EXERCISE Words ending in en, in which the e is sounded. băr' ren o men kitch en ash en hy men lín en breth ren EXERCISE 123. Words ending in ed, with the e silent.* Words ending in ed, in which the e is heard.† Words ending in el with the e silent or very obscure. *The e, in ed, is silent only when not preceded by d or t; for if d or t, (letters of the same organ,) precede, the sounding of the final d, without an intervening vowel, would be simply impossible. When, however, any other consonant precedes, the e is dropped in pronunciation, and the d easily combines with it, subject only to the law of assimilation, explained on page 13. Those words in which the ed, though not preceded by d or t, forms a separate syllable, are always employed as adjectives; as, wing' ed fowls, pick' ed stakes; when used as verbs, the e is not heard. |