TO TEACHERS. THE authors have endeavored, in the rules and illustrative examples and It is therefore recommended, that the classes be frequently and thoroughly The rules on Emphasis and Inflection, and also the examples by which At the head of each Lesson, in Part II., there is an exercise in correcting If the answers, also, to the questions appended to each lesson are learned It will be observed that the questions which are printed in Italics relate to Definitions, Explanations, and Key. ARTICULATION consists in giving to every vocal letter its appropriate sound, and to every syllable and word a proper and distinctive utter ance. In order that the articulation may be distinct, the vocal organs must be perfect in their structure, and also under the entire control of the reader or speaker. Perfect organs are the gift of Nature: the art of training them is our own work. But the vocal organs may be perfect, and still, for the want of proper discipline, the articulation be very indistinct. As a beautiful and perfect musical instrument sends forth only harsh and discordant notes when played by an unskillful hand, so the organs of the voice, QUESTIONS. -What are the general divisions of Part First? In what does articulation consist? What is necessary in order to secure distinct articulation? What is the cause of indistinct articulation when the vocal organs are perfect? How is this illustrated? when undisciplined or imperfectly trained, often produce a confused utterance of sounds, which, though designed for words, are, in fact, only their unintelligible fragments. A person, with a comparatively feeble voice, yet having a clear and distinct enunciation, can be heard and understood with ease in all parts of an ordinary room; while another, naturally endowed with a superior volume of voice, and apparently making a much greater effort, can be scarcely understood even with the closest attention, and hence is listened to with pain rather than pleasure and satisfaction., Now this great difference lies chiefly in their articulation, which shows the indispensable necessity of properly and thoroughly cultivating the vocal organs; and this can be done only by beginning with the fundamental principles, or the elementary sounds of the language, which are fully presented and explained in the following definitions, rules, and tables. 1. The alphabet is divided into vowels and consonants, or, as some say, into vocals, sub-vocals, and aspirates. 2. A vowel, or vocal, is a letter whose elementary sound, or element, can be perfectly enunciated by itself. 3. A consonant, as a sub-vocal, is a letter whose elementary sound, or element, can not be so perfectly enunciated as that of a vowel, or vocal. 4. A consonant, as an aspirate, is a letter whose elementary sound, or element, is produced by a strong emission of breath. KEY TO PRONUNCIATION. NOTE. The sounds, represented by the different letters of the alphabet, are indicated, in this number of the series, by the following marks, or characters, taken, by permission, from the last revised edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. 1. A horizontal mark [~] over a, e, i, o, u, or y denotes its long sound, as heard in the words āle, ēve, ice, ōld, tūbe, flỹ. QUESTIONS.-What comparison is made between a feeble voice and a strong one? Wherein is the difference, and what does it show? How can this be done? How is the English alphabet divided? What is a vowel or vocal? What is a consonant, as a sub- vocal? What is a consonant, as an aspirate? How are the sounds of the different letters of the alphabet indicated in this book? What does a horizontal mark, "over a, e, i, etc., denote ? 2. A curving mark [~] over a, e, i, o, u, or y denotes its short sound, as heard in the words făt, mět, pin, nõt, but, hymn. 3. A circumflex [^] over a denotes a modified sound of long a, as heard in the words âir, câre, beâr. 4. Two points [*] over a denote its Italian sound, as heard in the words ärm, fär, pälṁ. 5. One point [] over a denotes a modified Italian sound, as heard in the words ȧsk, dance, låst. 6. Two points [..] under a denote its broad sound, as heard in the words all, ball, haul. 7. One point [.] under a denotes that it has a sound like short o, as in the words what, wand, wash. 8. A horizontal mark [ __ ] under e denotes that it has the sound of long a as heard in the words eight, prey, o-bey'. 9. A circumflex [^] over e denotes that it has the modified sound of long a, as heard in the words êre, thêre, whêre. 10. This mark [~] over e, i, or y denotes its sound, as heard in the word! her, vẽrge, pre-fĕr'; sir, vîr'gin, thirst'y; myrrh, myr'tle. 11. Two points [ " ] over i denote that it has the sound of long e, as heard in the words pïque, ma-rïne', po-lïce'. 12. A horizontal mark [~] over oo denotes their long sound, as heard in the words moon, food, boot'y. 13. A curving mark [ ] over oo denotes their short sound, as heard in the words book, foot, good. 14. Two points [..] under o denote that it sounds like long oo, as heard in the words do, move, group. 15. One point [.] under o denotes that it sounds like short oo, or middle u, as heard in the words bo'som, wolf, wo'man. 16. One point [.] over o denotes that it sounds like short u, as heard in the words dône, lòve, öth'er. 17. A circumflex [^] over o denotes that it sounds like, or nearly like, broad a in all, as heard in the words nôr, fôrm, ôr'der. 18. Short o, when followed by ss, et, or th, as in cross, cost, broth,— also in lõng, gõne, sõlve, off, and some other words, is somewhat modified, being neither so short as in not, nor so long and broad as in nought. 19. This mark [~] over o denotes that it sounds like u in furl, as heard in the words world, wõrm, wõrth. 20. Two points [..] under u denote that it sounds like, or nearly like, long oo in moon, as heard in the words rude, ru̟'mor, ru̟'ral. 21. One point [.] under u denotes its middle sound, or that it sounds like short oo in book, as heard in the words full, pụt, push. 22. A circumflex [^] over u denotes its sound, as heard in the words ûrge, bûrn, fûrl. QUESTIONS. What does a curving mark over a, e, i, etc., denote? What does a circumflex over a denote? Two points over a? One point over a? Two points under a? One point under a? A horizontal mark under e? A circumflex over e? An irregular mark over e, i, or y? Two points over i? A horizontal mark over oo? A curving mark over oo? Two points under o? One point under o? One point over o? A circumflex over o? When has short o a modified sound? What does an irregular mark over o denote? Two points under u? One point under u? A circumfiex over u? |