ( . ) with one point , and sheweth a full and perfect stop or stay , as if the sentence were ended , and it is named a Period .

51 When a question is asked in writing , it is noted with this marke ( ? ) called an Interogation .

52 When some words may be left out of a sentence , and yet the sence perfect , it is marked thus ( ) and called a Parenthesis , as suffer me ( I pray you ) a little whil● .

53 When a word endeth , and the next beginneth with a vowell , the ending vowell is sometime left out , and both the words ioyned together , as th intent for the intent , which exactly should be written with a marke called Apostrophu● thus , th' intent .

54 For your more commendable writing , begin alwaies the Sentence with a great letter ; and likewise the names of Persons , Places , and Times , as Robert , London , April . Likewise , when you put a letter for a word , as B. for Bishop , L. for Lord ; and ordinarily when you put a letter for a number , as V. for fiue , X. for tenne L. for fiftie , C. for an hundred , D. for fiue hundred , M. for a Thousand .

55 Next take heed of the barbarous speech of the common people , as of writing or pronouncing yarbs for herbs , stompe for stampe , Dater for Daughter , twonty for twenty , Feale and Fineger for Veale and Vineger , and such like .

56 Marke further that some letters must be written , but not pronounced in some words ,

57 As C. ordinarily when it comes before k , is not pronounced , as backe , packe , Rocke , where it only makes the syllable short .

58 G is not pronounced in signe , resigne , flegme , soueraigne .

59 H in Ghost , Iohn ; p in receipt , nor s in Isle , and many such like which you must marke by reading with obseruation .

60 Note that all words that may haue this Article a or the put before them , are called Nounes , or names of things , as a Man the house .

61 And whereas I spake before of words of the plurall number , note that in Nounes there be two numbers , the single or singuler number , which speaketh but of one , as a Man , the House , a Tree , and such like .

And the plurall which speaketh of more then one , as houses , men , trees .

62 The plurall number is made by putting s to the singuler , as one pot , many pots ; a Iewell , two Iewels .

63 Except words ending in fe which make the plurall by changing into ves , as wife , wiues ; knife , kniues ; Calfe , Calues .

64 Some plurals vary or change from all rule , as a man , two men , a brother , brethren , so Oxen , teeth , feete , kine , lice , mice .

And some that make the singuler and the plurall all one , as a sheepe , two sheepe , one mile , twentie mile .

65 The singuler and the plurall haue ordinarily syllables alike , except words ending in ce , ch , g , dg , s , or sh , as graces , places , Churches , cages , hedges , roses , fishes .

66 Note last of all when the Article a or my come before a word beginning with a vowell , you must change a into an , and my into mine ; as an Oxe , mine or thine Oxe .

FINIS .