onants {b, d, g} were not voiced explosives like English
{b, d, g}, but were voiceless lenes, and only differed from the fortes
{p, t, k} in being produced with less intensity or force, see Sec. 33.
A similar difference in pronunciation existed between antevocalic and
intervocalic {v, s} and final {f, s}, see Sec. 33.

{c} and {k} represented the same sound. The latter was generally used at
the beginning, and the former at the end of a syllable, as {kunst},
_art_; {trinken}, _to drink_, {senken}, _to sink_ (trans.), pret.
{tranc}, {sancte}.

{ch} had the same sound as in NHG. {nacht}, {noch}, as {sprechen}, _to
speak_, pret. {sprach}; {h[o]ch}, _high_.

{f} had a twofold pronunciation in the oldest HG. It was a labiodental
when it arose from Germanic {f} (cp. OHG. {fater}, English {father}),
and bilabial when it arose from Germanic {p} (cp. inf. OHG. {sl[a]fan},
English {sleep}), but during the OHG. period the bilabial {f} became
labiodental. The two kinds of {f} did not however completely fall
together in pronunciation. {f} = Germanic {f} became a lenis initially
before and medially between vowels, and was often written {v} in the
former and generally {v} in the latter position, but remained a
fortis--written {f}--when final. In MHG. it was also often written {f}
initially before {l, r, u}, as {fliehen}, _to flee_, {fride}, _peace_,
{f[u:]nf}, _five_, beside {vliehen}, {vride}, {v[u:]nf}. On the other hand {f}
= Germanic {p} (Sec. 23, 1), which only occurred medially and finally, was a
fortis and was always written {f} ({ff}), as {sl[a]fen}, _to sleep_, pret.
{slief}; {tief}, _deep_, {schif} (gen. {schiffes}), _ship_, {offen},
_open_. The two {f} sounds thus fell together when final, but the
distinction between the two sounds was still preserved in MHG. in the
intervocalic position, as {hof}, _court_, {schif}, _ship_, but gen.
{hoves}, {schiffes}.

{h} before and after consonants was pronounced like {ch}, as {fuhs},
_fox_, {naht}, _night_, {bev[e:]lhen}, _to confide._ In other cases it had
the same sound as the {h} in English {hat}.

{j} had nearly the same sound as the {y} in English {yet}, as {j[a]r},
_year_, {junc}, _young_; {bl[u:]ejen}, _to blossom._

{q} occurred only in combination with {u} as in English, as {qu[e:]c},
_quick, alive_, {qu[e:]den}, _to say._

{r} was a trilled sound in all positions like Scotch {r}, as {r[o]t},
_red_, {hart}, _hard_, {b[e:]rn}, _to bear_, {vater}, _father._

{s} was a le