ARTICULATION consists in giving to every letter its appropriate sound, and to every syllable and word a proper and distinctive utterance.

As the first step in securing a correct articulation, it will be necessary for the pupil to obtain a correct knowledge of the elementary sounds which the several letters of the alphabet represent. This may be done by carefully studying the following definitions, rules, and tables.

An elementary sound is one of the pure and uncompounded sounds to which vocal language is reducible.

The alphabet is divided into vocals, sub-vocals, and aspi

rates.

QUESTIONS. What are the general divisions of Part First? What is articulation? What is the first step in acquiring correct articulation? What is an elementary sound How is the alphabet divided?

The vocals are letters whose elementary sounds can

fectly articulated.

be

per.

The sub-vocals are letters whose elementary sounds can not be so fully articulated as the vocals.

The aspirates are letters whose elementary sounds are formed by propelling the breath more or less forcibly through the teeth and lips.

The elementary sounds which the different letters represent are considered, by most elocutionists, to be forty in number, and are indicated by the following characters: —

1. A horizontal mark (-) over a, e, i, o, and u, denotes their long sound, as heard in the word āle, eat, ice, ōde, sūe.

2. When no character is placed over the above letters, they have the short sound, as heard in the words mat, met, pin, not, but.

3. Two points () over a denote its flat or Italian sound, as heard in the word fär.

4. Two points (..) under a denote its broad sound, as heard in the word ball.

5. Two points ('') over o denote its middle sound, as heard in the word möve.

6. Two points (..) under u denote its middle sound, as heard in the word full.

7. One point (.) under a denotes that it has the sound of short o, as heard in the word what.

8. A curving mark (~) over e, i, and o, denotes that they ́have the sound of short u, as heard in the words hĕr, sir, lõve. 9. A horizontal mark (−) under e denotes that it has the sound of long a, as heard in the word prey.

QUESTIONS. What are vocals? What are sub-vocals? What are aspirates? What is the number of the elementary sounds? What does a horizontal mark over a, e, &c., denote? What sound have these letters when there is no mark over them? What do two points over a denote? What do two points under a denote? What do two points over o denote? What do two points under u denote? What does a point under a denote? What does a curving mark over e, i, and o, denote? What does a horizontal mark under e denote ?

10. Two points (**) over i denote that it has the sound of long e, as heard in the word marine.

11. One point (.) under o denotes that it has the sound of middle u, as heard in the word wolf.

12. A horizontal mark (-) drawn through c denotes that it has the sound of k, as heard in the word cap.

13. A point (*) over g denotes that it has the sound of j, as heard in the word gem.

14. Th, printed in capitals, denotes that it is a sub-vocal, or has the flat sound, as heard in the word THIS.

15. Th, when unmarked, is an aspirate, or has the sharp sound, as heard in the word thin.

16. Ch, with an irregular mark (~) over the c, has the sound of sh, as heard in the word chaise.

EXERCISE I.

Elementary Sounds.

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

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. The exercise should be attended to with much care, and often repeated, till every member of the class can perfectly articulate each element, and can analyze and give the different elements of any word on hearing it pronounced.

QUESTIONS. What do two points over i denote? What does a point under o denote? What does a horizontal mark drawn through c denote? What does a point over g denote? What does th printed in capitals denote? What sound has th when unmarked What sound has ch when an irregular mark is over the c? What is rule first, respecting elementary sounds? 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, à, arm, a, all, a, &c.

QUESTIONS. What direction is given for studying the table of elementary sounds How many vocal elements are there? What letters represent them? How many subvocal elements are there? What letters represent them? How many aspirate elements are there? What letters represent them? How many elements has the letter a? Give them. How many the letter e, &c.? Repeat all the elements in their order thus, a, a, a, &c.

EXERCISE II.

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 often letters in combination are not sounded at all; sometimes a single letter, or two or more letters, are used to represent the elementary sound of some other letter; and 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? vocal elements combined in table second? table? What combinations are given in Pronounce the combinations in Italics. ample, &c. ? bă, bă, ba, &c.

How may they be known? How are the What direction is given for studying this the first example? Pronounce the words. What combinations are given in the 2d exCombine each sub-vocal and aspirate with all the vocal elements; thus, Reverse the order of the elements; thus, ab, ab, ab, &c.