"Sir, the rogue who has utter'd a capital pun,
Has committed a capital crime.'
Trisyllables ending in ce, ent, ate, y, re, le, and ude, commonly accent the first syllable. Many of those, however, which are derived from words having the accent on the last syllable and of those of which the middle syllable has a vowel between two consonants, are excepted.
They who would elegantly speak
Should not say "ímpudence," but "cheek;"
Should all things éatable call "prog;"
Eyes "ogles," cóuntenance "phisog."
A coach should nóminate a "drag,"
And spécify as "moke," a nag:
For éxcellent, use "prime" or "bang up,"
Or "out and out;" and "scrag," for hang up.
The théatre was wont to teach
The public réctitude of speech.
But we who live in modern age
Consult the gallery, not the stage.
Trisyllables ending in ator have the accent placed on the middle syllable; as, "Spectátor, narrátor," &c.
except órator, sénator, and a few other words.
Take care that you never pronounce the common name of the vegetable sometimes called Irish fruit, "purtátor."
A dipthong in the middle syllable of a trisyllable is accented: as also, in general, is a vowel before two consonants: as, "Domestic," "endeavor."
An endeavor to appear domesticated, or in common phraseology, to "do" the domestic, is sometimes made by young gentlemen, and generally with but an ill
