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sound of gz when it ends an unaccented syllable, and the next syllable, having the accent, begins with a vowel or the letter h; as in ex-act', exhort'. But ex'emplary (egz'-) and ex-ude (eks-) are exceptions.

§ 19. Words in which the digraph th has its aspirate sound, as in thin, should be discriminated from those where it has its vocal sound, as in breathe, beneath, with, underneath, lithe, paths. But truth retains its aspirate sound in the plural.

§ 20. Derivative words that have a short vowel in one syllable answering to a long one in the primitive are apt to be mispronounced; as in saying he'ro-ine, hē'ro-ism for her'o-ine, hĕr'o-ism; zēul'ot for zěul'ot, &c.

§ 21. The sound of e long is sometimes wrongly interposed after one of the guttural consonants, k (or c hard) and g, preceding the sound of i as in saying ke-ind for kind, skee-i for sky, gee-ide for guide.

In regard to the sound of long or diphthongal i (i), Cooley remarks: "When it occurs in the same syllable after g hard, k, or c hard, the faint sound, as of e, indicated in our notation by ('), is of necessity interposed between them during the separation of the organs in distinct utterance; as in guide (g'ide), guile (g'ile), disguise (-g'ize), kind (k'ind); but great care must be taken not to lengthen this sound into a separate e, as ke-ind, ge-ide, &c., a monster of pronunciation heard only on the stage or among affected and illiterate speakers. A similar interposed sound, but one very much fainter, occurs between ch and i, as in child (ch’ild), chime (ch'īme), &c., of which, however, the slightest exaggeration becomes vulgar and intolerable."

§ 22. Sound of a, as in ask, fast, &c. There is a class of syllables and words ending in af, aff, ant, as, ass, ast, ask, asp, with a few ending in ance and ant, in which a has a disputed sound. Among these words we quote the following: after, alas, bask, casket, castle, chaff, chance, clasp, class, contrast, dance, dastard, disaster, enchant, fust, gasp, glance, glass, grant, lance, mask, mastiff, nasty, pant, puss, pastor, pasture, plaster, quaff, rafter, repast, shaft, slander, slant, task, trance, vast, waft.

Both English and American authorities are at variance in respect to the sound of the a in these words. Among the former, Smart and Cooley maintain that well-educated people give the a its short sound as in and. Cooley (1862) says: The long Italian sound of a (as in father, far) "was formerly much used instead of ă (as in and), before the liquid n, particularly when followed by c, t, or d, in such words as dance, glance, lance, chant, grant, plant, slander, command, &c.; and before ƒ and s, as in ask, class, glass, grasp, craft, graft, &c.; a practice now regarded, except in a very few words, as vulgar or provincial."* Cooley admits, however, that in command, demand, remand, &c., usage is divided, the Italian a (a in fur) being "even now used in these words by many good speakers."

*Cooley remarks in a note: "This sound (a in far), derived from our ancestors, is still retained in America, in many words in which it has long been obsolete or vulgar among ourselves. Thus, we have often been unable to discover, except by the context, whether an American speaker alluded to his aunt or to an ant."

Ellis, an English authority, maintains that in ask, fast, glance, &c., it is usual "to pronounce the clear vowel ah" (as in far), not only in London, but throughout the south of England, and that the sound of short a (as in and) is "seldom or never heard" in this class of words.

Bell, an English authority, remarks: "The extreme pronunciations (a in and and a in fur) are at the present day (1849) comparatively seldom heard. The precise quality of the prevailing intermediate sound cannot be correctly noted; for it ranges among different speakers through every practicable shade within these limits."

Fulton and Knight, authors of an English dictionary published in London in 1802, adopted the view that the sound of a in these words (to which sound the somewhat vague and unmeaning name of intermediate a has been given) is a shortened sound of in far; and this view is that which has been substantially adopted in the latest revised dictionaries of Webster and Worcester.

Still we regard the remark of Bell, quoted above, as substantially cor rect. The so-called "intermediate" sound is something very indeterminate; and teachers, in the absence of any positive standard for the sound, must either adopt one of the two extremes (a in and, or a in fur), or they must hit upon some one of those medial "shades" to which Bell alludes.

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§ 23. Diphthongal u. We quote the following remarks from Sargent's New Pronouncing Spelling-Book: " Long u (ũ yoo) is generally heard pure in syllables ending in e mute, and when it is final in an accented syllable, or forms an accented syllable by itself as in cube, musing, unit, &c.; also when it ends or forms a syllable (unless preceded by the sound of r) either immediately before or after the accent, as in mutation, unite, penury, educate, &c.

"This sound of u is very decided when the letter that precedes it is a palatal or labial (k, p, b, f, v, m); and we rarely hear it robbed of its y quality in cube, pu'ny, abuse, refute, mute, view, &c. ; but most orthoëpists are agreed that after r long u drops its initial y element, and is equivalent to long oo (= û) in mood, as in rude, crude, intru'sion, er'udite, &c. It suffers the same loss after j, ch, and s, sounded as zh or sh, as in jury, chew, leis'ure, sure, &c.

