stiff mode of utterance. But in obscuring the vowel sounds, do not fall into the opposite error of perverting them. For instance, in uttering the word husband, do not make the a degenerate into ur, in avoiding the stiffness of too close an adherence to the sound of a in hat. See remarks in the note on page 19.

116. The sound classed by modern orthoëpists as intermediate a lies between the short sound of a in fat and the Italian a in father. Intermediate a occurs in a class of words in frequent use, to which class belong the following: advance, after, alas, ask, basket, command, clasp, class, dance, dastard, glass, waft, mastiff, pass, &c. The a in these words should not be pronounced as broadly as the a in father; nor should it have the precise short sound of a in man, fat.

117. We have seen (33 and 34) that e is often mute or unsounded, especially at the ends of words. The final letters le, and often also el and en, are pronounced without any distinct vowel sound; as in bible, thistle, able, table, drivel, bidden, dozen, heaven, &c.; pronounced bib'l, bidd'n, &c. The same peculiarity attaches to the le and en in the following and some similar words: "peopled, bridled, saddled, trifles, christened, hastened, saddened, &c.; pronounced pee-pl'd, bri-dl'd, tri-flz, sad-d'n, &c. It has been seen, however, (33) that there are a number of words in which the sound of e in el and en should be retained. Always, when in doubt, consult the dictionary.

QUESTIONS. 106. What consonant letter modifies the short sounds of the vowels? 107. Illustrate the effect of r. 108. What effect does it have on short a and o? 109. In the case of the other short vowels, what are they called when they come under this influence of r? 110. Is the long sound of a affected when followed by r? 111, 112. Whose is meant by obscure vowel sounds? 113. Are vowels in unaccented syllables always obscured? 114. Mention some words in which the vowel may be obscured 115. What care ought to be taken in obscuring vowel sounds? 116. What is said of intermediate a? 117. Of the final letters le and en?

LESSON IX.

SIMPLE CONSONANT SOUNDS, AND COMBINATIONS. 118. In the following Exercise, the consonant sounds occur in their order in the Table on page 18, and though they are given with only one vowel letter, it is intended that they should be sounded with all the vowel sounds in their order in the same Table. For example, a is to be first sounded, throughout the entire Exercise, like the a in father ; then, like the a in fat, &c.; and after the sounds of a have

been enounced, the fifth elementary sound, the sixth, seventh, eighth ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth, and the first, second, third and fourth compound vowel sounds, are to be practised in the same way.

119. Should the pupil, from having only one representative vowel letter before his eye in the text, be backward in applying the various vowel sounds to the consonant combinations given in the following Exercise, let him write out on a slate the same series of consonant combinations, changing the vowel letter as may be required, and numbering its sound according to the Table on page 18. Thus, when the eleventh elementary sound is to be practised, let him substitute oo for a in the following combinations, wa, ya, ha, ah, ang, ma, am, &c., writing instead of them, woo, yoo, hoo, ooh, oong, moo, oom, &c.; and place the number 11 over the Exercise, to show which elementary vowel sound is under consideration.

120. The first elementary sound (that of a in father) should first be given to the vowel throughout the following Exercise. Where the r is Italicized, it is to be trilled, according to the rule in ¶77 ; where it is not Italicized, it is to have its smooth sound. Where th is Italicized, it is to have its vocal sound (the 20th elementary sound) as in thine. Where th is not Italicized, it is to have its aspiWhere z is Italicized, it is to have the sound Where z is not Italicized, it is to have the sound G has the sound it has in give; ch, its sound in

rate sound, as in thin. it has in azure.

it has in zeal. chest.

EXERCISE V. - Wa, ya; ha, ah; ang; ma, am, mam; na, an, nan; la, al, lal; ar, ra; pa, ap, pap; ba, ab, bab: fa, af, faf; va, av, vav: tha, ath, thath; tha, ath, thath: ta, at, tat; da, ad, dad: ka, ak, kak; ga, ag, gag: sa, as, sas; za, az, zaz: sha, ash, shash; za, az, zaz: cha, ach, chach; ja, aj, jaj.

121. The preceding combinations may be practised with much advantage; and they may be so varied as to afford a great variety of exercise in articulation, by compounding them as if to form words, and then changing the arrangement of the syllables and the accents: thus, in the combination ip'-it-ik-if, the arrangement may be varied to it-if-ik-ip, &c. The black-board and the slate will be found serviceable in multiplying these exercises. Give to the following the first sound of the several vowels first; then the second, &c.

