NOTE. In fact, nine is probably the greatest number of elements in any regularly formed syllable in English, though it is doubtful if such a syllable is ever used; e. g., strang'dst, second pers. sing. pret. ind. of estrange. There are some syllables with seven elements in actual use, as spread'st, form'dst; many, of six and five, as spong'd, breadths, bilg'd, fleec'd. 1. The syllables in speech do not always coincide with the written ones; nor are they always the same in the same word. A (a.) The syllable formed of e-rr and -r combined is frequently equivalent only to -r singly, the form of vocality being the same. preceding tonic is then modified as in § 5. 2, and, by consequence, the two syllables become one; e. g., higher, like hire; mower, like more. (b.) On the other hand, the tonic before-r may retain its close vanish, contrary to § 5. 2, and then the combination forms two syllables. NOTE. The doubtful combinations are monosyllabic in rapid and easy utterance. The dissyllabic form may be used for distinctness, or for emphasis; e. g., a tower of strength." Either is used for rhyme, or for rhythm, at the option of the poet; e. g., 66 And in-the low-est deep-a low-er deep. MILTON. Nor look-upon-the i-rns ang-erly. That mer-cy which-fierce fire-and irn-extends. SHAKSPEARE. 2. Easy and agreeable enunciation requires that the vocule of any element followed by a tonic in the same word should be completely merged and lost in that following tonic. 3. The vocule of an atonic should not be made vocal; nor that of a subtonic overdone; for this would make another syllable of the vccule. NOTE. This is an outlandish fault. A Frenchman, for example, commonly reports himself only a French-i-man; and, when speaking earnestly, makes this fault very prominent; e. g., "Peace-a your tongue. Speak-a your tale," quoth Dr. Caius, enragé. 4. (a.) Neither the continuant -r nor the explodent r- can properly occur alone between two tonics in the same word, if the former tonic (long or short) be accented. (b.) Either, but not both combined, may occur in combination with another element in such a case, but always observing the law of § 7. 4; e. g., lurk-ing, va-grant. (c.) Without another element, in such cases, the two (if either) should be used in combination, whether the letter be doubled in orthography or not; that is to say, the preceding tonic is always to be modified (§ 5. 2) by the continuant, while the following tonic is distinctly opened by the explodent. (2, above.) NOTE 1. This rule (a), (c), to which good use allows no exception, forbids the custom, derived from Walker's Dictionary by a mistake of the orthographic for the orthoepic division of syllables, by which r- is distinctly separated from the preceding tonic in the enunciation of such words as parent, hero, miry, porous, fury. Walker himself probably never heard this enunciation, certainly never dreamed of sanctioning it. NOTE 2. This rule (b) also forbids to make a syllable by confounding -r and r-. It is an outlandish peculiarity. The dialect of Scotland, for example, makes Katrine a trisyllable, Kat-ter-ine, world a dissyllable, wur-ruld, and the like. This must be remembered in reading the Scottish poets. E. g. And tame-the U-nicor-rn's pride. - Scott. It just-played dir-rl on-the bane. Burns. In Shakspeare, for another example, the name (Henry) of the doubly French (Norman Plantagenet) kings of England is used as a trisyllable in a dozen instances or more; e. g., Is Cade the son-of Hen-rry-the Fifth. Great mar-eschal-to Hen-rry-the Sixth. ACCENT. 1. The successive pulsations of voice in the syllables of a word are not of equal force. The greater proportionate force of any syllable is its accent. 2. The correct pronunciation of a word requires not only the proper articulation of its elements in that connected manner which is essential to the enunciation of syllables, but also the enunciation of its syllables with that proportionate force which is due to each by the law of good use. 3. Consecutive syllables are not equally accented. NOTE. Two consecutive syllables have, indeed, nearly an equal accent in the word amen, and in a few compound words, as bulk-head, good-will, &c. But these rare exceptional words give no sort of countenance to the vulgar American custom, by which we have di'rect'ly, ex'act'ly, fö'ren'sic, gi'gan'tic, po'lit'ical, tau'tol'ogy, &c. ELEMENTS OF ORTHOEPY. § 10. 