=DENT'S MODERN
LANGUAGE SERIES.=
GENERAL EDITOR: WALTER RIPPMANN, M.A.
* * * * *
=SPECIAL NOTE=. A complete descriptive catalogue (32 pp.) of
the books issued in this Series may be had, post free, on
application to Messrs. J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., Bedford
Street, London, W.C. Applicants may have re-issues of this
List, from time to time, upon furnishing their name and
address to the publishers.
All books are Extra Fcap. 8vo. Cloth Bound, unless otherwise noted.
* * * * *
FRENCH COURSES.
=DENT'S FRENCH PRIMER.= By W. E. M. LLEWELLYN, B.A., B.Sc. Part
1, Phonetic Text; Part 2, Transition Spelling. Price 8d.
each. Designed as an introduction to Alge and Rippmann's
First French Book.
_Twenty-second Edition (completing 200,500 copies)._
=DENT'S FIRST FRENCH BOOK.= By S. ALGE and WALTER RIPPMANN. Cr.
8vo, 2s.
"We know of no better book to start French on."
--_The Journal of Education._
The early lessons of the _First French Book_ in the
transcription of the _International Phonetic Association_ are
issued separately at 6d. net, for teachers who prefer to begin
with phonetic script only. For Wall Pictures to accompany the
First French Book see French Life and Ways.
_Fifth Edition, Enlarged and Revised._
=HINTS ON TEACHING FRENCH.= With a Running Commentary to
Dent's First French Book and Second French Book. By WALTER
RIPPMANN. 1s. 6d. net.
_Ninth Edition (completing 45,000 copies)._
=DENT'S SECOND FRENCH BOOK.= By S. ALGE and WALTER RIPPMANN. 2s.
FRENCH GRAMMAR & COMPOSITION.
=PREMIÈRE GRAMMAIRE FRANÇAISE.= By H. E. BERTHON, Taylorian
Lecturer in French at the University of Oxford. 2s.
[_Seventh Edition, Revised._
=DENT'S FIRST EXERCISES IN FRENCH GRAMMAR.= By Miss F. M. S.
BATCHELOR. 1s. 4d. [_Fourth Edition._
=DENT'S FURTHER EXERCISES IN FRENCH GRAMMAR.= By Miss F. M. S.
BATCHELOR. 1s. 4d. Key 2s. 6d. net.
=OUTLINES OF FRENCH HISTORICAL GRAMMAR.= With Representative
French Texts. By Prof. A. T. BAKER, M.A. (Camb.), Ph.D.
(Heidelberg). 3s. 6d. net.
=DENT'S SCHOOL GRAMMAR OF MODERN FRENCH.= With Special Sections
dealing with the Language of the Seventeenth Century. By G.
H. CLARKE, M.A., and C. J. MURRAY, B.A. Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d.
net. [_Second Edition._
=A FRENCH VERB EXERCISE BOOK.= By Miss C. F. SHEARSON, M.A.
Crown 4to, Wrappered, 9d. net.
=EASY FREE COMPOSITION IN FRENCH.= By Miss L. M. BULL. 1s. 4d.
[_Second Edition._
=FREE COMPOSITION AND ESSAY WRITING IN FRENCH.= By A. PRATT and
ANTOINE PHILIBERT. 1s. 4d. [_Second Edition._
PHONETICS.
=FRENCH SPEECH AND SPELLING.= By S. A. RICHARDS, B.A. A First
Guide to French Pronunciation. 8d.
=ELEMENTS OF FRENCH PRONUNCIATION AND DICTION.= By B. DUMVILLE,
B.A. 2s. 6d. net.
=A FRENCH PHONETIC READER.= By S. A. RICHARDS, B.A. 1s. 6d.
=ELEMENTS OF PHONETICS--ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND GERMAN.=
Translated and adapted by WALTER RIPPMANN, from Professor
VIËTOR's "Kleine Phonetik." 2s. 6d. net. [_Fifth Edition,
Revised._
=THE SOUNDS OF ENGLISH. LES SONS DU FRANÇAIS. DEUTSCHE LAUTE.=
Three Charts, size 30 by 30 inches. Unmounted, 1s. net
each. Mounted on Linen, 2s. 6d. net; Mounted on Linen and
Rollers, 3s. 6d. net.
Small reproductions of each chart are sold in packets of 30, price 1s.
=A SET OF SOUND CHARTS.= Showing Tongue and Lip Positions.
Designed by D. JONES, M.A. and F. RAUSCH. Per Set of 9
Charts, 12s. 6d. net.
SHORT FRENCH READERS.
48 _pp._ 4d. _each vol._
=SECOND YEAR FRENCH READERS=--
CONTES DE PERRAULT. Vol. I. YVON ET FINETTE.
" " " Vol. II. POUCINET.
LA MULE DU PAPE (and Other Stories).
LES QUATORZE SAINTS.
=THIRD YEAR FRENCH READERS=--
48 _pp._ 4d. _per vol._
L'ÉLÉPHANT BLANC.
UN ÉPISODE SOUS LA TERREUR.
DAUDET, CONTES. LE MONDE OÙ L'ON SE BAT.
L'AFFAIRE DES CONTREBANDIERS.
LE TRÉSOR DU VIEUX SEIGNEUR.
=FOURTH YEAR FRENCH READERS=--
64 _pp._ 6d. _per vol._
LE XIXme SIÈCLE. LA RÉVOLUTION FRANÇAISE.
UN MERLE BLANC. TÉLÉMAQUE.
LE BIENVENU (JEAN VALJEAN).
LONGER FRENCH READERS.
=LES PÈLERINS DE LA TAMISE.= With Notes and Exercises by
CHRISTINE BOYD. 1s. 6d.