"There is also a tendency to rid u of its y element after the lingual letters t, d, l, n, especially after 1, as in lute, flute. But in conformity with the best usage we give long u after these letters its regular long mark, with the caution, that, though in such words as tune, gratitude, duke, duty, institute, numerous, new, &c., u is made to preserve its sound of yoo by the majority of cultivated speakers, yet after l (as in lute, lu'nar, flu'id, &c.) it must be slightly modified. Do not say lee-ont, flee-oot, &c. Smart and Cooley represent the modification thus: l'oot, floot.

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"Long u, while preserving its y element, loses a little of its sound of long oo when it occurs in certain unaccented terminations in -ure, as in nat'ure, creat'ure, ten'ure, &c. We represent this abated sound by putting the long mark under the letter thus (u)."

§ 24. Exercises in Articulation.

In exercising the voice on the elementary sounds (see § 3), first pronounce a word containing the sound, and then the sound independently, three or four times, thus: fat, ă, ă, ă. Several of the consonants, as they are heard at the beginning or at the end of a word, can be enunciated independently, although the aid of a vowel sound may at first seem indispensable. Do not confound the alphabetical names with the actual sounds.

The following Exercises contain nearly all the difficult consonant combinations in English speech. Let the word containing the combination first be distinctly enounced, and then the combination by itself, until prac tice shall make the utterance easy. Thus, at the beginning, let the word doom'd be enounced, and then that portion of it only which is represented by the letters md. The initial letters of the consonant combinations are here given in the order which the consonant sounds occupy in the list of elementary sounds, § 3. Where an apostrophe is placed in the examples, a letter that ought to be unsounded is omitted.

§ 25.

CONSONANT COMBINATIONS.

Md, mdst, mz, mp: doom'd, doom'dst, tombs, imp.
mps, mt, mts, mf: imps, attempt, prompts, nymph.
mst, mpst, mfs, mtst: com'st, thump'st, triumphs. prompt'st.
nd, ndz, ndst, nj: send, sends, send'st, range.

njd, nz, ngd, ngdst: ranged, fins, hang'd, hang'dst.

ngz, ngth, ngths, ngk: hangs, length, lengths, wink. ngkt, ngks, ngkst, nt: wink'd, sinks, sink'st, taunt.

nts, ntst, ns, nst: taunts, taunt'st, wince, canst.

nth, nths, nch, ncht, nsh: plinth, months, flinch, flinch'd, avalanche. lb, lbd, lbz, ld: bulb, bulb'd, bulbs, hold.

Idz, ldst, lj, ljd: holds, hold'st, bulge, bulg'd.

Im. Imd, Imz, In: whelm, whelm'd, whelms, fall'n.

lv, lvd, luz, lz: shelve, shelv'd, shelves, halls.

lk, lks, lkt, lkts : silk, silks, mulct, mulcts.
lp, lpt, lps, lpst: help, help'd, helps, help'st.
it, lts, Itst, lf: halt, halts, halt'st, gulf.
Ifs, lft, ls, ist: gulfs, delft, false, fall'st.
lth, lths, Ich, leht: health, healths, filch, filch'd.
rb, rbst, rbd, rbdst: barb, barb'st, barb'd, barb'dst.
rbz, rd, rdst, rdz: barbs, heard, heard'st, herds.
rg, rgz, rj, rjd: burgh, burghs, urge, urg'd.
rl, rlst, rld, rldst: hurl, hurl'st, hurl'd, hurl' dst.
rlz, rm, rmst, rmd: hurls, warm, warm'st, warm'd.
rmdst, rmz, rmth, rn: warm'dst, warms, warmth, burn.
rnst, rnd, rndst, rnt: burn'st, burn'd, burn'dst, burnt.
rnz, rv, rust, rvd: burns, curve, curv'st, curv'd.

rvdst, ruz, rz, rk: curvdst, curves, wares, hark.
rks, rkst, rkt, rktst: barks, hark'st, hark'd, hark'dst.
rp, rps, rpst, rpt: harp, harps, harp'st, harp'd.
rptst, rt, rts, rtst: harp'dst, hurt, hurts, hurt'st.
rf, rft, rfs, rs: turf, turf'd, turfs, purse.
rst, rsts, rth, rths: burst, bursts, hearth, hearths.
rsh, rck, reht: harsh, march, march'd.

pl, plst, pld, pldst: pluck, ripple, rippl'st, rippl'd, rippl'dst.
plz, pr, pt, pts: ripples, prim, crypt, crypts.

ps, pst, pth, pths: whips, whipp'st, depth, depths.

bd, bdst, bl, blst: robb'd, daub'dst, black, trouble, troubl'st.
bld, bldst, blz, br: troubl'd, troubl'dst, troubles, brim.
bz, bst: probes, prob'st, robs, robb'st.

fl, flst, fld, fldst: flame, trifle, trifl'st, trifl'd, trifl'dst.
fr, ft, fts, ftst: frown, waft, wafts, waft'st.
fs, fst, fth, fths: laughs, laugh'st, fifth, fifths.
vd, vdst, vl, vlst: liv'd, liv'dst, driv'l, driv'l'st.

