seventy-two, and by adding the vowel sounds, which maybe
syllables, the number would be seventy-eight. However, the
guttural V, or sound of U in UNG, does not appear as among the
combinations, which make seventy-seven.

Still his work was not complete. The hissing sound of S entered
into the ramifications of so many sounds, as in STA, STU, SPA,
SPE, that it would have required a large addition to his alphabet
to meet this demand. This he simplified by using a distinct
character for the S (OO), to be used in such combinations. To
provide for the varying sound G, K, he added a symbol which has
been written in English KA. As the syllable NA is liable to be
aspirated, he added symbols written NAH, and KNA. To have distinct
representatives for the combinations rising out of the different
sounds of D and T, he added symbols for TA, TE, TI, and another
for DLA, thus TLA. These completed the eighty-five characters of
his alphabet, which was thus an alphabet of syllables, and not of
letters.

It was a subject of astonishment to scientific men that a language
so copious only embraced eighty-five syllables. This is chiefly
accounted for by the fact that every Cherokee syllable ends in a
vocal or nasal sound, and that there are no double consonants but
those provided for the TL or DL, and TS, and combinations of the
hissing S, with a few consonants.

The fact is, that many of our combinations of consonants in the
English written language are artificial, and worse than worthless.
To indicate by a familiar illustration the syllabic character of
the alphabet of Se-quo-yah, I will take the name of William H.