=POUR LA PATRIE ET AUTRES CONTES.= By JETTA S. WOLFF. 1s. 4d.
=L'HOMME VERT, et Autres Contes de Fées.= By JETTA S. WOLFF.
1s. 4d.
=UNE JOYEUSE NICHÉE.= By Madame DE PRESSENSÉ. Edited, with
Exercises and a Glossary, by S. ALGE. Illustrated by C. E.
Brock. 1s. 9d. [_Third Edition_.
=FABLES DE LA FONTAINE.= With Notes, Exercises, etc., by THOMAS
KEEN (The High School, Glasgow). 1s. 6d.
=LES FEUILLES D'AUTOMNE DE VICTOR HUGO.= Edited by H. C.
NORMAN, B.A. 1s. 4d.
DIALOGUES AND PLAYS.
=FABLES EN ACTION.= By VIOLET PARTINGTON. 1s.
=TABLEAUX MOUVANTS.= By LILIAN C. PING. 1s. 4d.
=EPISODES EN ACTION.= With a Phonetic Transcript. By J. STUART
WALTERS. 1s. 4d.
=L'ENTENTE CORDIALE À LA CAMPAGNE.= By CLÉMENCE SAUNOIS. 1s. 6d.
=THREE SHORT PLAYS.= By SOUVESTRE. Edited by MARGUERITE NINET.
1s. 6d.
=THE BEST FRENCH PLAYS.= Edited by WALTER
RIPPMANN, M.A. Fcap. 8vo, cloth.
SEDAINE: LE PHILOSOPHE SANS LE SAVOIR. 3d.
MUSSET: OU NE SAURAIT PASSE A TOUT. 3d.
MME. DE GIRARDIN: LA JOIE FAIT PEUR. 3d.
LABICHE: LE GRAMMAIRE. 3d.
LABICHE ET MARTIN: LE VOYAGE DE M. PERRICHON. 3d.
MARIVAUX: LE JEU DE L'AMOUR ET DU HASARD. 3d.
=DENT'S LONGER FRENCH TEXTS.=
LA BRUYERE: CARACTÈRES. Notes by H. O'GRADY. Fcap.
8vo, cloth, 1s. 6d.
OCTAVE FEUILLET: LE ROMAN D'UN JEUNE HOMME PAUVRE.
PROFILS ANGLAIS: SAINTE-BEUVE. Notes by H. O'GRADY.
DUMAS: LA TULIPE NOIRE. Notes by H. O'GRADY. Fcap.
8vo, cloth, 2s.
FRENCH LIFE AND WAYS.
=FEATURES OF FRENCH LIFE.= By F. R. ROBERT. Parts I. and II.
1s. each volume.
=TONY ET SA SŒUR EN FRANCE.= Récit de Voyage avec notes et
appendices sur les gens et les choses. By J. DUHAMEL. 2s.
6d. net.
_See end of Book for continuation._
=J. M. DENT & SONS, Limited.=
Dent's Modern Language Series
EDITED BY WALTER RIPPMANN, M.A.
THE SOUNDS OF SPOKEN ENGLISH
_All rights reserved_
[Illustration: THE ORGANS OF SPEECH.
_Plate III. in A. v. Luschka's 'Der Schlundkopf des Menschen,'
reproduced by permission of the Publishers, Messrs H. Laupp & Co.,
Tübingen._]
THE SOUNDS OF SPOKEN ENGLISH
A MANUAL OF EAR TRAINING FOR ENGLISH STUDENTS
BY
WALTER RIPPMANN
[Illustration]
LONDON: J. M. DENT & SONS, LTD.
BEDFORD STREET, W.C. MCMX
_First Edition (3000 copies), January 1906_
_Second Edition (2500 copies), November 1907_
_Third Edition (3000 copies), May 1909_
_Fourth Edition (4000 copies), December 1910_
Messrs J. M. DENT & SONS also publish the following
Books on Phonetics:--
_Extra fcap. 8vo, 1s. net_
SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH
SPOKEN, READ AND RECITED
This is a companion volume to the _Sounds of Spoken English_. It
contains a carefully graduated selection of passages in prose and
verse, transcribed with the signs of the International Phonetic
Association, and supplied with exercises. These and parallel passages
for practice are also given in ordinary type.
The _Sounds of Spoken English_ and _Specimens_ can also be
obtained in one volume, price 2s. net
_Extra fcap. 8vo, 2s. 6d. net_
ELEMENTS OF PHONETICS
ENGLISH, FRENCH AND GERMAN
Translated and Adapted by WALTER RIPPMANN
from Professor Viëtor's "Kleine Phonetik"
_Extra fcap. 8vo, 2s. 6d. net_
ELEMENTS OF FRENCH
PRONUNCIATION AND DICTION
By B. DUMVILLE, B.A.
_Extra fcap. 8vo, 2s._
A PHONETIC FRENCH READER
By S. A. RICHARDS, B.A.
_Extra fcap. 8vo, 8d._
FRENCH SPEECH AND SPELLING
A First Guide to French Pronunciation
By S. A. RICHARDS, B.A.
RIPPMANN'S SOUND CHARTS
THE SOUNDS OF ENGLISH--LES SONS DU FRANÇAIS--DEUTSCHE LAUTE
Size 30 × 30 inches. Price, Unmounted, 1s. net; Mounted on
Linen, 2s. 6d. net, with Rollers, 3s. 6d. net
Small reproductions of the charts, with a table of keywords: 30
copies for 1s.
_The alphabet of the_ International Phonetic Association
_adopted in these books is also used in Dent's First
English Book, First French Book, First German Book,
First Spanish Book, First Latin Book, and other volumes
of Dent's Modern Language Series._
NOTE
As the title of this book is ambitious, and the sub-title may not
suffice to indicate its limitations, it is well to warn the reader
that he will find no exhaustive treatment of English speech sounds.
