In this lesson, we explore how Kingsley Read designed Shavian characters to show sound relationships. For example, in the first lesson, we looked at 𐑑 ('tot'), representing the /t/ sound made without using the vocal cords. Its pair, 𐑛 ('dead'), represents /d/, uses similar mouth positioning but is voiced and uses the vocal cords. This vertical mirroring shows both the similarities in pronunciation and the difference in vocal cord usage. We’ll explore more of these sound relationships in Lesson 3.

As you work through today's exercises, you’ll notice that Shavian words often have fewer characters than their Latin alphabet counterparts. This is especially true for English words with double letters, where one letter is written twice but only pronounced once.

Now, let's look at the Shavian characters that pair with those from Lesson 1:

• 𐑟-('zoo')
• 𐑛-('dead')
• 𐑥-('mime')
• 𐑳-('up')
• 𐑰-('eat')

In our first lesson, we explored the character 𐑕 ('so'), representing an unvoiced 's'. We learned how it's suitable for pluralizing words like "cats" that end in a voiceless consonant, such as "t." Today, we'll focus on its counterpart, 𐑟 ('zoo'). 𐑟 ('zoo') produces a deeper, voiced sound originating from the vocal cords. This character is also used for pluralizing words, particularly when they end in a voiced consonant, like the "g" in "dogs."

Notice that 𐑕 ('so') and 𐑟 ('zoo') sound similar, with the key difference being that 𐑟 involves vocal cord vibration. They are vertical mirrors: 𐑕 ('so') is produced higher in the mouth and is written above the baseline, while 𐑟 ('zoo') is produced lower in the vocal cords and is written below the baseline.

Our second vertical mirror is 𐑛 ('dead'), the inverse of 𐑑 ('tot'). Like the pair 𐑟 ('zoo') and 𐑕 ('so'), 𐑛 ('dead') and 𐑑 ('tot') differ in vocal cord use. 𐑑 ('tot') is pronounced primarily in the mouth, while 𐑛 ('dead') adds sound from deeper in the vocal cords.

Next, let’s explore some horizontal pairs, starting with 𐑥 ('mime') and its mirror 𐑯 ('nun'). These mirrors have subtle pronunciation differences due to different mouth movements. Since these differences are less obvious than those between voiced and unvoiced sounds, a simple visualization helps. When you put 𐑥 ('mime') and 𐑯 ('nun') together (𐑥𐑯), they form a hill, with 𐑥 ('mime') ascending and 𐑯 ('nun') descending—just like 'm' comes before 'n' in the alphabet.

Now we encounter a Shavian pair that isn’t a mirror. The character 𐑳 ('up') is paired with 𐑩 ('ado'). While their designs are similar, they aren’t mirrors. The 'ceiling' in 𐑳 ('up') suggests an upward inflection, while 𐑩 ('ado') ends with a softer tone.

𐑳 ('up') and 𐑩 ('ado') show how much pronunciations can vary. Many Americans struggle to distinguish these two sounds, with some considering 'ado' just a less stressed 'up.' If they sound similar to you, think of "append" and "upend." If 𐑳 ('up') and 𐑩 ('ado') were the same, these words would be too. Similarly, "an equal" and "unequal" would merge without distinct sounds. This variability explains regional spelling differences. Even Kingsley noted that while regional spellings don’t need strict standardization, official texts should be consistent.

The final character in this lesson, 𐑰 ('eat'), is quite different from its pair, 𐑦 ('if'). They aren't mirrors, and graphically, this makes sense since 𐑦 mirrors itself. Although Kingsley’s reason for this difference is unclear, these characters are still connected by phonetics: the short 'i' sound in 'if' contrasts with the long 'ee' sound in 'eat.' Think of 𐑰 ('eat') as a stretched version of 𐑦 ('if'), extended to fit more sound onto the line.

Helpful Hint: Remember, the pronunciation of 𐑰 ('eat') is the same as the name of the Latin letter 'e'.

You're making great progress! You've already learned a quarter of the Shavian character set. You learned about two vertical mirror pairs:

• 𐑕 𐑟 - (s)o and (z)oo
• 𐑑 𐑛 - (t)ot and (d)ead

• 𐑥 𐑯 - (m)ime and (n)un

• 𐑩 𐑳 - (a)do and (u)p
• 𐑦 𐑰 - (i)f and (ea)t