SECTION I.

Elementary Sounds. •

RULE 1. A clear and distinct articulation should be given to the elementary sounds employed in vocal utterance.

It is important to remark, in this connection, that elementary sounds differ from each other in two respects; namely, Quality and Quantity.

By Quality is here meant, the nature or kind of sound; and by Quantity, its time or length.

It should also be observed, that an elementary sound always remains the same in quality, while its quantity may be either long or short; thus, the element of a, in the words wall and wasp, is the same in quality, and differs only in quantity; but in some other examples, as in the words mate and mat, it differs both in quality and quantity, thus constituting two distinct elements. The same is true, to a greater or less extent, in relation to other elements.

The following table is designed to present the divisions of the alphabet into vocals, sub-vocals and aspirates; and also to afford the pupil an intelligible and interesting exercise, in articulating the elementary sounds which the letters severally represent. This exercise should be attended to with much care, and often repeated, till every member of the class can articulate each element, and analyze, and give the different elements of any word correctly on hearing it pronounced.

QUESTIONS. What is the first rule respecting elementary sounds? How do the elementary sounds differ from each other? What is here meant by quality and quantity? Does an element sometimes differ in quantity and not in quality? Give an example. When the elements of the same letter differ both in quality and quan tity, what do they constitute? Give an example. What is the design of the table of elementary sounds?

1. Table of Elementary Sounds.

NOTE.-The exercise on this table may be conducted by requiring the class, either individually or in concert, first to pronounce the word containing the element, and then the element by itself, varying the intensity of the voice as the teacher may think proper; thus, ale, ā, arm, ä, all, a, &c.

How many

QUESTIONS. What directions are given for studying the table of elementary sounds? How many vocal elements are there? What letters represent them? How many sub-vocal elements are there? What letters represent them? How many aspirate elements are there? What letters represent them? elements has the letter a? Give them. How many the letter e, &c.? Repeat all the elements in their order; thus, ā, ā, a &c. with all the vocal elements; thus, bā, ba, ba, &c. thus, ab, äb, ab, &c.

Combine each sub-vocal and aspirate

Reverse the order of the elements;

EXERCISE I.

Combinations of Elementary Sounds.

RULE 2. When the letters representing the elements of the language are combined, they must have the same sounds as when they are articulated separately.

To this rule there are some exceptions; for letters in combination oftentimes are not sounded at all; and sometimes a single letter, or two or more letters, are used to represent the elementary sound of some other letter, while in other cases they are slightly modified by the letters with which they are closely connected. A knowledge of the correct pronunciation of words, as taught in dictionaries and by correct speakers, will enable the learner to detect these exceptions, and vary his articulation in such a manner as to conform to them.

2. Table of Elementary Combinations.

NOTE. In this table each vocal element is combined in words with all the sub-vocals and aspirates with which it is known to combine in the language. The class may be required to pronounce these combinations, with an explosive and forcible utterance, both individually and in concert, until the italicized letters can be perfectly articulated.

1st. The sound of a long; as in bate, date, fate, gate, hate, jane, kale, lade, mate, nape, pate, rate, sate, tame, vane, wave, yate, gaze, chain, thane, lathe, shape, whale.

2d. ä flat or Italian; as in bar, dark, far, garb, hark, jar, car, lark, mar, nard, par, raft, salve, tar, vast, waft, yarn, czar, char, lath, father, sharp.*

*Worcester regards,the sound of a, in the words raft, vast, waft, lath, intermediate between that of a in fat and a in far.

QUESTIONS. What is rule second, respecting the combinations of the elementary sounds? What exceptions to this rule? How may they be known? How are the vocal elements combined in table second? What direction is given for studying this table? What combinations are given in the first example? Pronounce the words. Pronounce the combinations in italics. What combinations are given in the second example? Pronounce the words. Pronounce the combination in italics &c.

3d. a broad; as in ball, dawn, fall, gall, haw, jaw, kaw, law, mall, gnaw, pall, raw, saw, tall, vault, wall, yawl, gauze, chalk, thaw, shawl, wharf.

4th. a short; as in bat, dash, fat, gat, hat, jam, cat, lad, mat, nap, pat, rat, sat, tan, van, wax, yam, azoth, chap, sang, thank, that, shall, whack.

5th. ẽ long; as in be, deep, feet, geese, he, jeer, key, lee, me, need, pete, reel, see, teem, veer, we, ye, zeal, cheer, theme, thee, she, wheel.

6th. e short; as in bet, den, fen, get, hen, jet, ken, let, met, net, pet, rest, set, ten, vex, wet, yet, zed, check, theft, then, shed, when.

7th. I long; as in bite, dine, fine, guide, hive, gibe, kite, line, mine, nine, pine, ripe, site, tine, vine, wine, size, chime, thigh, thine, shine, white.

8th. i short; as in bit, din, fin, gimp, hit, jib, kit, lit, mix, nit, pin, rip, sit, tin, vill, wit, zinc, chin, sing, thin, with, shin, whit.

9th. long; as in bolt, dome, foe, go, hole, joke, coke, lone, mote, note, pole, rope, sole, tone, vote, wove, yoke, zone, choke, thole, those, shoal.

10th. ö middle; as in boot, do, food, goom, hoot, coop, lose, move, noose, pool, roost, soup, too, woo, ooze, cartouch, tooth, booth, shoe.

11th. o short; as in bot, dot, fox, got, hot, jot, cot, lot, mop, not, pop, rot, sot, top, novel, wot, yon, zocco, chop, song, thong, pother, shot, whop.

12th. a long; as in bugle, due, fume, gula, hue, june, cue, lute, mute, nude, pule, rule, sue, tune, yule, zumic, truth, sure.*

13th. u short; as in but, dust, fun, gun, hut, just, cull, lull,

* In the words, rule, truth, sure, Worcester sounds the u the same as e in move.

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must, nut, pun, rut, sup, tun, vulgar, yug, buzz, chub, sung, thumb, thus, shut, whur.

14th. u middle; as in bush, pudding, full, sugar, could, bull, pull, puss, put, would, butcher, should.

15th. ou and ow; as in bow, down, fowl, gout, how, jounce, cow, loud, mount, noun, pout, rout, south, town, vouch, wound, chouse, mouth, thou, shout.

EXERCISE II.

Combination of Elementary Sounds—Continued. RULE 3. In pronouncing the combinations of the sub-vocals and aspirates, great care must be taken, that their sounds may not be slurred nor suppressed. 3. Table of Combinations of Sub-Vocals and Aspirates.

NOTE. This table embraces a great variety of the combinations of the sub-vocals and aspirates. It is recommended, that the class pronounce them individually and in concert. The italic letters denote the combinations whose elements are to be clearly and distinctly uttered.

1. Probe, probes, prob'd, prob'dst, prob'st; bubble, bubbles, bubb'ld, bubl'dst, bubbl'st; brine, bright; fledge, fledg'd; cradle, cradles, cradl'd, cradl'dst, cradl'st.

2. Glad, gladd'n, gladd'ns, gladd'n'd; dream, drive; amid, amidst; breadth, breadths; deeds, weeds; baffle, baffles, baff'd, baffl'dst, baff'st.

3. Stiff, stiff'n, stiff'ns, stiff'n'd; friend, phrensy; whiffs, puff'st; fifth, fifths; lift, lifts, lift'st; dig, digs, digg'd, digg'dst, digg'st.

QUESTIONS. What is rule third, respecting the combinations of the sub-vocals and aspirates? What do the letters in italics denote? Pronounce the words in the first example. Articulate the combinations in italics. Pronounce the words in the second example, &c.