That would have required knowledge greater than mine, and more space
than was at my disposal. The little book is an attempt to gain
fellow-workers in a field which is unduly neglected, yet full of
promise. Fascinating indeed are the problems afforded by the speech of
those around us; perplexing often, stimulating to further inquiry.
It was in teaching the pronunciation of foreign languages that I first
realised how important it is to acquire a knowledge of the sounds of
the mother tongue. Before the learner can acquire the fresh habits of
speech peculiar to the foreign language, his teacher must know clearly
what distinguishes the new sounds from those familiar in the mother
tongue, for only then can the foreign pronunciation be imparted in
a methodical way. It has been shown convincingly that it is vain to
trust altogether to imitation, however correct and clear may be the
pronunciation of the teacher.
The book may therefore be useful to the teacher of foreign languages;
but it is intended also for a larger circle. In our Training Colleges,
noted for earnest work, the importance of the spoken language has long
been felt, and much attention has been devoted to the cultivation of
the voice. My object has not been to write on voice production, though
occasional reference to the subject has been made. It has not been
my aim to say how the language ought to be spoken, to improve upon
the ordinary speech of our day, but to represent it to the best of my
ability, and to enable others to distinguish speech sounds when they
hear them. If it be desirable to improve upon our speech, its present
condition and tendencies must first be determined.
The difficulties of the undertaking have been considerable; I
confess that I have often given my impressions rather than the
well-substantiated results of observation. I am confident that
particularly those who have had no phonetic training will regard as
slipshod some of the pronunciations which I state to be usual. I
can only ask them to put aside all preconceived notions of what is
"correct," and to listen carefully to the unconstrained speech of their
friends. If they still find that the facts do not bear out what is here
stated, they will do me a service by sending me their corrections.
The learned critic who chances to take up this book may feel offended
that I should have treated phonetics in so conversational a tone,
and disappointed at finding little or nothing with which he is not
well acquainted. My endeavour has been to put things very simply,
and to make the beginner in phonetics hear for himself. It is only
a first step; but I am not without hope that some will be induced
to take a second step and a third, until the number of students is
far larger than at present. The teachers in our schools have had
scant opportunities for ear-training, and the mother tongue has sadly
suffered.
I have been much encouraged in my work by the generous help of friends;
to Prof. A. T. Baker, Mr W. Osborne Brigstocke, Principal A. Burrell,
Dr E. R. Edwards, Miss E. Fogerty, Mr W. W. Greg, Dr H. F. Heath, Dr
R. J. Lloyd, Mr R. B. McKerrow, and Prof. G. C. Moore Smith, I am much
indebted for useful and suggestive criticisms.
_WALTER RIPPMANN_
LONDON
_1st November_ 1905
I am glad to say that it has not been necessary to make any
far-reaching changes in the later editions. That the book has aroused
interest is evident; and if its readers have not agreed with it in
every detail, that is what I fully anticipated and even desired, for
its object was to render students more critical in their consideration
of the spoken language. To make a dogmatic pronouncement on all points
would have been misleading.
This book has now been supplemented by a volume of _Specimens of
English_, in which I have given, in the phonetic transcription, a
number of passages ranging in style from the careful and elevated to
the colloquial and familiar.
_W. R._
_December_ 1910.
CONTENTS
SECT. PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
1. Purpose of the Book 1
2. Different Ways of Approaching the Subject of
Spoken English 2
3. Standard Speech 3
THE ORGANS OF SPEECH 6
4. Breathing 6
5. Good Air 7
6. The Vocal Chords 9
7. Voice 12
8. The Velum; Nasalising 14
9. The Mouth Passage; Vowel and Consonant 16
10. Continuants 17
11. Stops 17
12. Place of Closure or Narrowing 18
13. The Epiglottis 18
14. Good Hearing 19
15. Shouting 20
16. THE REPRESENTATION OF SPEECH SOUNDS 20
17. The Inadequacy of the Spelling; its Causes 21
18. Spelling Reform 23
19. The Need of a Phonetic Alphabet 24
20. The Sounds of Standard English 24
THE SOUNDS CONSIDERED SEPARATELY 28
21. Stops 28
22. Lip Stops 29
23. The Tongue and its Parts 30
24. Teeth Stops 31
25. Front and Back Stops 32
26. Continuants; Lip Continuants 35
27. Lip Teeth Continuants 36
28. Teeth Continuants 37
29. The Hushing Sounds 38
30. The Hissing Sounds 40
31. The Lisping Sounds 42
32. The Liquids; the _r_ Sounds 43
33. The _l_ Sounds 46
34. Front and Back Continuants 48
35. The _h_ Sounds 50
36. Vowels 53
37. The _a_ Sounds 53
38. _a_ and _ə_ 55
39. The Front Vowels, æ and ɛ 57
40. _ai_ and _au_ 59
41. Middle and Close _e_ 60
42. The _i_ Sounds 61
43. The Back Vowels; Open _o_ 63
44. Middle and Close _o_ 67
45. The _u_ Sounds 68
46. SOUNDS IN CONNECTED SPEECH 72
47. Strong and Weak Forms 72
48. Unstressed Lax _i_ 74
49. Assimilation 74
50. Simplification of Consonant Groups 77
51. Stress of the Word 80
52. Sonority; the Syllable 83
53. Stress of the Sentence; Scanning 85
54. Stress 87
55. Pitch 88
CONCLUSION 89
56. Importance of Ear-Training 89
57. Public Speaking 90
* * * * *
APPENDICES--
I. Exercises 93
II. Lists of Words with Phonetic Transcription 97
_A_. General 98
_B_. Proper Names 111
III. On the Teaching of Reading 120
IV. Diagrams 121
INTRODUCTION
=1.= That a book dealing with English pronunciation in quite a
simple way should yet be intended for English readers rather than
for foreigners may seem to require some explanation. "Have I not
been talking English all my life?" the reader may ask; "why should
I concern myself with the pronunciation of my mother tongue?" If he
is quite satisfied with the way in which he speaks, and needs no
help in teaching others to speak, then this little book is indeed
superfluous--for him; but experience has shown that there are many who
are groping about in darkness, anxious for light on the subject. It is
above all the teacher who is constantly brought face to face with some
difficulty on the part of a pupil. He realises that something is wrong
in the pronunciation of a word, but he cannot clearly tell where the
fault lies; he trusts that improvement will follow if he repeatedly
utters the word correctly pronounced and gets the pupil to say it after
him. To his distress the pupil still says the word in the old way, and
at last the teacher gives up in despair. When a foreign language is
attempted, the difficulties become even more apparent; but these we do
not propose to consider here, except in so far as they throw light on
our immediate subject, the pronunciation of English.