EXERCISE VI.Ap-at-ak; if-ith-iss-ish; eb-ed-eg; iv-ith-iziz; il-im-in-ing; ep-et-ek; op-ot-ok; ta-ka, fa-tha, da-ga, bada-ga, pap-tat-kak; pa-fa; tha-sa; pa-fa-pa; pa-fa-fa-pa; ba

va-ma-pa-wa; lil-nin; lil-nin-lil; nin-lil-nin; nillin-rinnel; rillinlinnel; pip-tit-kik-shish; sis-thith-fif'; bib-did-gig-zig; thithviv-lil-nim; thith-ith-thith; ra-ar-rar; sha-tha-sa; sha-sa-tha; tha-sa-sha; tha-sha-sa, &c.

122. In the following Exercise on combinations of consonant sounds let the word containing the combination first be distinctly enounced, and then the combination by itself, until practice shall make the enunciation easy. Thus, at the beginning, let the word doom'd be enounced, and then that portion of it only which is represented by the letters md. The initial portions of the consonant combinations are here given in the order which the consonant sounds occupy in the Table on page 18. Where an apostrophe is placed in the examples, a letter that ought to be unsounded is omitted.

EXERCISE VII.

COMBINATIONS OF CONSONANT SOUNDS.

Md, mdst, mz, mp: doom'd, doom'dst, tombs, imp.
mps, mt, mts, mf: imps, attempt, prompts, nymph.
mst, mpst, mfs, mtst: com'st, thump'st, triumphs, prompt'st.
nd, ndz, ndst, nj: send, sends, send'st. range.
njd, nz, ngd, ngdst: ranged, fins, hang'd, hang'dst.
ngz, nyth, nyths, ngk: hangs, length, lengths, wink.
ngkt, nyks, nykst, nt: wink'd, sinks, sink'st, taunt.

nts, ntst, ns, nst: taunts, taunt'st, wince, canst.

nth,ni, nch, ncht, nsh: plinth, months, flinch, flinch'd, avalanche. lb, lbd, lbz, ld: bulb, bulb'd, bulbs, hold.

Idz, ldst, lj, ljd: holds, hold'st, bulge, bulg'd.

lm, Imd, Imz, In: whelm, whelm'd, whelms, fall'n.

lv, lvd, luz, lz: shelve, shelv'd, shelves, halls.

lk, lks, lkt, kts: silk, silks, mulct, mulcts.
lp, lpt, lps, lpst: help, help'd, helps, help'st.
It, lts, ltst, lf: halt, halts, halt’st, gulf.
Ifs, Ift, ls, lst: gulfs, delft, false, fall'st.
ith, lths Ich, leht: health, healths, filch, filch'd.
rb, rbst, rbd, rbdst: barb, barb'st, barb'd, barb'dst.
rbz, rd, rdst, rdz: barbs, heard, heard'st, herds.
rg, rgz, rj, rjd: burgh, burghs, urge, urg'd.
rl, rist, rld, rldst: hurl, hurl'st, hurl'd, hurl'dst.
rlz. rm, rmst, rmd : hurls, warm, warm'st, warm'd.
rmdst, rmz, rmth, rn: warm'dst, warms, warmth, burn.
rnst, rnd, rndst, rnt: burn'st, burn'd, burn'dst, burnt.
rnz, rv, rvst, rvd : burns, curve, curv'st, curv'd.

rvdst, rvz, rz, rk: curvdst, curves, wares, hark.
rks, rkst, rkt, rktst: barks, hark'st, hark'd, hark'dst.
rp, rps, rpst, rpt: harp, harps, harp'st, harp'd.
rptst, rt, rts, rtst: harp'dst, hurt, hurts, hurt'st.
rf, rft, rfs, rs: turf, turf'd, turfs, purse.
rst, rsts, rth, rths: burst, bursts, hearth, hearths
rsh, rch, rcht : harsh, march, march'd.

pl, plst, pld, pldst :* pluck, ripple, rippl'st, rippl'd, rippl'dst.
plz, pr, pt, pts: ripples, prim, crypt, crypts.

ps, pst, pth, pths: whips, whipp'st, depth, depths.

bd, bdst, bl, blst: robb'd, daub’dst, black, trouble, troubl'st. bld, bldst, blz, br: troubl'd, troubl'dst, troubles, brim.

bz, bst: probes, prob'st; robs, robb'st.

