(3) Broad a (all) and its equivalent o (order) are often

given with Italian a (arm); thus thought becomes thot. Pre

(4) Short Italian a (ask) is often given as Italian a (arm) under the mistaken belief that the Italian a's are of the same quality; more often it is made short a (at), and very often a (air). Preserve the short Italian sound in the following:

(5) Short à (at) is frequently sounded like one of the Italian a's, especially by singers who find them more agreeable for song notes.. Thus măn and stand become män and ständ.

Short a before r is quite often given as short e (met). Thus mărry becomes měrry. Preserve the short sound in the following:

(6) In pronouncing e, i, u, and y before r no effort need be made to distinguish between them. This conclusion is reached after careful perusal of the latest standard dictionaries.

(7) Long 00 (moon) and u (rude) are often given the sound

of short oo (foot). Retain the long oo in the following:

(8) The equivalent sounds, o (son) and u (up), are often given the sound of o (got); not infrequently e (met). Pronounce with short u (cup) the following:

(9) Long u (y+00) is a much abused sound. The tendency is to drop the y element when the sound is preceded by a consonant. Best usage sanctions this when 7 precedes u, if the / be preceded by another consonant. The Century Dictionary permits the use of long oo without the y element in words like the following:

In the following and similar words the y element should be retained without making it unduly distinct.

(10) A fruitful source of mispronunciation is the tendency to make all short o's alike; for example, sõt and săng, which have the same diacritical mark, should not be given alike. The latter should have a broader sound intermediate between short o and aw, for the reason that a vowel is lengthened or shortened by the quantity of the consonant that succeeds it. In this instance ng is much longer than t. This intermediate sound is heard in accented syllables in which o is followed by f, ft, ss, st, n, ng, and g.

(11) The tendency to make vowels of unaccented syllables too distinct is a prevalent source of mispronunciation. Sometimes they are not made distinct enough.

There are two degrees of such sounds and obscure short vowels.

obscure long vowels

a. In obscure long vowels the quality remains long but is

b. In obscure short vowels the specific quality is lost and is reduced to a neutral sound, the slightly uttered short u (up).

The obscure short vowel is heard in unaccented syllables ending in r. Vowels in such position are all of the same quality.

There are other sources of mispronunciation from wrong use of vowel quality, but the foregoing are the chief ones and will serve to awaken interest in pronunciation and in a more careful use of the dictionary.

SECTION II. ARTICULATION

Articulation is the jointing or linking together of the elements of a word. This term is used chiefly with reference to the execution of consonants.

An accurate and distinct articulation is the basis of good delivery. There is a physical advantage in good enunciation because it requires less breath to speak distinctly than to

mumble. In mumbling the sounds slip out carelessly; there is a waste of breath and hence a waste of vitality. There is also a decided advantage to the audience. If the utterance be indistinct, the audience must strain. to understand the words. Under such a strain people grow weary and finally become listless and restless. They should be relieved of this weariness by clear enunciation, and be free to devote themselves to the thought of the speaker.

The law of correct articulation is strength of contact and quickness of release of the articulating organs.

I. ORAL POSITION OF CONSONANTS

Consonants when considered as to their location in the organs of articulation are of three classes,-(1) Labials, (2) Linguals, and (3) Palatals.

(1) Labials are those consonants in which the lips are the flexible part in their formation, e.g. b, p, m, v.

(2) Linguals are consonants in which the tongue is the flexible agent in their production, e.g. d, l, n, r.

(3) Palatals are consonants formed by the action of the soft palate and tongue at the back of the mouth, e.g. g, k, ng.

2. COGNATES

Cognates are consonants that have the same position but different sounds; for example, b and p; ƒ and v; d and t. There are three classes, — (1) Labial Cognates, (2) Lingual Cognates, and (3) Palatal Cognates.

In using cognates or the same sounds in conjunction this law should be observed: When a word ends in a sound with which the next word begins, or if the sounds be cognates, one position of the organs will do for both.

Illustrations of the Conjunction of Cognates

1. They lived_near Five Forks.

2. He has said we want_none.

3. They stop mercy and leap_bounds.

4. Live for others.

5. They hovered_near.

Illustrations of the Conjunction of the Same Sounds
1. The lion_never_runs.

2. Mail lines are with them.

3. Arm me for truth's sake.

4. None knew a lovelier boy.

5. Tell him not to do so.