COMPOUND CONSONANTS 2

Kway Gway Hway Wel Hwel Ler Rer

Ler and Rer are always written downwards

(A) KWAY GWAY

A large initial hook represents KW and GW:
 

equip query quick quote quotation quiet
 

quibble queen quest request adequate adequately

quantity acquire require enquire enquiry

guano iguana guava Gwen Gwyneth

penguin sanguine Maguire languid

linguist linguistic Paraguay Uruguay

A small Circle S is added inside the hook:
 

square squash squeak squat squint sequence

Kway and Gway follow the balancing rule for downward L after an initial hook/attachment, as seen in Lesson 16 "Vowel Indication, Final L":

quell squeal sequel squall squally squalid

The outlines for "subsequent, frequent" do not use these strokes, and are given in Lesson 44 Medial W)

(B) HWAY

The large initial hook changes W into HW. The fact that the longhand letters are written the opposite of how it is pronounced must be ignored. No vowel comes between the H and W sounds:

whip white Whiteley wheat whittle whine whence

whinge whim whimper wheeze whist

whistle whisker whither where

anywhere nowhere somewhere wharf

Some spellings of WH do not have this pronunciation:

whoop whole whew

(C) WEL & HWEL

These are variations of stroke L. These hooks behave in the same as Circle S, adding a sound before the main stroke.

• Small hook adds a W sound before the L

• Large hook adds the HW sound before the L

There is always a vowel between the W/HW sound and the L sound. These examples show a build-up from words with plain L, then the various additions:
 

ale sale swell wail whale

ill sill swill will
 

awl Saul wall

isle/aisle silo wile while meanwhile

eel seal weal wheel wheeled wheeler

wile well unwell wallow Wally

will willing unwilling Willy

willow wool woolly woollen

Walt welt wilt wealth wolf
 

wild walled weld wield/weald unwieldy

If the word starts with a vowel, the Hway stroke is used, so that there is somewhere to place the initial vowel sign:
 

while awhile*, wheel awheel

"While" is a noun meaning "period of time", as in: "we stayed for a while, for a short while, for a long while". "Awhile" is an adverb meaning "briefly" or "for a while, for a period of time", therefore spelled as one word.

This is the same as with Circle and Stroke S:

sleep asleep, scope escape

In a few words stroke Hwel cannot be joined in the middle of an outline, so Hway plus L is used:
 

wheel cogwheel flywheel cartwheel

Hway also follows the "Final L" rule described in Lesson 16 under the examples "scale scaly" - downward L after the Hway to continue the motion of the curve, but upward L if there is a final vowel, as in "Whiteley" above.

(D) LER

This is a thickened downward L stroke. It is only used where a final downward L would be used, and the vowel within is always indeterminate or slurred (schwa). It is always the last stroke and no vowel follows it.

The Ler stroke enables derivatives to retain their downward L, as the ending -er is a common one:
 

full fuller, feel feeler, fill filler

fowl fowler, vale valour, vile viler
 

rule ruler, kneel kneeler, dwell dweller

chancel chancellor, skill scholar scholarly

After an upward L, stroke Ar is added:

boil boiler, sail sailor

tail tailor, dull duller

jail jailer, mill miller

small smaller similar
 

Where the L sound is represented by a hook, add an Ar stroke:
 

pickle pickler, bugle bugler
 

tackler tunneller traveller sprinkler haggler

(E) RER

This is a thickened Ar stroke. It is only used where a final downward Ar stroke would be used, and the vowel is always indeterminate or slurred (schwa). It is always the last stroke and no vowel follows it:
 

pare/pair parer, bear/bare bearer/barer

fairer hearer wearer sourer swearer scorer

scourer restorer explorer admirer enquirer

It is not used if there is a clear vowel:
 

error arrear horror

career mirror terror

(F) Distinguishing Outlines
 

poor poorer, pure purer

Short Form
 

whether

Phrases

whether or not*, we will** we will not**

* Omission phrase    ** These retain the hook on the "will"

SUMMARY

• Kway Gway and Hway are compound consonants, their sounds spoken together

• Wel and Hwel have a vowel before the L sound

• Ler and Rer replace final downward L and Ar, indeterminate (schwa) vowel within, and no vowel or stroke follows

EXTRA VOCABULARY
 

quip quibble quickly quicker

quake earthquake quit quota quoted

quart equation quaver quiver

aquatic aquamarine equinox quotient

quarrel quarrelled quorum acquaintance

acquainted aquaplane acquisition Aquila Quebec

liquid disquiet banquet inquest inquisitive

exquisite requisite requested requisition requisitioned

eloquence eloquent liquidation liquefy

bilingual sublingual linguini

squid squab squib squeegee squashed

squelch squiggle squeamish squirt

squire squirrel squirm sequential

squits sequoia sequin sequester

languor Guam Guadeloupe Guatemala

whey whit wheatmeal whiff

whack whopper whiner wheedle

wherry whirl whirling awhirl

whirlpool whirlwind whirligig

welly Wellington Wellingborough wellbeing

welfare wallflower* cottonwool

* Reversed FL stroke in order to join, "flower" is written with normal FL stroke

whelk whelp wheelbarrow millwheel

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