=2.= There are several ways of approaching the question. We may
turn our attention mainly to the requirements of the public
speaker--clergyman, actor, singer, lecturer, reciter, or politician;
this is the province of the teachers of elocution. It must be confessed
that these have rarely had a scientific training; in many cases they
base their teaching on their own experience as reciters and on what
their powers of observation have enabled them to learn from their
pupils; and they frequently hand on traditions obtained from their own
teachers, which may have nothing but old age to recommend them. It is
to be feared that the majority of those professing to teach elocution
are little better than quacks; and by no one is this more readily
acknowledged than by the few who have made an earnest study of the art
of public speaking and singing.
The physicist considers the production of sounds from another point of
view; he measures the waves of sound with delicate instruments. The
physiologist, again, studies the organs of speech in a state of health
and sickness.
From all these the phonetician derives assistance. His concern is
the spoken language generally. He seeks to ascertain how sounds are
produced, and how they are represented in writing; he traces the
changes which sounds undergo according to time and place; he attempts
to determine the standard of speech for his own time and his own
surroundings; he considers how the pronunciation is best imparted to
the young and to foreigners.
When the reader has come to the end of this little book, he will see
how complicated these problems are, and how much yet awaits solution;
he may also have acquired some interest in these problems and desire
to give his help. Such help is urgently needed; the number of serious
students is distressingly small, and real progress can only be made if
their number grows considerably.
=3.= Reference has been made to the question of =standard speech=;
it is convenient to discuss this at once, as the standard selected
naturally affects the way in which the subject of English pronunciation
is treated.
It is generally agreed that there are two principal types of English
speech: Southern English, of which Dr H. Sweet is the best known
exponent; and Northern English, which Dr R. J. Lloyd has described
in an excellent book. Southern English may be defined as the English
spoken in London. The definition will at once strike the reader as
requiring some modification--for what form of English is not spoken in
London? and the dialect (or rather set of dialects) peculiar to London
and known as "cockney" is certainly not to be set up as the standard.
The object of speech is to communicate what is in the mind of the
speaker to others; the more adequately it attains this end, the better
it is. If there is anything in the manner of speech which attracts
attention to itself (for example, "talkin'" in place of "talking," or
"'ot" for "hot"), then our attention is distracted from the subject
discussed; we say that such faulty speech "jars" upon us. The same is
true if the pronunciation is indistinct, or the voice pitched too
high, or if the speaker stammers; we then suffer from the strain of
listening, and again the object of speech, to communicate thought, is
not attained with the least amount of effort. It follows naturally from
what has been said that it is our duty towards our fellows to speak
in such a way that nothing jars on their ear, nothing strains their
attention. To retain certain peculiarities of speech which we know to
differ from general usage is nothing short of rudeness. In a great man
we may overlook it, in acknowledgment of the services he has rendered
to mankind; but we who are in a humbler position must endeavour to
render it as easy and pleasant as possible for others to follow what we
say.
We are now able to give a better definition of standard speech as
considered in this book: it is that form of spoken English which will
appear to the majority of educated Londoners as entirely free from
unusual features. This speech will be acceptable not only in London,
but throughout the south of England; there is reason to believe
that it is spreading and nowhere will it be unintelligible or even
objectionable.
It must be confessed that on some points there is uncertainty,[1] and
these will be discussed later. Language is always changing, and the
younger generation does not speak exactly as the older generation
does. The standard of to-day will no longer be the standard a hundred
years hence. Nevertheless, it is well to inquire what may be regarded
as the best speech of our own day, with a view to conforming to this
speech and teaching its use to our pupils.
The question may here be raised whether we are to rest content with
the standard speech as here defined, or should strive to improve it,
for instance by aiming at simple vowels instead of diphthongs, or by
carefully uttering consonants which are now commonly dropped. Even if
it be desirable, it may well be doubted whether it is possible, so
subtle are the changes in our pronunciation, and so unconsciously are
they performed. There is a deep-seated tendency to economy of effort,
which it would be idle to ignore.
It must always be remembered that the phonetician is primarily
concerned with the question how people actually speak; the
determination of this must needs precede any attempt to decide how
people ought to speak.
In the following pages we shall consider the organs of speech, the
various classes of sounds, and how these are produced. Then we inquire
into their combination to form words, and the combination of words
in sentences. Incidentally we notice colloquial tendencies, the
requirements of public speaking, and other topics arising naturally
from our subject.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] It might be thought that reference to a dictionary would be
sufficient to settle disputed points. However, it may be said that no
dictionary--not even the familiar Webster or the great Oxford English
dictionary, now in course of publication--can be implicitly trusted in
matters of pronunciation.
