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to give space to a description of the English sounds is referred to the dictionary for these.

The tendency to pronounce alike sounds that diacritical marks is a fruitful source of mispronunci especially the case with short o. Although s-o-t a the same mark, the breve, in Webster and Worceste to good taste to pronounce them with precisely th of o. A vowel sound is lengthened or shortened by sound that succeeds it. The element t is the sho English quantity, and ng, on the other hand, is one o The word sot should be pronounced with the shortes and s-o-ng with a sound so much broader as to b allied to o as in order.

(c) Syllabication.

A syllable consists of an element or a combination uttered with a single impulse of the voice. Some v may stand alone, either as a word or one of the sy word; for example, a, ah, O, I, awe, eye; also above, ar idea, owner. The lingual subtonics, l, m, n, and r, whe in certain positions, may take the place of tonics, an basis of syllables; for example, the word trouble is e pronunciation to troubel, the word little to litel, fire to vowel sounds cannot be sounded in the same vocal imp must be a separate impulse for each vowel sound or The singleness of this muscular effort marks the co lable. The words blame and strength, have each bu impulse. There may be all the way from one to seven s syllable.

Syllabication is the division of a word into such pa produce the most euphonious pronunciation.

There are two special points to be considered in syllab 1. The etymology of the word, that is, the dividing with reference to its derivation; thus, sub-or-di-nate not nate, re-mu-ne-rate not rem-u-ner-ate.

2. Phonetic euphony, that is, the dividing of a word w ence to smoothness of utterance; thus, re-lig-ion not rel-i cif-ic not spec-if-ic, long-est not lon-gest.

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For specific rules the student is referred to Webster's International Dictionary.

According to the number of its syllables, a word is called a monosyllable - a word of one syllable; a dissyllable - a word of two syllables; a trisyllable—a word of three syllables; or a polysyllable - a word of more than three or many syllables.

According to its position in a word, a syllable is called the ultimate, when it is the last syllable in a word; the penult, when the last but one; the antepenult, when the last but two; or the preantepenult, when the last but three.

(d) Accentuation.

Accent is a term used to denote the special weight of the voice put upon one syllable of a word to distinguish it from the rest. Accent is to a word what emphasis is to a phrase or clause. It is difficult, sometimes, to determine where accent develops into emphasis. When words are uttered with no particular feeling or expression, there is an alternate action and reaction of the voice, which makes certain syllables stronger than others. This is a physical convenience and necessity, and a principal means of differentiating words. Every English word of more than one syllable has at least one thus made prominent. This is a distinguishing feature of English, and one of its greatest elements of power.

There are three kinds of accent with respect to their weight or importance: 1. the Primary; 2. the Secondary; 3. the Tertiary. 1. The primary is the strongest of the accents, and is to be found in all words of more than one syllable; as, wo'man, rebuke'. 2. The secondary is an accent of lighter weight used in connection with the primary and on some other than the principal syllable. It is used when there are more syllables than can be pronounced without the extra support of voice. Examples. in'destructible, ad"aman' tine.

3. The tertiary is the lightest of the accents, and is used only in connection with the others in certain very long words, its use being the same as that of the secondary; namely, to relieve the ear and support the voice; for example, in""destruct" ibility, incom""prehen'sibility.

xviii

INTRODUCTION.

Variation of Accent.

The change of position of the accent in English serv of purposes.

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1. It shows contrast. It enables us to show the di meaning between words of similar form when they in opposition; for example, "Shall we ascend'?" de'scend." "This syllable is mut'able and that, im'mut Accent may be used to imply a contrast when but opposed words is given. Example.—“For my soul, w do to that, being a thing im'mortal as itself!”

2. It distinguishes parts of speech. In cases where ex different parts of speech, not monosyllables, have the s it is thought best by lexicographers to mark the dist most instances by a change of accent; hence it varies :

(a) To distinguish between a noun and a verb:

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(b) To distinguish an adjective from a verb:

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(c) To distinguish a noun from an adjective: —

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It must not be understood that all dissyllables used as n

adjectives and verbs vary in accent. the exceptions to this rule :

The following are

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3. To satisfy metre. Poets sometimes deviate from a generally accepted authority in accent, and place it where the verse requires it. "The bride had consented, the gallant came late." "As hardy as the Ne'mean lion's nerve."

4. For dialectic purposes. In pronouncing broken English as foreigners pronounce it, the accent varies to suit the dialect; for instance, the French place the accent upon the second syllable of a dissyllable, about equally on the first and third of a trisyllable, and, in a polysyllable, on every other one beginning with the second; for example, in the following passage from Innocents Abroad: "I show you beau'tiful', O, magni'ficent' bust of Chris'topher Col'umbo', splendid', grand, magni'ficent'! Dis'cover' Amer'ica', dis'cover' Amer'ica'!" (Mark Twain).

The position of accent is determined by usage. There is a growing tendency to draw it back as nearly as possible to the first syllable. For explicit rules in regard to accent, the student is referred as before to the leading lexicographers.

Words commonly mispronounced.

We append the following list of words that are ordinarily mispronounced. It will be inferred from what has already been said that a word when mispronounced must be defective in at least one of four things: in consonant sound, in quality of vowel sound, syllabication, or accent.

1. Words in which one or more consonant sounds are made defective: :

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3. Words in which syllabication is often defective:—

lenient

mandamus

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4. Words in which the accent is commonly misplaced:

helm

ideal

individual

ingredient

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These lists may be supplemented indefinitely. Let the student consult a standard dictionary, and mark each of the above words as indicated therein, and then pronounce them over repeatedly with distinctness and accuracy. This is the surest means of acquiring good habits of pronunciation.

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