1. TONICS. e-ve, e-ar; i-n; e-nd; e-rr; a-le; a-ir; a-t; a-sk; a-h; i-ce, i-re ; u-p, f-u-r; o-n, o-r; oi-l; a-we, w-a-r; oo-ze, p-oo-r; l-oo-k; o-ld, o‐re ; ou-t, ou-r; u-se, p-u-re. 2. ARTICULATES. h, y, k, g, ng; sh, zh; ch, j; r-, -r; 1; n; t, d; s, z; th-in, th-is; f, v; p, b; m; w. 3. SUBTONICS. y, g, ng; zh; j; r-, -r; 1; n; d; z; th-is; v; b; m; w. 4. ATONICS. h; k; sh; ch; t; s; th-in; f; p. 5. ABRUPT ELEMENTS OR EXPLODENTS. k, g; ch, j; r-, t, d; p, b. 6. CONTINUANTS. h, y, ng; sh, zh; -r, l, n; s, z; th-in, th-is; f, v; m; w. 7. The articulates are classed by their forms as follows: (a.) Palatals, h, y, k, g, ng. (b.) Linguals, r-, 1, n, t, d, s, z. (c.) Labials, p, b, m, w. (d.) Lingual-palatals, sh, zh, ch, j, -r. (e.) Lingual-dentals, th-in, th-is. (f) Labial-dentals, f, v. 8. (a.) As to form, the tonics are all oral. A more particular description is needless here. (b.) But it may be noticed that a-h and oo-ze are the extremes, as regards the opening of the lips; a-h or oo-ze and e-ve, as regards the entire cavity of the mouth within the lips. It will be seen that in the foregoing table the elements are arranged with reference to similarity of forms, without regard to the order of letters in the alphabet. NOTE. S and z are modified by the teeth, though not articulated upon them like th. PRACTICE OF ELEMENTS. § 11. These elements should be practised as they stand in the table, over and over, till every one is easily recognized, and can be distinctly and accurately produced. It should be remembered, however, that to repeat these (or any other) exercises with no more than one's accustomed accuracy and force, is of no use whatever. The benefit of practice is in proportion to the energy and perseverance with which it is carried on, and to the attention given to force, and to correctness of the forms. Do not. adopt any pet elements, giving them undue prominence. Practise those most which are found most difficult. Do not adopt any peculiar mode of practice, but use every mode that can be properly employed in reading, from the softest whisper to the loudest shout, from the lowest bass to the highest treble or falsetto, from the quickest to the longest time. But the correct formation of the element, must not be sacrificed for the sake of force, nor any other effect. For the very use and benefit of practice is to acquire the power of giving all the requisite varieties of quality, time, force, stress, and pitch, with the correct form of every element. The short tonics must always be made short; the others may be indefinitely prolonged. The articulates should be uttered so that each may be known readily at the remotest part of the room, be it ever so large. The vocality of the subtonics, and the breath sound of the atonics, must be made very audible. Let their articulation be neat and clear; that is to say, let the voice, in case of a subtonic, and the breath, in case of an atonic, be affected by no aspiration or interruption except the one which is the characteristic of the element. Thus t should not sound like ts, like pf, &c. nor Ρ NOTE. If the beginner finds a difficulty in making any element singly, he should turn over to the exercise of words under that particular element, and find some word in which he can give the true sound. Pronounce this word several times firmly, and with particular attention to the sound in question, till both the ear and the mouth are familiar with its form. Then drop the other elements, one by one, articulating the remaining ones, till only the required one remains; and continue with this alone till it becomes perfectly easy. COMBINATIONS. § 12. The possible combinations of articulates are almost innumerable. [§. 2 (e) and (f).] Those actually produced in the collocation of words are very numerous, but need not be made the subject of special practice, since they are not united in the same continuity of sound which correct enunciation requires. The following are either in actual use, or regularly formed, and quite possible in enunciation: 1. INITIAL COMBINATIONS. hw, hy, kr, kl, kw; gr, gl, gw; shr; tr, tw; dr, dw; sk, sl, sn, st, sd, sf, sp, sm, sw, skr, skw, str, spr, spl; thr, thw; fr, fl; pr, pl; br, bl. 2. FINAL COMBINATIONS. kt, ks; kts, kst; ktst - gd, gz; gst-ngk; ngks, ngkt; ngkstngd; ngdst—sht—cht—jd—rk, rg, rsh, rch, rj, rl, rn, rt, rd, rs, rz, rth, rth, rf, rv, rp, rb, rm; rkt, rks, rgz, rcht, rjd, rld, rlz, rnt, rnd, rts, rdz, rst, rzd, rtht, rths, rft, rfs, rvd, rvz, rps, rpt, rbd, rbz, rmd, rmz; rkst, rgst, rtst, rpst, rmst; rktst, rchtst, rjdst, rndst, rvdst, rptst, rbdst, rmdst - Ik, lsh, lch, lj, ln, lt, ld, ls, lz, lth, lf, lv, lp, lb, lm ; lkt, lks, leht, ljd, lts, ldz, lsk, lst, lft, lfs, lfth, lfths, lvd, lvz, lpt, lps, lbs, lmd, lmz; ltst, ldst, lpst; lvdst—nt, nd, ns, nz, nth; nts, ndz, nst, nzd, nths-ts, tth dz-sk, st, sp; skt, sks, sts, spt, sps; skstzn, zd, zm-tht, ths-thd, thz; thm, thdst ftstvd, vz; vst; vdst md, mz, mp; mpt, mps; mdst, mpst. ft, fs, fth; fts, fst; - pt, ps; pst, pts; ptst― bd, bz; bdst PRACTICE OF ELEMENTS AND WORDS. § 13. After all the elements and their combinations have been made so familiar by practice as to be readily recognized, proceed to analyze, and then to spell, the words in the following exercises, in this man ner: 1. Pronounce the word deliberately and firmly. 2. Divide the word into its syllables, speaking each one separately, and as fully as if it were a word by itself. 3. Articulate, in proper order, every element separately, and very fully. |