THE ORGANS OF SPEECH
=4.= For speaking we need breath.
In ordinary breathing we take about the same time to draw the breath
into the lungs as to let it out. In English speech we use only the
breath which is let out; and when we are speaking we accordingly draw
it in quickly and let it out slowly. This requires careful adjustment;
if we are not careful, our breath gives out in the middle of a
sentence. This is one of the things that jar, and must be avoided.
The more breath we can draw in (or inhale) at once, the longer we can
use it for speech as we let it out (or exhale it). It is therefore to
our advantage to grow accustomed to taking deep breaths, and thus to
increase the capacity of the lungs.
"Deep breaths" expresses exactly what is wanted. The lungs are like
two elastic bellows. We may expand them only a little; we _can_ expand
them a great deal. The student should make himself familiar with the
shape of the lungs. They occupy the chest, which is a kind of box with
elastic sides and bottom. The sides are held out by the ribs, and when
the two sets of ribs are drawn apart, the sides of the box are made
larger. The bottom of the box (called the diaphragm) is not flat, but
rounded, bulging upwards when the lungs are empty. When, however, the
diaphragm contracts so that breath is drawn into the lungs to their
full capacity, it becomes practically flat. If at the same time we
extend the ribs, then we have a considerably increased space for the
lungs. Often, however, there is the less satisfactory kind of breathing
in which the ribs are not sufficiently active. The descending diaphragm
then presses on the soft parts underneath, and this in turn leads to a
pushing forward of the abdomen.[2]
Good breathing is essential not only for the singer or the public
speaker; it is essential for every teacher and for every pupil. It
is necessary for good speech, and it is necessary for good health.
The teacher should ascertain as soon as possible whether his pupils
are breathing well; a simple test is to determine how long they can
hold their breath. They should certainly all be able to do so for
forty seconds, and should gradually learn to emit a vowel sound for
at least thirty seconds without a pause, and with uniform pitch and
volume. Breathing exercises should form a regular part of the pupils'
physical training, and the teacher should make a point of drawing
the instructor's special attention to pupils whose breathing appears
defective.
=5.= The teacher should also make sure that =the air breathed= is the
best procurable under the conditions; he must never relax in his
care that the ventilation is good. The results of recent research
have not yet been sufficiently taken to heart, and much weariness and
ill-health are still due to quite avoidable causes. It may be laid
down as an absolute necessity that there should be a pause of at least
five minutes in the winter, and at least ten in the summer between
consecutive periods of teaching, the periods themselves not exceeding
fifty minutes, even in the case of the oldest pupils of school age.
During the interval the doors and windows should be thrown wide open,
and the room flushed with fresh air. The floor should be either of hard
wood treated with "dustless oil" or of cork linoleum. The blackboard
should be wiped with a damp cloth, in order to prevent the chalk from
vitiating the air. In this way the microbes and particles of dust will
be sensibly reduced in number, and the proportion of oxygen in the air
will remain satisfactory.
The seats and desks must be of such a kind that the pupils will
naturally assume =positions favourable for good breathing.= They must
be graduated in size; the seats must have suitably curved backs; and
there must be some adjustment by which the edge of the desk will
overhang the edge of the seat when the pupils are writing, whereas
there is a clear space between them when the pupil stands. This may
be obtained either by making the desk as a whole, or the lid of
it, move forward and backward; or by making the seat movable. It
is not the place here to enter into further details with regard to
these important matters; it must suffice to remind the teacher that
unceasing perseverance is required. Gently, but firmly, he must insist
that his pupils hold themselves well; not stiffly, of course, nor
without variety of position. To sit rigidly means a great strain for
a child[3]; and it is very desirable that pupils should have frequent
opportunities of changing their posture, and especially of resting
against the back of the seat.
=6.= It will often be found that a few minutes given to =breathing
exercises= in the middle of a lesson will serve to freshen the pupils.
An excellent set of exercises is given in Dr Hulbert's _Breathing for
Voice Production_ (publ. by Novello), which teachers will do well to
read and to put into practice.[4] Many of the throat troubles of which
teachers complain are directly due to bad breathing and bad ventilation.
Singing and speaking in chorus, if heartily done by all, may be
regarded as admirable breathing exercises, apart from their use in
other respects.
A few words with regard to chorus work may be useful to the teacher.
If well carried out, it can be of great service. The individual
is encouraged to speak up well; it is often found that the class
speaking in chorus is better in pronunciation than the majority of
those composing it. When a child speaks alone, self-consciousness may
make it hesitate or prevent it from raising its voice. But the chorus
work must be guided with care and used with moderation. Nothing could
surely be more objectionable than the monotonous sing-song into which
the reading of a class is almost sure to degenerate if all or nearly
all their reading is in chorus. The teacher will guard against this
by making the pupils _feel_ what they read, and thus insisting on
expressive and therefore interesting speech.
[Illustration: This diagram represents a vertical section through the
larynx, the hinder part of which is removed, showing the narrowing
through which the breath has to pass.]
Epiglottis.
Left vocal chord.
Right vocal chord.
Cases of mouth-breathing, usually due to adenoid growths, cannot be
cured by the teacher; but it is his duty to take the earliest possible
notice of such a case, and to ensure that those in charge of the child
are warned of the danger incurred by delay in consulting a medical man.
The breath on leaving the lungs passes through the windpipe--and in
ordinary breathing there is nothing in its way. In speaking, however,
there is often something in its way: a beautiful contrivance, capable
of the most varied and delicate adjustment, and known as the =vocal
chords.= They are situated where, in a man, we see the "Adam's apple."