vld, vldst, vlz, vn : driv'l'd, driv'l'dst, driv'ls, driv❜n.
vnz, vnth, vz, vst: heav'ns, elev'nth, lives, liv'st.

thn (th aspirate), thnd, thnz: strength'n, strength'n'd, strength'ns. tht, thndst, ths, thr: betroth'd, length'n'dst, truths, throb. thd (th vocal), thz, thzt: wreath'd, wreaths, wreath'st. tl, tlst, tld, tldst: settle, settl'st, settl'd, settl'dst.

tlz, tr, ts, tst: settles, trust, combats, combať'st.

dl, dlst, dlz, dn: kindle, kindl'st, kindles, hard'n.

dnst, dnd, dndst, dnz: hard'n'st, hard'n'd, hard'n'dst, hard❜ns. dr, dz, dst, dth, dths: dread, deeds, didst, breadth, breadths. kl, klst, kld, kldst: truckle, truckl'st, truckl'd, truckľ❜dst. klz, kn, knst, knd: truckles, black'n, black'n'st, black'n'd. kndst, knz, kr: black'ndst, black'ns, crime.

kt, kts, ks: rocked, acts, racks, axe, six.

gd, gdst, gl, glst: fagg'd, fagg'dst, glow, mangle, mangl'st.
gld, gldst, glz, gr: mangl'd, mangl'dst, mangles, grim.
gz, gst: crags, logs, wags; rigg'st, digg'st.

sl, slst, sld, sldst: slay, nestle, nestl'st, nestl'd, nestl'dst.
slz, sm, sn, snz: nestles, smoke, sneer, bas'n, bas'ns.
sk, skt, sks, skst: skip, mask, mask'd, masks, mask'st.

skr, sp, spt, sps, sf: screw, spot, clasp, clasp'd, clasps, sphere.
spr, spl, st, sts, str: spring, splash, stay, insists, street.
zd, zl, zlst, zld: amaz'd, muzzle, muzzl'st, muzzľ'd.
zldst, zlz, zm, zmz: muzzľdst, muzzles, chasm, chasms.
zn, znst, znd, zndst: pris'n, reas'nst, reas'n'd, reas'n'dst.
shr, sht, cht, jd: shrink, push'd, fetch'd, urg'd.
shr: shrill, shrub, shrew, shrimp, shroud.
sht, cht: hush'd, smash'd, hitch'd, smirch'd.

§ 26. Exercises in Vowel Sounds. In the following exercises when one letter of a vowel digraph is marked, it is to be understood as representing the sound of that digraph, and the other letter is to be regarded as silent; as in maid, bread, &c.

SIMPLE VOWEL SOUNDS.

Ah, äre, ärm, bär, bäth, hälf, heärth, läugh.
ănd, ărid, băde, cătch, gather, plăid, răillery.
bāthe, chaste, day, gauge, great, prey, range, stay.
âll, ball, bâwl, broad, câuse; north, swârt, thought.
bē, fiēnd, glēbe, kēy, people, pîque, seize, tea.
běd, deaf, gět, heifer, leopard, many, said, yet.
bid, been, build, myth, pretty, sieve, spirit, women.
bōth, coat, mōst, only, scroll, slōth, sõul, strew.
bond, clod, dross, swån, swåth, tròd, wån, wåsp.
büll, coüld, füll, püsh; book, foot, hook, look.
cool, fruit, gröup, möve, moon, room, rûle.
cub, does, dóth, front, none, nothing, son, touch.

§ 27. COMPOUND VOWEL SOUNDS.

Heed the remarks § 23 in regard to the sound of long u (= ew). Do not pervert the pure sound of ou (=ow) into ee-ou, or of oi into long i,

- faults most offensive to well-educated ears.

bīte, blind, guide, height, līes, rye, skỹ, vīne.

cube, dūke, feūd, few, hue, new, tūbe, tūne.
bound, brown, couch, en-dow', house, now, pow'der.
choice, hoist, joint, oys'ter, point, spoil, toil, toy.
28. LONG VOWELS BEFORE r. — See 11.

¤ăre, daring, fäiry, gáirish, láir, parent, endearing, impérious, serious, aspiring, admirer, inquirer, miry, wiry, adorer, glorious, glory, porous, portal, story, cũrious, demure, endurance, impurity, puritan, security.

29. UNACCENTED VOWELS.

In words ending in unaccented -ary, -ery, -ory, the vowel before r is usually short, and should be sounded accordingly, though without stress. In unaccented syllables the short sounds of a and e are relatively fainter than in accented syllables, but they should not degenerate into the sound of u or i. We indicate the abated short sound by putting the breve under the letter instead of over it.

Apothecary, luminary, salutary, solitary, stationary, cemetery, confectionery, millinery, stationery, allegory, desultory, interrogatory, monitory, observatory, oratory. adage, cabbage, captain, mountain, fountain, villain. nectar, dormant, rival, fervent, fuel, colony, ivory.

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