The Art of Writing & Speaking the English Language Part 10

Sounds of Vowels in Different Positions.

Let us now consider the value of vowels.

We note first that position at the end of a word naturally makes every vowel long except _y_; (e. g., _Levi, Jehu, potato_); but _a_ has the Italian sound at the end of a word, or the sound usually given to _ah_.

A vowel followed by two or more consonants is almost invariably short.

If a vowel is followed by one consonant in an accented syllable it will probably receive the accent and be long. If the word has two syllables, as in _Kinah,_ but if the word has three syllables the consonant will probably receive the accent and the vowel will be short, as in _Jon'adab_.

In words of three or more syllables the vowels are naturally short unless made long by position or the like; but the vowel in the syllable before the one which receives the accent, if it is the first syllable of the word and followed by but one consonant, is likely to be long, because the consonant which would otherwise end the syllable is drawn over to the accented syllable, as in _d_i_-men'-sion_. This rule is still more in force if no consonant intervenes, as _i_ in _d_i_-am'-e-ter_.

If the vowel is followed by two consonants which naturally unite, as in _d_i_-gress,_ it is also long. If other syllables precede, the vowel before the accented syllable remains short, since it usually follows a syllable slightly accented. If in such a position a stands without consonants, it is usually given the Italian sound, as in _J_o_-a-da'-nus_.

When two _a_'s come together in different syllables, the first _a_ will usually have the Italian sound unless it is accented, as in _Ja-_a_k'-o-bah_.

In p.r.o.nouncing words from foreign languages, it is well to remember that in nearly all languages besides the English, _i_, when accented, has the sound of the English long _e, e_ when accented has the sound of English long _a,_ and _a_ has the Italian sound. The English long sounds are seldom or never represented in foreign words by the corresponding letters.

The sound of English long _i_ is represented by a combination of letters, usually, such as _ei_.

We may also remember that in Teutonic languages _g_ is usually hard even before _e, i,_ and _y,_ but in Romance languages, or languages derived from the Latin, these vowels make the _g_ and _c_ soft.

_Th_ in French and other languages is p.r.o.nounced like single _t_; and _c_ in Italian is sounded like _ch,_ as in _Cenci_ (_chen'-chi_).

Cultured p.r.o.nunciation.

A nice p.r.o.nunciation of everyday English is not to be learned from a book. It is a matter, first of care, second of a.s.sociation with cultivated people. The p.r.o.nunciation of even the best-educated people is likely to degenerate if they live in constant a.s.sociation with careless speakers, and it is doubtful if a person who has not come in contact with refined speakers can hope to become a correct speaker himself.

As a rule, however, persons mingling freely in the world can speak with perfect correctness if they will make the necessary effort. Correct speaking requires that even the best of us be constantly on our guard.

A few cla.s.ses of common errors may be noted, in addition to the principles previously laid down in regard to vowel and consonant values.

First, we should be careful to give words their correct accent, especially the small number of words not accented strictly in accordance with the a.n.a.logies of the language, such as _I-chance_ and _O-mane,_ which may never be accented on the first syllable, though many careless speakers do accent them. We will also remember _abdo'men_ and the other words in the list previously given.

Second, we should beware of a habit only too prevalent in the United States of giving syllables not properly accented some share of the regular accent.

d.i.c.kens ridicules this habit unmercifully in "Martin Chuckle." Words so misp.r.o.nounced are _ter'-ri-to'-ry, ex'-act'-ly, isn't-best, big-cle,_ etc.

In the latter word this secondary accent is made to lengthen the _y,_ and so causes a double error. The habit interferes materially with the musical character of easy speech and destroys the desirable musical rhythm which prose as well as poetry should have.

Third, the vowel _a_ in such syllables as those found in _command, chant, chance, graft, staff, pa.s.s, clasp,_ etc., should not have the flat sound heard in _as, gas,_ etc., nor should it have the broad Italian sound heard in _father,_ but rather a sound between.

Americans should avoid making their _a_'s too flat in words ending in _ff, ft, ss, st, sk,_ and _sp_ preceded by _a,_ and in some words in which a is followed by _nce_ and _nt,_ and even _nd,_ and Englishmen should avoid making them too broad.

Fourth, avoid giving _u_ the sound of _oo_ on all occasions.

After _r_ and in a few other positions we cannot easily give it any other sound, but we need not say _soot'-a-ble, soo-per-noo-mer-a-ry; nor noos, stoo,_ etc.

Fifth, the long _o_ sound in words like _both, boat, coat,_ etc., should be given its full value, with out being obscured. New England people often misp.r.o.nounce these words by shortening the _o_. Likewise they do not give the _a_ in _care, bear, fair,_ etc., and the _e_ in _where, there,_ and _their,_ the correct sound, a modification of the long _a_. These words are often p.r.o.nounced with the short or flat sound of _a_ or _e_ (_car, ther,_ etc.).

Sixth, the obscured sound of _a_ in _wander, what,_ etc., should be between broad _a_ as in _all_ and Italian _a_ as in _far_.

It is about equivalent to _o_ in _not_.

Seventh, _a, e, i, o_ (except in accented syllables), and _u_ are nearly alike in sound when followed by _r,_ and no special effort should be made to distinguish _a, o,_ or _a,_ though the syllables containing them have in fact the slightest possible more volume than those containing _e_ or _i_ followed by _r_. Careless speakers, or careful speakers who are not informed, are liable to try to make more of a distinction than really exists.

