ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
The number of elements in the language is thirty-eight.
They are divided into _vowels_, _sub-vowels_, and
_aspirates_; or, as classified by Dr. Rush in his "Philosophy of the
Human Voice," into _tonics_, _sub-tonics_, and _atonics_.
There are fifteen _vowels_, fourteen _sub-vowels_, and nine
_aspirates_.
_Table of the Elements._
VOWELS
A as heard in _a_le, f_a_te, m_a_y.
A " " " _a_rm, f_a_rm, h_a_rm.
A " " " _a_ll, f_a_ll, _o_rb.
A " " " _a_n, ide_a_, p_a_n.
E " " " _e_asy, im_i_tate, m_e_.
E " " " _e_nd, l_e_t, m_e_nd.
I " " " _i_sle, _i_ce, fl_y_, m_i_ne.
I " " " _i_n, p_i_n, _E_ngland.
O " " " _o_ld, m_o_re, _o_ats.
O " " " _oo_se, l_o_se, t_o_, f_oo_l
O " " " _o_n, l_o_ck, n_o_t.
U " " " m_ew_, f_ew_, t_u_be, p_u_pil.
U " " " _u_p, t_u_b, h_e_r, h_u_rt.
U " " " f_u_ll, p_u_ll, w_o_lf.
OU " " " _ou_r, fl_ou_r, p_ow_er.
SUB-VOWELS.
B as heard in _b_ow, _b_oat, _b_arb.
D " " " _d_ay, bi_d_, _d_are.
G " " " _g_ay, fi_g_, _g_ilt.
L " " " _l_ight, _l_iberty, a_ll_.
M " " " _m_ind, stor_m_, _m_ate.
N " " " _n_o, o_n_, _n_i_n_e.
NG " " " si_ng_, fi_ng_er, lo_ng_.
R " " " _r_oe, _r_a_r_e, o_r_b.
TH " " " _th_en, wi_th_, benea_th_.
V as heard in _v_ice, _v_ile, sal_v_e.
W " " " _w_oe, _w_ave, _w_orld.
Y " " " _y_oke, _y_e, _y_onder.
Z " " " _z_one, hi_s_, _Z_enophon.
ZH " " " a_z_ure, enclo_s_ure.
ASPIRATES.
F as heard in _f_ame, i_f_, li_f_t.
H " " " _h_e, _h_ut.
K " " " _k_ite, ca_k_e.
P " " " _p_it, u_p_, a_p_t.
S " " " _s_in, _c_ell, ye_s_.
SH " " " _sh_ade, _sh_ine, flu_sh_ed.
T " " " _t_ake, oa_t_s, i_t_.
TH " " " _th_in, tru_th_, mon_th_s.
WH " " " _wh_en, _wh_ich, _wh_at.
There are many words in which there are difficult combinations of the
elements; they, as well as those in which the combinations are easy, should
be practiced upon until the pupil is able to articulate each element
correctly. The following is a table of the _analysis of words_, in
which there are easy and difficult combinations of elements. Let the pupil
spell the words, uttering separately each _element_, and not the
_name_ of the word, as is the practice which generally obtains in our
schools.
_Table of the Analysis of Words._
WORDS. ELEMENTS.
ale, a-l.
day, d-a.
fame, f-a-m.
crew, k-r-u.
call, k-a-l.
deeds, d-e-d-z.
wool, w-u-l.
isle, i-l.
dare, d-a-r.
ink, i-ng-k.
pause, p-a-z.
mow, m-o.
lose, l-o-z.
pray, p-r-a.
spell, s-p-e-l.
twists, t-w-i-s-t-s.
waste, w-a-s-t.
awful, a-f-u-l.
up, u-p.
mouths, m-ou-th-z.
sky, s-k-i.
lamb, l-a-m.
oak, o-k.
eve, e-v.
once, w-u-n-s.
awe, a.
power, p-ou-u-r.
mulcts, m-u-l-k-t-s.