[Illustration: View of the vocal chords opened to their widest extent,
showing the windpipe to its bifurcation.]
The accompanying illustration will serve to explain their nature.
It will be seen that the vocal chords spring from both sides of the
windpipe. They are really rather of the nature of flexible ridges
or shallow flaps than cords. By means of muscles acting on certain
cartilages they can be brought closely or lightly together. They
consist of a soft fleshy part at one end, and a harder cartilaginous
part at the other.
The position of the vocal chords, in other words the nature of the
_glottis_ (_i.e._ the opening between the vocal chords), modifies the
breath in many ways.
When they are apart, in what we may call the rest position, the breath
passes through unhindered. When we want a particularly large supply
of breath, as in blowing, we keep them still more apart. When we wish
to "hold our breath," we close them firmly. When we wish to "clear our
throat," we press them together and then let the breath come out in
jerks; if this is done violently and (as a rule) unintentionally, a
cough is produced; sometimes we do it slightly before the opening vowel
of a word spoken emphatically (this is commonly the case in German, and
is known as the "glottal stop").
We may also close only the fleshy ends, and leave the cartilaginous
ends open; then we speak in a whisper.
=7.= If we neither leave the vocal chords apart nor bring them together
quite closely, but let them touch lightly, then the air as it passes
out will make them vibrate; and breath accompanied by this vibration
is =voice=[5] in the narrower application of the word. In ordinary
speech this vibration is an essential part of all vowels and of many
consonants. They are accordingly called =voiced=[6] sounds; those
produced without vibration of the vocal chords are =voiceless.=[7]
The vibration can be felt in several ways. Utter a long _s_ and
then a long _z_ (the sounds at the beginning of _seal_ and _zeal_
respectively), again long _s_, again long _z_, and so on; at the same
time put your fingers to your throat, or put your hands to both ears,
or lay your hand on the top of your head, and you cannot fail to
notice the vibration every time you utter _z_. Try it also with _f v
f v f v_, etc., and with the sounds written _s_ in _sure_ and _z_ in
_azure_, and the sounds written _th_ in _thistle_ and _th_ in _this_.
Then proceed to _p_ and _b_, _t_ and _d_, _k_ and _g_ (as in _go_).
Lastly, utter a long _ah_ with full voice, and then whisper the same
sound softly. Ascertain in each case which sound is accompanied by
vibration of the vocal chords.
Utter a long _f_ and suddenly separate the lower lip from the upper
teeth, and nothing more will be heard; but utter a long _v_ and again
suddenly separate the lip from the teeth, and you will hear the
"voice," with a sound like the [ə] described in § 38. (It is the sound
uttered when we hesitate in our speech, and is usually represented in
writing by "er ... er.")
It is important that the vibration should be good. If it is slow, the
pitch will be low; if it is quick, the pitch will be high. But whatever
the pitch, the vibration must be uniform. To practise this, dwell on
various voiced sounds for a long time, emitting the breath slowly and
regularly.
Only the voiced sounds can be produced with varying pitch; they are
musical, the rest are noises. Notice, in church for instance, how the
tune is carried by the voiced sounds; the voiceless ones seem to break
the course of the tune.
When the vocal chords are short they vibrate more quickly than when
they are long, and quicker vibrations give a higher pitch. This
explains why the average pitch of a woman's voice is higher than that
of a man. When a boy's voice "breaks," this is due to certain changes
affecting his vocal chords; it is important that the voice should not
be subjected to any excessive strain when it is in this stage.
Certain affections of the throat interfere with the action of the
vocal chords, and they become incapable of vibrating; then we "lose
our voice." When we "lower the voice," we make the vibrations slower,
and lower the pitch. When we "drop the voice to a whisper," we are
intentionally preventing them from vibrating. This much diminishes the
carrying power of the voice, and we thereby ensure that our words are
heard only by those who are quite close. A peculiar variety is the
"stage aside," when the actor tries to convey the impression that his
words are not heard by those near him, yet desires them to be heard by
the spectators, many of whom are much farther away. This is a very loud
whisper; it naturally requires a considerable effort and is very tiring.
=8.= The breath which has passed between the vocal chords and issues
from the windpipe passes through the mouth, or through the nose, or
through both. This is rendered possible by a soft movable flap which
can at will be made to close the way through the nose, or--hanging
loosely--to leave both passages open. Take a small mirror and look at
the inside of your mouth, standing so that as much light as possible
falls into it; you will see this flap, the =velum=, hanging down with
a kind of ᐯ in the centre, the lower extremity of which is known as
the _uvula_. Still watching your mouth, inhale through the nose and
exhale through the mouth; see how the velum moves as you do this. After
a little while try to move the velum, closing and opening the nose
passage, without uttering a sound and without breathing.
In French there are four =nasal vowels= (occurring in _un bon vin
blanc_) in which the velum hangs loose, and breath passes through nose
and mouth. In standard English such vowels do not exist, but another
form of nasal vowel, producing a "twang," is sometimes heard in many
forms of what may be called dialect speech. The Londoner is often
careless about closing the nose passage, and some breath is allowed to
pass out by that way so as to be perceptible to the ear in the form of
friction, and to impair the quality of the vowels. The "nasal twang" is
very noticeable in some forms of American English.
The nasalising tendency may also be observed in untrained singers and
public speakers; it is undoubtedly a means of increasing the carrying
power of the voice, and of reducing the effort of making oneself
understood by a large audience. The same effect can, however, be
produced by training the muscles of the chest by means of breathing
exercises, and with more agreeable results to the ear.
Pupils who show a tendency to nasalising can be cured by frequent
exercises in uttering the mouth (or oral) vowels.
