THE INTERMEDIATE READER.

INTRODUCTION.

ARTICULATION.

Articulation is the utterance of the various vocal sounds represented by letters, and combinations of letters, in syllables.

Correct articulation is the basis of good reading. It implies a clear and accurate utterance of each syllable, a due proportion of sound to every letter, and a clearly-marked termination to each syllable or sound before another is commenced. It requires an exact knowledge of the elementary sounds, and their use in words as determined by the most approved custom. "In just articulation," says Austin (Chironomia), "the words are not to be hurried over, nor precipitated syllable over syllable, nor, as it were, melted together into a mass of confusion. They should neither be abridged, nor prolonged, nor swallowed, nor forced, and, if I may so express myself, shot from the mouth: they should not be trailed, nor drawled, nor let slip out carelessly, so as to drop unfinished. They are to be delivered out from the lips as beautiful coins newly issued from the mint, deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, sharp, in due succession, and of due weight." The following Exercises in Articulation are designed for pupils as a daily discipline, during the entire time in which this volume is used. Every reading-lesson should be prepared for by an exercise in articulation, even though a short one. The sounds and words should be accurately and forcibly uttered, and especial attention should be given to such sounds as are liable to be perverted or suppressed. The importance of a thorough training in this department is especially commended to teachers.

Concert exercises upon the table of vowel sounds, with frequent changes of key, and with different degrees of force, sometimes with all the power of which the voice is capable, are well calculated to develop command of voice and promote accuracy in pronunciation. Similar exercises on the table of consonant sounds should not be neglected, since the defective utterance of the consonants is one of the chief causes of bad articulation. The tendency of the voice in reading is, to prolong and dwell upon the open vowel sounds, while many of the consopants are slid over or omitted.

TABLE OF VOWEL SOUNDS.

This table is designed for an exercise upon the vowel elements. These should be pronounced alone as well as in combination with the words given as examples. Let the class first pronounce the table in order, thus: A long, Fate, ā; A short, Fat, ǎ, &c.; then pronounce the column of elements alone. Remarks on the sounds of the letters will be found on page 12; also, under the Exercises on the vowel and the consonant sounds.

The following vowel sounds cannot be easily pronounced alone, as distinct elements, so as to be distinguished from some of the other sounds. See re marks on a long before r, a intermediate, and on the obscure sounds, page 15.

TABLE OF CONSONANT SOUNDS.

This table should be treated by the class in the same manner as the table of vowel sounds. The sound of a consonant may be ascertained by pronouncing a word containing it in a slow and forcible manner.

Vocal Consonants are those uttered with a slight degree of vocality, but less than that of a vowel. They are formed with a vibration of the vocal chords. Aspirate Consonants are those in which the pure breath alone is heard. They are formed without any vibration of the vocal chords.

Q has the sound of k, and is always followed by u, which, in this position, com monly has the sound of w, but is sometimes silent.

WH is an aspirated w, pronounced as if written hw.

1 Sometimes called Subvocals, or Subtonics.

2H sounded before a vowel, is an expulsion of the breath after the organs are in a position to sound the vowel.

A Vowel is a letter which represents a free and uninterrupted sound of the human voice.

A Consonant is a letter which cannot be sounded, or but imperfectly, with out the aid of a vowel.

A Letter is not itself a sound, but only the sign of a sound. The whole num ber of English sounds, which, for convenience, may be classed as "Elementary," or essentially simple, is forty-four. Some of these, however, are by some authors regarded as compound sounds. The elementary sounds are those indicated in the preceding tables of vowels and consonants (in large type); also, that of A long before R, and A intermediate.

Some of the letters represent several elementary sounds, and an elementary sound is sometimes represented by more than one letter.

A letter is silent when it is used in the spelling of a word, and not in its pronunciation.

An Equivalent is a letter, or a combination of letters, used to represent an elementary sound more appropriately represented by another letter or letters. The preceding tables of equivalent vowel and consonant sounds embrace those of most common occurrence, and are those that are given in the "Key to the Sounds of the Marked Letters " in Worcester's Dictionaries. Other letters and combinations of letters, representing elementary sounds, will be found printed in Italics, in the Exercises on the Vowel and the Consonant Sounds.

The Consonants may be classed, according to the manner in which they are pronounced, as explosive and continuous.

In pronouncing an explosive consonant, the breath escapes at once, and the voice has no power of prolonging the sound. In the utterance of a continuous consonant, the breath is transmitted by degrees. The sound can be prolonged? for an indefinite space of time. The vowel sounds are all continuous. The Explosive Consonants are, p, b, t, d, ch, j, k, g.

The Continuous Consonants are, f, v, th, s, z, sh, zh, r, l. m, n, w, y, ng. The letters c, q, and x are not strictly needed as representatives of sounds. They are only used as equivalents for other signs.

ORTHOEPIC SPELLING.

Orthoepic Spelling, or Analysis of Words, differs from orthographic spelling in dispensing with all silent letters, and making use only of such sounds or elements as enter into the composition of a word. This system of spelling is simple in theory and easy in practice, and its use will very much facilitate the acquisition of correct articulation. After all the elements and their combinations have been made so familiar by practice as to be readily recog nized, let the pupils proceed in this manner :

1. Pronounce the word deliberately and firmly.

2. Articulate, in proper order, every element separately and very fully.

3. Pronounce the word with due proportion of force and time, so that each element shall be distinctly preserved - thus: ban, b-ă-n, ban; mate, m-ãt, mate; bird, bird, bird; say, s-ā, say; laugh, l-a-f, laugh: teach, t-e-ch, teach; brought, b-r-âu-t, brought; giant, g-i-a-n-t, giant oceir ō-sh-a-n. ocean; while, hw-i-l, while, &c.

The characters used in marking the sounds of letters in this volume are the same as those in Worcester's Dictionaries.

EXERCISES ON THE VOWEL SOUNDS.

In pronouncing the words in the following exercises, special attention should be given to the precise sound of the letters italicized. The sounds of the let ters in Italics are the same as the sound of the vowel at the head of the paragraph.

Exercises upon tables of words like the following are valuable, not only for developing vocal power, but as one of the best methods of correcting habitual errors in pronunciation.

a, long, as in fate. — Fame, blame, sail, obey, survey, cambric, nature, ancient, neighbor, vein, weigh, sleigh, patron, matron, lava, patriot, patriotism. a, short, as in fat. - Bat, mat, bad, had, can, cannon, sand, fancy, marry, plaid, have, scath, charity, paradise, inhabit, companion, national.

a, Italian, as in für. - Are, bar, star, guitar, mart, alarm, parchment, father, heart, hearth, guard, daunt, haunt, gauntlet, jaundice, lath, balm, aunt. a, broad, as in fall; and o, as in nör. — Ball, call, tall, nor, form, storm, corn, salt, ought, fought, nought, auger, awful, water, author, always, august, cause, lawyer, balsam, bauble, palsy.

a, as in fare; and e, as in thêre. - Dare, rare, pair, air, share, bear, snare, where, heir, stare, pare. a, as in fast.-Blast, chance, lance, trance, branch, grasp, graft, grant, grass, pass, class, mastiff, bombast, pasture, plaster, chancellor.

e, long, as in mete; and i, as in marîne. - Be, she, theme, scene, marine, pique, key, fiend, grieve, treaty, Cæsar, critique, relief, belief, receive, deceive, receipt, leaf, quay, lenient, inherent.

e, short, as in met. Bed, bread, debt, engine, tepid, said, says, saith, friend, leopard, special, preface heroism, heifer, again, merit, helm, realm, many, any, get, yes, chest, egg, kettle, beneficent.