SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. I. VOWELS. E as in Eel.-Long vowel. Separate the teeth slightly. Extend the lips sidewise. Raise the convex surface of the tongue as near the roof of the mouth as can be done without obstructing the voice. léad, fèel; réad, èar; shé, lèash; hè; yè; kéy, lèak; géar, league.* I as in Ill.-Short vowel. The position of the organs is very nearly the same as in producing e, the tongue being a very little lower. Pín, hìp; bín, fìb; míd, him; which; wìn; fín, ìf; víntage, live; thín, myth; thís, with; sink, mìss; zínk, fizz; típ, sít; The marks over the vowels indicate (') the rising and () falling inflections. The teacher may carefully pronounce two words in succession (or one only where the combination of vowel and consonant cannot be reversed) with the inflections as indicated, and require the pupils to repeat them after him, and so on through the exercise. In the subsequent exercises the inflections may be varied at the discretion of the teacher. díp, lid; níb, in; chíp, pitch; jíg, mìdge; líp, pìll; ríck, mìrror; ship, dish; hit; kill, wick; gíg, wig. A as in Ale.-Long vowel. The teeth and lips are separated a little farther than in producing e, and the tongue is dropped lower. Toward the end of the sound the organs return for an instant to the position of e; so that the sound may be said to taper, as it were, to a point. A may be considered a double vowel made up a +e. The latter sound must not be prolonged in uttering this letter. ray; shape; azure; hay; yea; cave, ache; gate, vague. E as in Ebb.-Short vowel. The mouth is in the same position as in producing the first part of a. Pet, step; bet, web; met, them; when; wet; fell, clef; vex, never; theft, death; then, tether; set, less; zest, hesitate; tell, bet; dell, bed; net, then; check, etch; gem, edge; led, bell; berry; shell, mesh; head, yet; ken, beck; get, beg. lair; rare; share; hare; yare; care, garish. red, शू VOWELS. A as in At.-Short vowel. Same position of the organs as for a in air. 15 Pan, nap; ban, nab; mat, lamb; whack, wag; fan, gaff; van, have; thank, hath; than, lather; sad, mass; as; tack, bat; dab, bad; gnat, man; chat, batch; jam, badge; lap, shall; rap, barren; shad, mash; hat; yam; cat, hack; gat, hag; bang. A as in Far.-Long Vowel. The mouth is wide open, and the tongue in its natural flat position. path; father; salve, farce; czar,alms; tar, aunt; daunt, bard; A as in Past.-Short vowel. The organs are very nearly in the same position as for a in far, the tongue being a very little higher. Try to shorten the sound of a in far, and the right sound will be produced. Past, mast, fast, vast, trance, dance, chance, last, rance, can't, gasp. turn, dirt, nurse, church, germ, lurk, shirk, hurt, cur, girt. U as in Up.-Short vowel. Nearly the same position as the above, but the organs are more firm. Pun, up; bun, tub; mud, sum; one; fun, puff; vulture, love; thud, doth; sup, us; buzz; tub, but; dun, bud; nut, sun; chub, much; jut, nudge; lug, gull; rug; shut, hush; hull; cut, tug: gun, tug. awed; gnaw, lawn; chaw, debauch; jaw; law, fall; raw, war; shawl; haw; yawn; caw, hawk; gall. O as in Not.-Short vowel. Nearly the same position as the preceding. Pod, top; bog, knob; mob, Tom; what; wan; fog, odd; volley, of; thong, moth; bother; sod, loss; was; top, not; dot, not; knob, on; chop, botch; jot, lodge; lot, doll; rod, for; shop, wash; hot; yon; cot, lock; got, log. O as in Old.-Long vowel. The lips are rounded and the tongue depressed. This letter, like a, changes its sound toward the end, terminating in а momentary sound of oo, produced by contracting the lips. Pole, hope; bowl, lobe; moan, home; whoa; woke; foe, loaf; vote, cove; loth; though; soak, dose; zone, doze; torne, boat; dome, bode; no, own; choke, |