FIRST PLACE VOWELS

There are four first place vowels, heard in:

pad pa pod paw

A first place vowel sign is written where the stroke begins:

pa la ma

At the top of a downstroke
At the bottom of an upstroke
At the left of a horizontal stroke:

The first up or downstroke is written in first position, above the line.

Dot vowels as in "pad" and "pa":

Thin dot for the short vowel:
 

pad pack package Pam app

bat batch badge back bag

bang bank at tap tack

attack tag attach add dam/damn

damage jab cap cab catch

cash Canada gap map match

manage nap/knap ash shadow shack

Thick dot for the long vowel:
 

pa palm path bath baa ask

Dash vowels as in "pod" and "paw"

Thin dash for the short vowel:
 

pod pop Bob Tom bottom odd
 

top chop dock/doc dog off
 

job cod got mop shop shock

Thick dash for the long vowel:

paw jaw saw Paul/pall ball/bawl
 

tall bought auto talk chalk mall/maul

A first place vowel written to an upstroke (L Way Yay) goes at the bottom, as that is where the stroke begins:
 

lab lad lack lamb laugh law
 

lock log lodge long

watch wash away yap

An outline consisting of only horizontal strokes is written entirely above the line for first position:
 

am ma among mag mock
 

nag knock cog calm

At the beginning of an outline, the thick dash "aw" vowel is joined before an upward L:
 

awl also

Short Forms
 

for had though much

These are written downwards:

of all on owe/O/oh! ought/aught/awe

These are written upwards:

and should

Because they are upstrokes, the signs "and" "should" are written at a shallower angle than "ought".

"and" is one of only two short forms where the outline does not match the vowel sound.

Derivative
 

although

Phrases
 

for the, for which, of which, of the, all the

had the, have had the, on them, on which, on the*
 

* The phrase "on the" is sloped slightly to the right, to avoid similarity with another vowel sign which will be introduced later

and the, and it, and they, should the, should be, should have

SUMMARY:

• A first place vowel is written at the beginning of the stroke

• The outline is written with the first up or downstroke above the line

• An outline consisting of only horizontals is written entirely above the line

• At the beginning of an outline the "aw" vowel is joined to the L stroke

EXTRA VOCABULARY

patch pal bap tad tank

tab dab chap cad fab

fang Madge math nab lap

latch lath lash sham zap

balm bomb bog botch op

tog dob dot doll chock

jot cop moth knob notch

thaw jackdaw gall/Gaul autumn lop

lob lag wad wodge

awash yak yam

mama maw manna mango

Mack mog gnaw knack

auk caw cock cam

comma Congo gang gong

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