In addition to these hints, the student will of course make rigorous application of principles before stated. _G_ and _c_ will be soft before _e, i,_ and _y,_ hard before other vowels and all consonants; vowels receiving the accent on the second syllable from the end (except _i_) will be p.r.o.nounced long (and we shall not hear _au-da'-cious_ for _auda'-cious_); and all vowels but _a_ in the third syllable or farther from the end will remain short if followed by a consonant, though we should be on the lookout for such exceptions as _ab-ste'-mious,_ etc. (As the _u_ is kept long we will say _tr_u'_-cu-lency_ [troo], not _tr_u_c'-u-lency,_ and _s_u'_-pernu-merary,_ not _s_u_p'-ernumerary,_ etc.).

These hints should be supplemented by reference to a good dictionary or list of words commonly misp.r.o.nounced.

CHAPTER V.

A SPELLING DRILL.

The method of using the following story of Robinson Crusoe, specially arranged as a spelling drill, should include these steps:

1. Copy the story paragraph by paragraph, with great accuracy, noting every punctuation mark, paragraph indentations, numbers, and headings. Words that should appear in italics should be underlined once, in small capitals twice, in capitals three times. After the copy has been completed, compare it word by word with the original, and if errors are found, copy the entire story again from beginning to end, and continue to copy it till the copy is perfect in every way.

2. When the story has been accurately copied with the original before the eyes, let some one dictate it, and copy from the dictation, afterward comparing with the original, and continuing this process till perfection is attained.

3. After the ability to copy accurately from dictation has been secured, write out the story phonetically. Lay aside the phonetic version for a week and then write the story out from this version with the ordinary spelling, subsequently comparing with the original until the final version prepared from the phonetic version is accurate in every point.

The questions may be indefinitely extended. After this story has been fully mastered, a simple book like "Black Beauty" will furnish additional material for drill. Mental observations, such as those indicated in the notes and questions, should become habitual.

THE STORY OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.

(For Dictation.)

I.

(Once writers of novels were called liars by some people, because they made up out of their heads the stories they told. In our day we know that there is more truth in many a novel than in most histories.

The story of Robinson Crusoe was indeed founded upon the experience of a real man, named Alexander Selkirk, who lived seven years upon a deserted island. Besides that, it tells more truly than has been told in any other writing what a sensible man would do if left to care for himself, as Crusoe was.)

1. A second storm came upon us (says Crusoe in telling his own story), which carried us straight away westward. Early in the morning, while the wind was still blowing very hard, one of the men cried out, "Land!"

We had no sooner run out of the cabin than the s.h.i.+p struck upon a sandbar, and the sea broke over her in such a manner that we were driven to shelter from the foam and spray.

Questions and Notes. What is peculiar about _writers, liars, know, island, straight, foam, spray?_ (Answer. In _liars_ we have _ar,_ not _er_. In the others, what silent letters?) Make sentences containing _right, there, hour, no, strait, see,_ correctly used. Point out three words in which _y_ has been changed to _i_ when other letters were added to the word. Indicate two words in which _ea_ has different sounds.

Find the words in which silent _e_ was dropped when a syllable was added. What is peculiar about _sensible? cabin? driven? truly? Crusoe?_

To remember the spelling of _their,_ whether it is _ei_ or _ie,_ note that it refers to what _they_ possess, _theyr_ things?the _y_ changed to _i_ when _r_ is added.

II.

2. We were in a dreadful condition, and the storm having ceased a little, we thought of nothing but saving our lives. In this distress the mate of our vessel laid ho a boat we had on board, and with the help of the other men got her flung over the s.h.i.+p's side. Getting all into her, we let her go and committed ourselves, eleven in number, to G.o.d's mercy and the wild sea.

(While such a wind blew, you may be sure they little knew where the waves were driving them, or if they might not be beaten to pieces on the rocks. No doubt the waves mounted to such a height and the spray caused such a mist that they could see only the blue sky above them.)

3. After we had driven about a league and a half, a raging wave, mountain high, took us with such fury that it overset the boat, and, separating us, gave us hardly time to cry, "Oh, G.o.d!"

Questions and Notes. What words in the above paragraphs contain the digraph _ea_? What sound does it represent in each word? What other digraphs are found in words in the above paragraphs? What silent letters? What principle or rule applies to _condition? having?

distress? getting? committed? eleven?_ What is peculiar about _thought?

lives? laid? mercy? blew? pieces? mountain? league? half? could?_ Compare _ei_ in height and _i_ alone in _high_. Think of _nothing_ as _no thing._ To remember the _ie_ in _piece,_ remember that _pie_ and _piece_ are spelled in the same way. _Separate_ has an _a_ in the second syllable-- like _part,_ since _separate_ means to "_part_ in two." You easily the word PART in SEPARATE, Observe that _ful_ in _dreadful_ has but one _l_.

III.

4. That wave carried me a vast way on toward sh.o.r.e, and having spent itself went back, leaving me upon the land almost dry, but half dead with the water I had taken into my lungs and stomach. Seeing myself nearer the mainland than I had expected, with what breath I had left I got upon my feet and endeavored with all my strength to make toward land as fast as I could.