It is, however, maintained by some teachers of voice production
that the best vowel sounds are produced when the velum does not
quite prevent the passage of air through the nose.
In producing a =nasal consonant= (such as _m_), we stop the breath
somewhere in the mouth (_e.g._ at the lips when we utter _m_), and let
it pass out through the nose.
A cold in the nose often prevents the breath from passing through
it; and this renders it impossible to produce the nasal consonants
_m_, _n_, and _ng_ (as in _sing_), the kindred sounds _b_, _d_, and
_g_ being substituted for them. A similar difficulty is experienced
by children with adenoid growths. This is commonly called "speaking
through the nose"; it is just the reverse.
=9.= In speaking, as a rule, the passage to the nose is closed and the
breath finds its passage through the mouth. The shape of this passage
can be modified in many ways, because several =organs of speech= are
movable.
The lower jaw can be moved up and down.
The lips can be closed, or kept lightly touching, or the lower lip
may touch the upper teeth; or the lips may be apart, assuming various
shapes, from a narrow slit to a large or small circle. They may also be
thrust forward, protruded.
The tongue is capable of an even greater variety of position. Again
watch the inside of your mouth by means of your little mirror. Say _e_
(as in _he_), _a_ (as in _father_), _o_ (as in _who_), and observe the
movements of your tongue; then make the same movements, but without
uttering the sounds. You will soon feel how your tongue moves, without
needing to look at it. This consciousness of the muscular action of
your tongue is valuable, and you must take pains to develop it. Watch
the movements of your tongue as you utter other vowel sounds; they will
be treated systematically in due course.
By means of these movable organs of speech the mouth passage assumes
various forms; it may still be wide enough to leave a free course for
the breath, or it may be quite narrow, or it may be closed at some
point.
If the passage is free, the result is a =vowel=; if not, it is a
=consonant=.[8]
=10.= If the passage is so narrow at some point that the breath cannot
pass through without rubbing or brushing, we have a =continuant=
(sometimes called a fricative). Thus when we say _f_ or _v_, the breath
passes out through the teeth; the only difference between the two
sounds being that in saying _v_, the breath is also engaged in setting
the vocal chords vibrating. Say _e_ (as in _he_) and gradually raise
the tongue still further, thus narrowing the passage; you will reach
a point when you no longer produce a vowel, but a continuant, namely
the sound heard at the beginning of _yes_. These sounds are called
continuants, because we can prolong them at will; indeed, we can dwell
on them until no more breath is left in the lungs.
=11.= If the passage is closed altogether at some point, we have a
=stop=; the breath is stopped. Say _hope_ or _wit_ or _luck_ and notice
how in each case there is a closure at the end. Stops consist of two
parts: the closing of the passage, and the subsequent opening of it;
this opening resembles a little explosion, and stops are accordingly
sometimes called plosives or explosives. Observe that the ear does not
require to perceive both the closure and the opening; one is enough
to give the impression of the sound. When you say _hope_ or _wit_ or
_luck_, you need only hear the closing of the passage; you can leave
your mouth shut, yet to the ear the word will seem complete. (The
sound will, however, carry further if you open the passage again; and
in public speaking it is therefore to be recommended.) Similarly, in
uttering the words _pain_, _tell_, _come_, only the opening of the
passage is audible; yet the ear is satisfied. In the middle of a word
like _night-time_, carefully pronounced, we hear both the closure
and the opening; and the interval between the two gives our ear the
impression that there are two _t_'s.[9] In quick speech, however, the
closure is usually inaudible in such words or, more correctly, the
sounds overlap.
=12.= The narrowing or closing of the passage may be effected at
various points. The lips may be partially or completely closed; the
lower lip may be pressed against the upper teeth; different parts
of the tongue may be pressed against the teeth, or the gums, or the
palate. Pass your finger along the roof of your mouth, and notice that
only the front of it is hard; we distinguish the hard palate and the
soft palate.
=13.= When we are eating or drinking, the food passes down the gullet,
behind the windpipe. To prevent food entering the windpipe, which
causes a choking sensation and coughing, there is the _epiglottis_ (see
the diagram on p. 10), a cartilaginous flap which covers the top of
it; this flap is raised when we are breathing. Hence the wisdom of the
rule, not to speak while you are eating.
=14.= In order that speech may have its full effect, it is necessary
that the hearer should hear well; this is by no means so common as
is generally supposed. The importance of testing the eyesight is now
recognised; but the =hearing= is usually neglected. Attention must be
drawn to this matter, as teachers often regard pupils as inattentive
and dull and reprimand them, when they are really hard of hearing. The
teacher's mistake is to some extent pardonable, because the defect is
easily overlooked, especially as a pupil may hear badly in one ear
and not in the other, and thus seem inattentive only when the teacher
happens to be standing on the side of his defective ear. Further, it
is a defect which often varies in intensity from day to day, according
to the pupil's general condition of health. These considerations point
to the urgent necessity of instituting an inspection of the hearing in
our schools. The teacher can himself apply the simple test of seeing at
what distance the pupil is able to hear whispered double numbers, such
as 35, 81; each ear should be tested separately, a cloth being pressed
against the other. The teacher will note down the two distances for
each pupil, and will probably be surprised at the variations observed.
It is clear that defective hearing should constitute a strong claim for
a front seat in the class-room, more so than defective eyesight, which
can usually be rectified by the use of suitable spectacles.
It is hardly necessary to point out that lack of cleanliness in the
ears may interfere with the hearing, and that carelessness with regard
to the teeth may lead to their loss and to defects of speech, apart
from other unpleasant consequences. It is clear that anything in the
nature of tight-lacing renders good breathing impossible; and the
fashion of letting the hair cover the ears is also to be discouraged,
as rendering the hearing more difficult. In men, tight collars and
belts often interfere with the breathing.