A, Ast, fd, Adst flame, trifle, trifl'st, trifl'd, trifl'dst.
fr, ft, fts, ftst: frown, waft, wafts, waft'st.
fs, fst, fth, fths: laughs, laugh'st, fifth, fifths.
vd. vdst, vl, vlst: liv'd, liv'dst, driv'l, driv'l'st.

vld, vldst, vlz, vn: driv'l'd, driv'l'dst, driv'ls, driv'n.

vnz, vnth, vz, vst: heav'ns, elev'nth, lives, liv'st.

thn (th aspirate), thnd, thnz: strength'n, strength'n'd, strength'ns. tht, thndst, ths, thr: betroth'd, length'n'dst, truths, throb. thd (th vocal), thz, thst: wreath'd, wreaths, wreath'st. tl, tlst, tld, tldst: settle, settl'st, settl'd, settl'dst. tlz, tr, ts, tst: settles, trust, combats, combatst.

dl, dlst, dlz, dn: kindle, kindl'st, kindles, hard'n.

dnst, dnd, dndst, dnz: hard'n'st, hard'n'd, hard'n'dst, hard'ns. dr, dz, dst, dth, dths: dread, deeds, didst, breadth, breadths. kl, klst, kld, kldst: truckle, truckl'st, truckl'd, truckl'dst. klz, kn, knst, knd: truckles, black'n, black'n'st, black'n'd. kndst, knz, kr: black'ndst, black'ns, crime.

kt, kts, ks: rocked, acts; racks, axe, six.

gd, gdst, gl, glst: fagg'd, fagg'dst, glow, mangle, mangl'st.
gld, gldst, glz, gr: mangl'd, mangl'dst, mangles, grim.
gz, gst: crags, logs, wags; rigg'st, digg'st.

sl, slst, sld, sldst. slay, nestle, nestl'st, nestl'd, nestl'dst.
slz, sm, sn, snz: nestles, smoke, sneer, bas'n, bas'ns.
sk, skt, sks, skst: skip, mask, mask'd, masks, mask'st.
skr, sp, spt, sps, sf: screw, spot, clasp, clasp'd, clasps, sphere.
spr, spl, st, sts, str: spring, splash, stay, insists, street.
zd, zl, zlst, zld: amaz'd, muzzle, muzzl'st, muzzl❜d.
zldst, zlz, zm, zmz: muzzl’dst, muzzles, chasm, chasms.
zn, znst, znd, zndst: pris'n, reas'nst, reas'n'd, reas'n'dst.
shr, sht, cht, jd: shrink, push'd, fetch'd, urg'd.

*The Cognate Consonant Sounds commence with p and b, and are alternately aspirate and vocal. See T 24.

123. The following lists contain examples of nearly all the termi national E syllabic combinations of English consonants They are arranged in the order of their quantitative E duration, the shortest first. They should be practiseder till they can be enounced with clearness and ease. The pupil will drop his voice at the semicolon and dash.*

EXERCISE VIII.

I. ASPIRATE CONSONANT SOUNDS.

Step, shape, fit, site, ark, black; if, laugh, path, both, miss, gas, wash;-help, felt, wilt, milk, elk, tent, aunt, lamp, jump, dreamt, tempt, ink, bank; *—self, gulf, golf, health, wealth, else, pulse, Welsh, ninth, plinth, once, dance, nymph, strength, length; *-apt, leaped, tripped, act, walked, baked; - steps, whips, depth, boats, feats, eighth, watch, search, ox, axe, backs, corks;-left, puffed, wasp, fast, guessed, ask;-safes, life's, fifth, death's, broths; - gulped, milked, stamped, inked, banked, succinct; *— alps, whelps, bolts, waltz, belch, milch, bulks, silks, prints, chants, French, inch, imps, romps, tempts, shrinks, thanks; *-ingulfed, fail'st, tell'st, against, mean'st, feign'st, dream'st, com'st, sing'st, bring'st; *- gulfs, sylphs, healths, tenths, plinths, nymphs, lengths; *- adepts, Copts, acts, sects, expects; shap'st, hop'st, sat'st, got'st, patched, broached, look'st, next;efts, thefts, asps, costs, wastes, asks, desks, husks; -fifths; - twelfths; *-help'st, halt'st, filched, milk'st, want'st, hint'st, blenched, flinched, limp'st, attempt'st, think'st, drank'st ; * texts; sixths.

II. VOCAL CONSONANT SOUNDS.

Babe, mob; bad, trade, egg, plague; - leave, of, with, bathe, ease, as, buzz, rouge; ale, ell, isle, am, hymn, on, sing, tongue; alb, bulb, old, willed, build, rhomb, hemmed, and, finned, hanged, bunged; —- delve, evolve, ells, palls, aims, comes, bronze, ens, longs, pangs; -ribbed, stabbed, begged, wigged; - cabs, tubs, adze, heads, odds, edge, budge, eggs, lags; - saved, lived, seethed, writhed, grazed, used, rouged;-graves, loaves, withes, bathes;-helm, film, culm (see T154);-bulged; - bulbs, folds, builds, bilge, rhumbs, lands, finds, fringe, change; delved, involved, bronzed; shelves;-helmed; - films; judged, besieged; — bilged, changed, hinged.

* In the words marked with an asterisk, liquids occur before the aspirate consonant sounds. See the terms liquid, aspirate and vocal, in the Explanatory Index.