John, d-gh-a-n.
objects, o-b-d-jh-e-k-ts.
thousandth, th-ou-z-a-n-d-th.
wives, w-i-v-z.
softness, s-o-f-t-n-e-s.
shrugged, sh-r-u-g-d.
themselves, th-e-m-s-e-l-v-z.
church, t-sh-u-r-t-sh.
They were _wrenched_ by the hand of violence.
The _strength_ of his nostrils is _terrible_.
A gentle current _rippled_ by.
Thou _barb'd'st_ the dart by which he fell.
Arm'd, say ye? Arm'd, my lord!
He _sa_wed _six sl_eek, _sl_im _s_apling_s_.
It was strongly _urged_ upon him.
Ami_dst_ the mi_sts_, he thru_sts_ his fi_sts_ again_st_ the po_sts_.
The swan swam over the sea; well swum, swan. The
swan swam back again; well swum, swan.
PRONUNCIATION AND ACCENT.
Pronunciation is the mode of enouncing certain words and syllables. As
pronunciation varies with the modes and fashions of the times, it is
sometimes fluctuating in particular words, and high authorities are often
so much at variance, that the correct mode is hard to be determined; hence
to acquire a correct pronunciation, this irregularity, whatever be the
cause, must be submitted to.
Be very careful to give each letter its proper sound and avoid omitting or
perverting the sound of any letter or syllable of a word, without some good
authority.
The unaccentuated syllables of words are very liable to be either omitted,
slurred or corrupted, and there is no word in the language more frequently
and unjustly treated in this respect than the conjunction--_and_. It
is seldom half articulated, although it is properly entitled to
_three_ distinct elementary sounds.
Heaven _a_nd earth will witness,
If Rome must fall, that we are innocent. I
The Assyrian came down, like the wolf on the fold,
And _h_is cohorts were gleaming in purple _a_nd gold.
The word _and_, in these and similar examples, is commonly pronounced
as if written _u_nd or _u_n, with an imperfect or partially occluded
articulation of these elements; whereas, it ought always to be
pronounced in such a manner that each of its own three elementary sounds,
though in their combined state, may distinctly appear.
In pronouncing the phrase, "and his," not only the _a_, but the
_h_, is, also, frequently suppressed, and the sound of the _d_ is
combined with that of the _i_ following it; as if written thus,
_u_nd _diz_ cohorts, and so on. Many pronounce the phrase "are
innocent," in the first example, as if written _a rinesunt_. This
practice of suppressing letters, and as it were melting words into
indistinct masses, cannot be too cautiously guarded against.
Avoid the affectations and mis-pronunciations exemplified in the following
list of words which are often mispronounced. Do not say--
G_i_t for g_e_t.
H_e_v " h_a_ve.
K_e_tch " c_a_tch.
G_e_th'er " g_a_th'er.
St_i_d'y " st_e_ad'y.
Good'n_i_ss " good'n_e_ss.
Hon'ist " hon'est.
Hun'd_u_rd " hund'red.
Sav'_i_j " sav'_a_ge.
Ma_w_n'ing " mo_r_n'ing.
Cli'm_i_t " cli'm_a_te.
Si'l_u_nt " si'l_e_nt.
Souns " soun_d_s.
Fiels " fiel_d_s.
Sof'ly " sof_t_'ly.
Kindl'st " kindl'_d_st.
Armst " arm'_d_st.
Gen'ral " gen'_e_ral.
Sep'rate " sep'_a_rate.
Mis'ries " mis'_e_ries.
Dif'frence " diff'_e_rence.
Ex'lent " ex'c_el_lent.
Comp'ny " com'p_a_ny.
Liv'in " liv'i_ng_.
Lenth'en " le_ng_th'en.
Chastisemunt " chastisement.
Bereavemunt " bereavement.
Contentmunt " contentment.
Offis " office.
Hevun " heaven.
Curosity " curiosity.
Absolut " absolute, etc.