and aspirates by the consonants. Some writers apply to the same divisions the terms tonics, sub-tonics, and atonics.

On the basis of the physical formation of the sounds, such terms as labials, linguals, dentals, gutturals, palatals, and nasals, are often employed. It is assumed that these are self-explaining, and are familiar to all students of verbal expression.

5. ELEMENTARY SOUNDS

The term "elementary' as applied to the foregoing table, and to similar tables of sounds, is very common, but it is well to note that it is not strictly accurate. The sound of u long is plainly composed of the sounds of the consonant y and the vowel oo long. The sound of i long is, in like manner, composed of Italian a and short i. Every vowel sound which, in the making, necessitates a change of mouth position, is diphthongal. The two sounds i and u, above named, are diphthongs as certainly as oi and ou. The sounds of a long and o long are also diphthongal. Among the consonant sounds, j and its cognate ch are capable of further analysis. For all the practical purposes of speech, however, the table may safely be called a table of elementary sounds.

6. STANDARD AND CLIPPED SOUNDS

A standard sound is the fullest form of an elementary sound. It is the completed sound unmodified by its surroundings. A clipped sound is one that lacks completeness by reason of the sound that precedes or follows it. In the words bay and cap, standing alone or at the end of a sentence, the terminal sounds, a and p, are standard sounds. In the word bacon the a is clipped, its vanish being cut off by the k sound following. In the sentence, "This cap took the prize," the sound of p in the word cap

is clipped, being modified by the t sound of the next word. Thus vowel and consonant sounds are alike subject to modification by their surroundings.

7. COGNATES

The term "cognates" is applied to sounds requiring the same or nearly the same mouth positions; as ƒ and v in fail, vail; k and g in kale, gale; p and b in pale, bale; s and z in seal, zeal; t and d in ton, done; ch and j in cheer, jeer; sh and zh in Ashur, azure; th and th in thigh, thy; wh and w in where, ware.

8. LONG AND SHORT

It is unfortunate that the terms "long" and "short should have been chosen as names for certain sounds in the table. Much misapprehension has been occasioned thereby. Many persons suppose that short e, for instance, is a shortened form of long e. As a matter of fact, short e is often longer in quantity than long e. The same is true of the other vowel sounds known as long and short. As these terms are well-nigh universal, however, it is perhaps better to retain them than to introduce others, and thereby increase the confusion already too prevalent in the nomenclature of elocution. By calling the first sound a long, or long a, using the term simply as a name for the sound, very little objection can be made to the use of the term, but to speak of it as "the long sound of a," as is too often done, is certainly not to be commended.

DISCUSSION OF THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS

1. LONG A

The sound of long a, as in cane, is most appropriately represented by the first letter of the alphabet, although other letters and combinations of letters frequently represent the sound. It is diphthongal when given its full

name sound, as in day, lay, weigh, terminating in an ob scure short i, and even verging upon long e when the sound is prolonged. It loses its diphthongal quality by dropping the vanish in such words as baker, paper.

2. SHORT A

A vowel followed by one or more consonants is usually short, as can, ebb, in, on, up. Short a is often made with a harsh, unmusical quality of voice that should be studiously avoided.

3. ITALIAN A

The Italian a as heard in car, arm, palm, calf, is one of the most musical vowels in the language. It is to be regretted that the unmusical short a is so often erroneously used in its stead. When modified by r in words of more than one syllable, it approaches the sound of short o. Compare stärry, sorry.

4. BROAD A

The sound of broad a as in call, contributes largely to the strength of our spoken language. It is often weakened by incorrectly substituting short o, as in water, coughing, slaughter.

5. COALESCENT A

All sounds are more or less modified by their surroundings. In some cases the modification is very slight, in others it is very marked. The sound of r wields a great influence over the vowels. With e and u as in err, urn, it is hardly separable from the vowel. With a and o, as in care, orb, the connection is so close as to justify our using the two sounds as one in the phonetic analysis of words.

The term coalescent is here employed to denote those sounds of a, e, o, and u, in which the r sound blends so closely with the vowel as to give it a distinctive sound.

The sound of coalescent a is dependent upon the r for its quality. It is never heard except when followed by r. The same is true of e, o, and u. In certain sections of the country the faulty use of short a in carry in the pronunciation of such words as care, fare, dare, etc., prevails to a great extent.

The older orthoëpists regarded the a in care as long a, but the closer discrimination of the later phonetists properly accords to this sound a distinctive place in the table.

6. INTERMEDIATE A

The sound of a in cast is intermediate between short a in can and Italian a in car. It occurs chiefly in monosyllables ending in ff, ft, ss, st, sk, sp, nce, nt, and in their derivatives. The highest authorities concur in giving to this sound a distinctive place in the table of sounds, but in many sections of the country the middle and lower classes, and not a few of the higher classes, ignore the sound, and substitute for it the sound of short a. This is to be deplored, as the intermediate a is a softer and richer sound than that of short a, and the substitution of the faulty sound detracts greatly from the musical qualities of our speech.

7. OBSCURE A

When the letter a forms or terminates an unaccented syllable it usually takes the sound of obscure a, as in among, idea, comma. The frequent occurrence of this sound and its uniform character warrants us in assigning to it a special place in the family of sounds. If generally adopted by lexicographers its use would tend to make uniform and consistent much that is now quite otherwise.

8. LONG E

Unlike long a, i, o, and u, long e is not diphthongal. It is a simple sound, rarely incorrectly made, and is more frequently represented by ee or ea or other form of vowel digraph than by e itself.

9. SHORT E

This is a simple elementary sound. It should be sharply and neatly struck and never suffered to be drawled into a semblance of long a, followed by short u, as in fa-ud for fed. It should be carefully preserved in such words as solemn, poem, emblem, anthem, and not allowed to drift into the coarser form of short u.

10. COALESCENT E

It never occurs in The union of the

This sound of e depends upon the r. English speech unaccompanied by r. two sounds is so close as to justify our considering them as one sound in the work of phonetic analysis. This sound should be carefully distinguished from coalescent u in such words as serge, surge, earn, urn, fir, fur, pearl, purl, disperse, disburse.

The letter i with r represents the sound of coalescent e in such words as sir, first, firm. The letter y becomes a vowel under the same conditions, and, like i, represents coalescent e, as in myrrh, myrtle, martyr.

11. LONG I

When properly made this sound is not lacking in musical quality, but, as too frequently heard, it is harsh and discordant. It is quite diphthongal, the initial sound being a full Italian a and the vanish an obscure short i when uttered briefly, as in unaccented syllables, and merges into long e when emphatic or prolonged. This vanish partakes of the sound of consonant y when the letter i precedes a vowel, as in iamb, iota.