CHOICE READINGS.

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION.

A correct and refined pronunciation of words is one of the foundation stones upon which all elocutionary excellence must be built. However much we may deride the mechanics of speech, we shall be brought, as we grow older and wiser, to acknowledge their great importance. All speaking, however melodious or expressive, that is marred by a careless or provincial pronunciation, must lose a large share of its effectiveness by offending an educated and refined taste. Nothing is truer than the following statement of Alfred Ayres:

"The manner in which one speaks his mother-tongue is looked upon as showing more clearly than any other one thing what his culture is, and what his associations have been.'

Perhaps on no subject in the whole range of educational work is there so much variance and uncertainty as on the subject of English vowel sounds. This fault is not to be laid at the door of the student altogether, but rather should be charged up to the halting and conflicting opinions of the dictionaries. A large share of the mischief has arisen from the use of the word obscure. This word, as used by orthoëpists, is an extremely unfortunate one, because it destroys all standards of ascertainable truth in pronunciation. What is obscure to one may not be so obscure to another; and hence all standards which should define the sound to be given to the vowel, are completely broken down. We see no higher motive in the use of the word obscure than an easy and comfortable way to get rid of difficulties.

In the presentation of the subject of English phonation,

two things are important. First: Simplicity and clearness of statement. Second: A keen and discriminating appreciation of sound. The following table is, in our opinion, the simplest form in which the vowel sounds of the English language can be presented.

The student will see, by the table, that there are but twelve simple vowel sounds in the language, and six diphthongal sounds-the diphthongs being made by uniting two of the simple sounds. Long ã, however, number thirteen in the table, and long ō, are made by uniting the name sound of the letter with one of the simple sounds; thus long ā = ā (the name sound) plus long ē; also long ō = ō (the name sound) plus 6. In our dictionaries and School Readers the vowel sounds are taught as they appear to the eye, and not as they come to the ear; thus the u in bury is not a u sound, but a short ĕ as in bĕrry; also the e in pretty is not an e sound, but a short Ĭ as pritty. Hence duplicate sounds enlarge the dictionary list of the vowels. The number of vowel sounds enumerated in dictionaries and School Readers varies from twenty to thirty-three.

By reducing the number of vowels to twelve, we simplify the task of the pupil. It is a much easier matter to get acquainted with twelve sounds than with thirty-three. The following lists of equivalents will show, to some extent, the double and triple use of the simple vowel sounds, and will account for the long list of vowel sounds found in our dictionaries.

Equivalents whose pronunciation is indicated without respelling:

a as in all is the same sound as ô in ôr and the ô in côugh. â as in câre is the same sound as ê in thêre.

ē as in ēve is the same sound as ï in pïque and ee in eel. ē as in fern is the same sound as î in sĩr and ỹ in mỹrrh. I as in ill is the same sound as y in hymn.

oo as in food is the same sound as o̟ in dọ and ụ in true. oo as in foot is the same sound as ọ in wolf and ụ in pu̟ll. ŏ as in ŏdd is the same sound as a in whạt.

u as in up is the same sound as ò in sôn.

ā as in ale is the same sound as e in eight.

i as in ice is the same sound as y in fly.

Words whose vowel sounds cannot be indicated without respelling:

any pronounced ěny. beau pronounced bō. boy pronounced boi.

breeches pronounced britchěz.

bury pronounced běrry.

busy pronounced bizy.

says pronounced sěz.
dew pronounced du.
hautboy pronounced hō'boi.
pretty pronounced prĭtty.
quay pronounced kē.

saith pronounced seth.

owl pronounced oul.

sewing pronounced sō'-Ing. sergeant pronounced sär'-gent. word pronounced wûrd.

cough pronounced kaf.

In recent discussions of this subject, the larger share of attention has been directed to the quantity of vowels, and the correct accentuation of words, rather than to the subtle distinctions of vowel sound which form the basis of refined and elegant speech. The chief reason for this is the ease with which quantity and accentuation may be determined; while on the other hand the difficulty of making sensible and just discriminations, in the finer shades of vowel sound, has kept people from venturing an opinion in that direction.

We will now, as briefly as possible, discuss the vowel sounds, giving special consideration to those that are most frequently mispronounced. In class work, place on the blackboard twenty-five words to illustrate each of the vowel sounds in the table, and practice the pronunciation of