1) OE [g] (denoted by ™) > ME [w] (Comp. R. его, where [γ] > [в]).
E.g. OE bo™a, dra™an, mor™en > ME bowe, drawen, morwen (E bow, draw, morrow).
2) Initial [h] was dropped before r, l, n.
E.g. OE hrin™, hlāford, hnutu > ME ring, lōverd, nute (E ring, lord, nut).
3) Before [w] the sound [h] remained longer especially in the North where OE [hw-] came to be written quh- or qwh-. In the South [h] was dropped before [w] in late Middle English, and the combination wh- was substituted for OE hw-.
quhat, in the North,
[xwat]
E.g. OE hwæt > ME
what, in the South,
[wat]
4) A very important change was the vocalization of [j] and [w] after vowels,
which brought about the appearance of new diphthongs.
[j] > [i] (written i, y), e.g. OE dæ™ , se™l, ME dai (or day), seil, (E day, sail).
[w] > [u] (written w, u), e.g. OE dēaw, snāw, ME dēw, dēu, snōu (E dew,
snow).
Note. OE i™ > i(long and short)i > i, e.g. OE mani™, ME many.
OE u™ > uu > ū, e.g. OE fu™ol, ME fowel, foul [fu:l], (E fowl).
5) Final [-n] was often lost in unstressed syllables.
E.g. OE brin™an > ME bringe(n), E bring.
6) Medial [v] was often dropped before consonants.
OE hæfde > ME had.
7) Palatal consonants turned into sibilants: [k΄] > [tS], [™ ́] > [d ™], [sk΄] > [S].