=15.= Lastly, teachers (particularly male teachers) require to be
warned against =shouting=; this only tires them and irritates the
nerves of their pupils, while the same object can be achieved by
careful articulation. Where it is used "to keep the class in order,"
the teacher should earnestly consider how it is that others can keep
order without shouting; usually his difficulties in maintaining
discipline are due to ill-health, overstrain, or general incapacity.
When the throat is relaxed, a gargle with some astringent will be found
a simple remedy; a solution of alum in water may be recommended for
this purpose, or a bit of borax may be held in the cheek.
=16.= From a very early time the attempt has been made =to represent
the spoken language by means of signs.= Picture writing is a primitive
and clumsy expedient. It was a great step forward when signs were used
to represent syllables, a still further improvement when a separate
sign was used for each separate sound.
At first writing was roughly phonetic, in other words, one sign was
intended to represent one sound (or set of sounds), and one only;
and this is still what is required of an ideal alphabet. It is a
commonplace remark that =the English alphabet= largely fails to
fulfil this requirement. The same sign represents different sounds
(_s_ign, _s_ure, ea_s_y); the same sound is represented by different
signs (_c_atch, _k_ill, _q_ueen, la_ck_). Some signs are superfluous
(_c_, _x_); sometimes a sound is written, but not pronounced (lam_b_,
_k_nee); sometimes two signs, which separately express two sounds, when
used together designate a third sound altogether different from these
two (_ch_ in _ch_at and ri_ch_).
=17.= How are we to explain this bewildering state of things?
It is due to two causes--the natural development of the language, and
the pedantic interference of the learned.
Language is constantly changing. The rate of change is not perhaps
always the same, but change there always is. As we have seen above, the
older generation and the younger do not speak exactly alike. Now the
changes in the spoken language are gradual, and quite unconscious; but
a change in the recognised spelling of words is something tangible. It
conflicts with a habit we have acquired.
In mediæval times, when there was no printing, no daily paper, no
universal compulsory education, there was a good deal of freedom in the
spelling, and people wrote very much as they pleased--phonetically,
if they were not spoilt by "a little knowledge." But the invention
of printing and the dissemination of learning changed all this. A
uniform spelling came to be recognised; the nation acquired the habit
of regarding it as correct, and would tolerate no deviation from it.
Though it represents the pronunciation of a former age, we still
use it; and we are quite upset when we read the spellings _labor_,
_center_, _therefor_, nay even when two words are, contrary to our
usage, run together, as in _forever_.
When our spelling received its present form not only was the language
very differently pronounced, but the pedantic had already been able
to wreak their wicked will on it. Thus the "learned" men of mediæval
France spelled _parfaict_, though the _c_ of Latin _perfectum_ had
developed into the _i_ of _parfait_, and they did not pronounce the
_c_ which they introduced into the spelling. The word passed into
English, and here also the _c_ was at first only written; later on it
came to be pronounced. The "learned" similarly introduced a _b_ into
the French words _douter_ and _dette_ (because of the Latin _dubitare_
and _debita_), but had the good sense to drop it; we have it still in
_doubt_ and _debt_, though we leave it unpronounced. In later times
we find something similar: the learned force us to spell _philosophy_
with _ph_ and not _f_. The word comes from Greek through Latin; the
Greeks pronounced the _ph_ actually as _p_ plus _h_ at the time when
the Romans took to spelling Greek words in their language, and these
continued to spell _ph_ even when the Greeks no longer pronounced _p_
plus _h_, but _f_, as we do now.
=18.= The subject of =spelling reform= is not within the scope of this
book; but it presents itself naturally to all who take an intelligent
interest in the language. It seems probable that much good will be
achieved by the Simplified Spelling Society (44 Great Russell Street,
London, W.C.; annual subscription from 1s.), which has been recently
established and will undoubtedly profit by the experience of the sister
society in the United States. Such spellings as _wel_, _ful_, _tho_,
_thoro_, _bred_, _plesure_, will surely commend themselves as soon as
the eye of the man in the street has been made familiar with them and
the etymological sentimentalist has realised the astounding weakness of
his arguments.
However distant may be a complete reform, it is certainly helpful to
be conscious of the evil; only thus can we neutralize some of its bad
effects. The most obvious of these is the lack of =ear training= in
our schools, where the mother tongue has been learnt on the basis of
the written and not the spoken language. The only method for teaching
English reading and writing which can commend itself to the student of
the language no less than to the student of childhood is the method
identified with the name of Miss Dale. Apart from the sympathy and love
of children pervading all her work, it is of unusual importance because
she has solved the problem of starting from the spoken language, while
avoiding all phonetic symbols.
=19.= It is, however, convenient for the student of phonetics to
have a set of generally accepted signs; otherwise he would be unable
to express in writing the pronunciation in such a way that other
students could understand what he meant. Without phonetic symbols the
designation of sounds becomes awkward. It was one of Miss Dale's many
happy thoughts to connect sounds and their written form with definite
words, for instance the "moon oo" and the "fern er"; but however
suitable that is for the little ones, it is inconvenient for the
grown-up student.
There are many phonetic alphabets; all else being equal, the one most
widely used is clearly the most valuable. We have therefore chosen for
this book =the alphabet of the Association phonétique internationale,=
which is already well known in England owing to its use in a number of
books for elementary instruction in French, German, and even Latin. It
will commend itself to the student by its great simplicity. What will
really present difficulty is rather the determination of the actual
nature of the spoken word, than the representation of the sounds when
once determined.
=20.= We now give the sounds occurring normally in standard English,
and their phonetic signs; the signs for consonants which are likely to
be unfamiliar are enclosed.
=Consonants.=