This dento-labial, the first in the order of the list of aspirate sounds, is of easy utterance. It is often represented by ph as in phrase, phlegm, and sometimes by gh, as in tough, cough, laugh.

39. H

This can scarcely be called a sound. It is a mere breathing, sometimes light and sometimes strong, and, when sounded, always precedes a vowel. It changes mouth position with every change of vowel that follows. As a representative sound, that is probably best which is heard when the h is followed by Italian a, as in ha.

40. K

The explosive aspirate k is greatly modified by its surroundings. The fullest, and therefore the best form as a standard k sound is that which is heard at the end of a word, as back, week, like. It is frequently preceded by silent c as in tack, check, sick, knock, luck.

Its clipped form is most noticeable in such words as act, looked, raked, in which the terminal t sound, by its close union with k, necessitates the omission of the vanish of the latter sound. In such words as the above the presence of the k sound is more apparent in the k modification of the preceding vowel than in any discernible sound of k itself. The only audible part of the sound in any situation is that produced by the puff of breath following upon the breaking of the contact of the tongue with the roof of the mouth. In such words as the above the k closure is merged into the t closure, the tongue rolls along the roof of the mouth from the point of k contact to the point of t contact, and the explosion is heard as t and not as k.

The sound of k is often represented by c, both initial and terminal, as cat, lac, and sometimes by ch, gh, and q, as in chasm, hough, coquette.

41. P

The sound of p is an explosive aspirate, and as a standard sound should be given with more abruptness and with less of that audible expulsion of breath than is commonly heard.

Much that is said of clipped k in the previous note will apply to clipped p. The student is therefore referred to Note 40.

42. s

Few consonant sounds are made by different persons in such a variety of ways as the sound of the effusive aspirate s. If any one will take the pains to listen to the s's of the first fifty persons he meets he will be convinced of the truth of this statement. Some make the s like the sound of the escaping steam from a locomotive engine; some make it to sound like the soughing of the winds through the trees; and others make so thin an s that it becomes almost a lisp; and still others make it so sharp that it sounds more like an attempt to whistle than an element of articulate speech. It is difficult to describe what constitutes a really good s sound, but by carefully avoiding the above faults, and seeking to find a good model for imitation the ear will serve as a trustworthy monitor and a reliable guide. In fact, there is nothing more important in the whole study of phonetics than a diligent cultivation of the ear. A thoughtful attention to the quality of the voice and the forms of articulate speech as heard in the usage of the people we meet, a careful comparison of voice with voice and sound with sound, a purpose to have a mind quick to receive impressions, will, in a little while, result in an educated ear, and a greatly improved habit of speech, even without a teacher.

The frequent occurrence of the s sound, which, at best, is not a pleasing sound, and which, as too often made,

becomes doubly objectionable, renders it a subject for careful study. Foreigners say of our speech that it resembles the hissing of a flock of geese. This, and other well-founded criticisms often made by those who speak the softer languages of Southern Europe, might in a large measure be avoided by due attention to the musical properties of our tongue.

While the letter s is the best representative for the sound, and the one most frequently employed, the letter c often represents it also, and z upon rare occasions. The latter part of x is generally sounded as s when followed by a consonant, and often when followed by a vowel, as extent, expense, execrate, exigency.

43. T

The explosive aspirate t should be given, as a standard sound, with the same abruptness as was suggested in the discussion of p. (See Note 41.)

Like k it is greatly modified by its surroundings. When closely followed by a consonant the vanish, or explosive part, is lost in the next sound. (See Note 40.)

44. CH

The explosive digraph ch, as in chin, is not strictly elementary, being equivalent to tsh. In many cases the t precedes the ch, rendering that digraph equivalent to sh, as match, fetch, pitch, botch, crutch. In some cases the t is omitted, but the sound of the remaining ch is the same as tch in the above words, as such, rich, inch, bachelor.

The digraph ch represents the sound of k in chasm, chaos, chorus, chronic, and the sound of sh in chaise, chicanery, chevalier, charlatan.

45. SH

The digraph sh, as in shun, represents an elementary sound of easy utterance. The sound is represented by s,

as in sure, by ti in option, by ci in coercion, by si in conversion, and ch in chivalry.

46. TH

The sound of th, as in thin, is an elementary sound presenting no difficulty to the English or American mouth, but, like its cognate, the vocal th, furnishing a serious stumbling block to the foreigner. With s following, it presents a difficult combination even for the person whose native tongue is the English. Pronounce lengths, breadths, widths, depths, or the numerals, fourths, fifths, sixths, etc. Most persons come short of an easy and perfect utterance of these words. The th sound, as a rule, needs to be strengthened and preserved from the encroachment of the s. A proper proportion of quantity and force upon the several sounds of these and similar words is rarely heard.

47. WH

The digraph wh, as in when, may be said to consist of the h sound forced through the w mouth. It is not thoroughly elementary. Just before passing to the vowel that follows, the acute ear will be able to discover the intervention of a slight w sound unmixed with h. There is nothing gained, however, by a transposition of the letters as represented by some dictionaries. To an English-speaking person the usual order, wh, will suggest the sound more quickly than hw, and the foreigner would not get the sound from either arrangement without assistance.

While the letters c, q, and x are not found in the preceding table, and are not necessary to the representation of the elementary sounds of the English language, they are, nevertheless, of such frequent recurrence as to justify some reference to them.

The letter c represents at least five different sounds, as shown in the Table of Consonant Symbols on page 122.

The letter q in English words is always followed by u, and the two letters represent the sounds of kw, as in quick, queer, quiet. In words of French origin the u or w sound is lost, as in bouquet, coquette. In the name of the French naturalist, Lecoq, the q is unaccompanied by the u.

The student who is looking for convenient contractions will find good material in the letter q. Such spellings as qeer, qench, qiet, though appearing a little strange to the eye, would scarcely be mispronounced, for the mind. naturally associates the letter u with q, and the w sound would at once be suggested.

In the letter x we already have a convenient contraction. Except when employed as the initial letter, as in xebec, it invariably represents two sounds. In tax, vex, six the letter represents the sound of k and s. In exact, exaggerate, exalt, exist, exert, exonerate, exult, and in nearly all cases where the prefix ex is followed by an accented vowel the letter represents the sounds of g and z. If followed by a consonant, x takes the sound of ks, as in expel, extinguish, exchange. When followed by accented long u, as in exude, orthoëpists differ. Some follow the above rule and sound the x like gz; others remembering, doubtless, that long u begins with the sound of consonant y, sound the x like ks. In such words as exhaust, exhibit, exhort, in which the letter h intervenes between the prefix ex and the accented vowel, x generally represents the sound of gz. This is in accordance with the rule when h is made silent. Even those orthoëpists who sound the h usually make the x like gz. In luxury the x is equivalent to ksh.

Other convenient contractions are found in j, ch, and long u. The equivalent for j is dzh; for ch is tsh; and for long u is yoo.