COMPOUND CONSONANTS 1

Unlike the Double Consonants in the PR PL series, the Compound Consonants are treated as strokes in their own right. There is never any vowel between the two sounds.

(A) Imp/Imb

The M stroke is thickened to add P or B, this will be referred to as the Imp stroke for convenience. There is no vowel between its sounds:

amp imp pump bump tramp damp
 

chimp jump camp cramp clamp
 

thump mumps lamp lump

sump stamp swamp bamboo

pumping camping jumping

shampoo tempo temporary

embarrass embark embassy embellish

ambassador impose impostor impulse
 

impatience import impure empire

imposed imported impel shampooed embellished

The Ar stroke is used before Imp, the same as it is before M:
 

ramp romp rump rumba

(B) Imp takes Tick Hay and Semicircle W:
 

hemp hump humping wimp wimpy

After straight horizontal strokes, and upstrokes, Imp takes an R Hook:
 

camper/camber scamper scampering
 

lumber*/lumbar** hamper romper

* wood   ** referring to the lower spine

"imper/imber" sounds, either alone or after downstrokes, are represented by doubling, covered in Lesson 40, to give better joins.
 

Imp takes the final Hooks N and Shun:
 

pompon dampen dampening hempen
 

impen impugn tampon crampon lampoon
 

campaign campaigning champagne ambition imposition

Imp is only halved when it is hooked, as a halved and thickened M stroke is used for the MD sound:
 

scampered hampered
 

impend impending impugned dampened flamboyant

lampooned campaigned campaigner dampener

(C) For the sound of -MPT, the P is omitted and only the halved M is used. As the P is only lightly sounded in such words, the outlines remain readable:
 

pumped prompt bumped tempt attempt
 

exempt tramped dumped chomped jumped
 

camped cramped limped thumped ramped
 

humped stamped swamped symptom empty umpteen

exemption assumption presumption redemption temptation

Compare these outlines, the thin stroke represents "-mpt" and the thick stroke "-md":
 

prompt primed, bumped bummed, stumped stemmed
 

unkempt uncombed, damped dammed/damned, jumped jammed

(D) Names always use Imp stroke, never omitting the P, as context cannot help and so they need all the sounds clearly represented:

Compton Thompson Hampstead compare Thomson Hamstead
 

Hampton Southampton* Northampton*

* There is no H sound in these place names

When there is a vowel + T or D after the Imp, those strokes are added:

trumpet trumpeter strumpet crumpet
 

limpet limpid impute imbued

(E) For the sounds like the following, plain M followed by a hooked stroke are used, this maintains the natural syllables as spoken:
 

impression imply implication implement

ample sample example simple

simpler simplify template crumple

pimple umbrella tumble stumble

jumble gamble humble bramble

assemble resemble ramble

rambler* tumbler* gambler

* Final Ray, to avoid three downstrokes

(F) Distinguishing Outlines
 

impatient impassioned impassionate

patient patiently passionate

Short Forms
 

important-ce improve-d-ment impossible

Derivatives

importantly unimportant improving impossibly*

*Full outline, does not use the short form

Contraction
 

sympathetic

Phrases

Always insert the vowel in "seems" to keep that phrase clear:

most important*, it is important, it is impossible, it seems

* Omission phrase

SUMMARY

• Imp or Imb stroke is a thickened M

• No vowel between the M and P/B sounds

• Takes R Hook after straight horizontals and upstrokes: camper romper

• Only the hooked form is halved: scampered

• Sound of MPT omits the P sound: dumped

• Add stroke T or D after: trumpet limpid

• Use stroke M and hooked P/B if there is no vowel or a schwa vowel: impress simple

EXTRA VOCABULARY

dump chomp chump vamp revamp

shrimp glimpse ambitious impish dampish

limp lumpish lumpen empower umpire

ampere pompous Tampa Bombay gumbo

impact impolite ampoule embolden 49

embezzle embolism empirical impartial

impart imperative emperor emboss imbue

samba mamba embalm rhombus romp/rhomb*

* The B is pronounced

Olympic sympathy impede stampede

empress embrace embrocation

implosion implant emblem emblazon

bumble tremble dimple shambles

scramble mumble nimble fumble

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