The letters of the alphabet wanting in Anglo-Saxon are: j, k, q, v, and z. K is commonly represented by c; thus, cyning (king) is pronounced kining; cyrtel, kirtle; qu is represented by cw, as cwic, quick; cwen, queen; cwellan, to quell; th is represented by two peculiar characters, one of which in its reduced form resembles y, as in ye olden times, where ye should be pronounced the, and not ye, as is often ignorantly done.
Long vowels should be carefully distinguished from short vowels. Long vowels are a as far, ae as in fare, e as in they, i as in pique, o as in bone, u as in rule, y as in i (nearly). Short vowels are a as in fast, ae as in man, e as in men, i as in pin, o as in God, u as in full, y as in i (nearly).
In the diphthongs ea, eo, and ie, the first element receives the stress; the second is pronounced very lightly.
There are no silent letters in Anglo-Saxon as in modern English. The vowel of every syllable is pronounced, and in difficult combinations of consonants, as in hlud, loud, cniht, knight, cnif, knife, each consonant has its distinct sound.
E before a and o has the sound of y as a consonant; i before e and u has the same sound: thus, Earl = yarl; eow = you; iett = yett; and iúgoth = yúgoth, youth.
ac, an oak—oak, oaken.
acsian, to inquire—ask.
æcer, a field—acre, acreage.
ær, before—early, ere, erelong, erst.
aft, hind-part—after, abaft.