The pronunciation of the vowels in Esperanto still seems to give some difficulty, for a correspondent queries the sounds of vowels when followed by "r."
Esperanto is a phonetic language. "One letter, one sound," is one of its invariable rules. Therefore, no matter what the letters adjacent to those vowels may be, their value is invariable. Take the word "per" for example. This is sounded as the English "pay," followed by "r," which is slightly trilled, and not silent, as it often is in English. The writer was once talking in Esperanto with a French expert, and at the termination of the conversation asked if there were any noticeable differences between the English and French methods of pronunciation. "None whatever" was the reply, except perhaps in the value of the letter "r."
Beginners must therefore be careful to sound this letter; and, with regard to the vowels, students cannot dwell too much on them at first. Dr. Lloyd, in his most able article on Esperanto, in the current _Westminster Review_, says that the vowels are neither long nor short, but have a middle value. This is a very happy description of Esperanto vowels as they are spoken, and if beginners are careful to keep them long at first the middle value will assert itself as fluency is attained.
Some of the suffixes are very difficult to define. Many learners have believed that only concrete substances could be represented by the use of the suffix "aĵ." Such words as _bonaĵoj_, _amikaĵoj_, _etc._, they would do away with, and replace by _boneco_, _amikeco_, _etc._ On giving the matter a little thought, however, it is quite clear that there is a distinct difference between _amikaĵoj_ and _amikeco_. Whereas the latter means friendship pure and simple, _amikaĵoj_ represent the friendly actions which are the outcome of the state of friendship. The nearest English equivalent to define _amikaĵoj_ is _friendlinesses_. Similarly _bonaĵoj_ are _goodnesses_, or good actions, which necessarily arise from the state of goodness, as represented by the abstract suffix "ec."
Je Decembro 15 fondiĝis la Tyneside Esperanta Societo, najbaro de la forta grupo de Newcastle. La novenaskita societo jam komencis sian vivon per la laŭdinda energio de Sinjoroj Davidson, Clephan kaj Pearson. La klopodo estis komencita per tre humoraj leteroj pri Esperanto en la lokaj ĵurnaloj, kaj sendube tiuj ĉi varbigis kelkajn el la multenombraj membroj kiuj jam aliĝis je la Grupo. La Hon. Sek. estas Sinjoro Alan Davidson, 26, Park Crescent, North Shields. Ni petas ke ĉiuj _Tyneside_ amikoj skribu kaj aliĝu je li.