A Pronouncing And Explanatory Dictionary Of The English Language, Founded On A Correct Development Of The Nature, The Number, And The Various Properties Of All Its Simple And Compound Sounds

A vital map of English sound and meaning. Pronunciation laid bare with clarity. James Knowles’s nineteenth-century dictionary is a singular English language dictionary that marries a meticulous pronunciation guide with clear explanations of compound word meanings. Built around a systematic development of the nature, number and properties of simple and compound sounds, the work foregrounds English phonetics and offers practical instruction for spoken form alongside explanation of sense and usage. Accessible to curious readers, invaluable to students and educators and a practical language learners resource, it balances everyday usefulness with a methodical historical approach: an active tool for anyone tracing language development from the era of Victorian speech manuals to modern study. Generations of teachers and scholars have found its ordered analysis useful; its insistence on principle over fashion makes it unexpectedly modern in temperament. For those studying the history of pronunciation and pedagogy, Knowles offers clarity where later accounts become technical or compressed.As a historical reference book and a primary artefact of Victorian-era linguistics and nineteenth century English, Knowles’s work sheds light on how sound, usage and instruction were conceived in its time. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today’s and future generations. More than a reprint - a collector’s item and a cultural treasure. Suitable for casual readers seeking authoritative guidance on pronunciation, for students and educators building classroom context, for language learners exploring the mechanics of speech, and for classic-literature collectors assembling representative volumes of classic English dictionaries, this volume belongs in the Knowles dictionary collection. Collectors will prize a faithful modern presentation that preserves Knowles’s original voice and purpose. Librarians, independent scholars and historical linguists will find it a dependable companion for research into nineteenth century English and the history of pedagogical practice. It invites repeated reading, whether as a desk reference, classroom companion or a piece of linguistic history.