Intermingling sounds is the fault here. Thus, the following sentence, He understand. and obeys, would be read or spoken by many, as if written, He understan-zan-dobeys.

It cannot be too often, or too earnestly impressed on the minds of instructors and students, that in reading or speaking, the sound of every letter which is not mute, of every syllable, and of every word, should be accurately and distinctly uttered before another is heard. Unless this be done, the delivery will not be intelligible: much less distinguished by that force and grace, to which good articulation contributes in so great a degree.

III. To acquire an articulation which shall be at once accurate and tasteful, it is necessary,

1. To get an exact knowledge of the elementary sounds of the language;

2. To learn the appropriate place of each of these sounds, as determined by usage, in syllables and words; and,

3. To apply this knowledge, constantly, in conversation, reading and speaking, with a view to correct every deviation from propriety which we may detect in expressing them.

Most writers on elocution give exercises for the improvement of articulation; but manifestly, from the nature of the case, with little benefit to the student. A good articulation is not to be acquired in a day, nor from a few lessons. Practice should begin with the spelling-book, and continue through the whole course of education; and even then, there will remain room for improvement.

IV. The elementary sounds of language are represented by vowels, diphthongs, triphthongs and consonants.

In describing these elementary sounds on succeeding pages, I have in a few instances differed from received opinions. I have enumerated some sounds as regular, which are treated by others, apparently for no valid reason, as irregular; I have adopted the middle a sound of Perry, and have added a corresponding short sound, though found only in unaccented syllables; I have denominated the vowel sounds succeeding a, when identical, as they often are, with those of a, as the alphabetical, middle, flat, or broad a sound of e, i, &c.; and omitting the mute, liquid, and semi-vowel distinction of consonants, I have substituted others more simple, and as I conceive more important. By the first measure, sounds, hitherto regarded as anomalous, are restored to their place in the language, and their pronunciation both in accented and unaccented syllables, determined: (see alphabetical short a below :) by the second, a separate place is given to a sound which few men, in practice, ever confound with alphabetical a long, (see middle a long,) and an attempt is made to rescue a before r in unaccented syllables, as well as e and i before r in accented syllables, from utter perversion: (see middle a short, under a, e, and i) by the third, a simple nomenclature is introduced, by which the same sound of different vowels is happily designated, and the confusion and perplexity arising from distinct names, are avoided by the fourth, a practical division of the consonants is substituted for one that is theoretical; for one which, however interesting to the orthoepist and lexicographer, is useless to the reader and speaker.

V. A vowel is a sound which may be uttered either alone, or in connection with another vowel.

Some orthoepists define vowels as simple sounds; others, as sounds which may be uttered with the mouth open; and others, as sounds which may be uttered without aid from the organs of articulation. Each of these definitions is objectionable: the first, because at least two of them are compound: the second, because many of the consonants are uttered with the mouth open as well as the vowels: the third, because disapproved by experiment. It will be found on trial that they require the aid of the articulatory organs as really as consonants. The most that can be said, is, that they do not require the aid of all of them, nor to the same extent; which is also true of the consonants.

VI. The vowels are seven in number: a, e, i, o, u, y

these,

and w.

Of

1. A, e and o, are simple sounds: may be uttered alone.

2. I and u long, are compound sounds: cannot be uttered alone

3. I, y and w are sometimes consonants.

I. Alphabetical a long has this sound,

1. When it ends an accented syllable; as in maker, legislation.

EXCEPTIONS. Papa, father, mama, lava, water, and proper names ending with a.

2. When followed by a single consonant (except r) and e mute in the same accented syllable.

EXCEPTIONS. Gape, are, have.

NOTE.-In unaccented syllables, it often retains this sound.

II. Alphabetical short a. This sound is treated by orthoepists as irregular. The reason for this, I presume, is, that it occurs under accent, only in the two words adduced in the table: a reason which will apply with nearly equal force to other sounds, enumerated notwithstanding among those that are regular; as, for example, the sound of o in move. My reasons for treating it as regular, aside from the one involved in what I have just said, are,

1. That e in men is precisely the short sound of alphabetical a, as acknowledged by the best orthoepists; (see Walker ;) and this is precisely the sound of a in many.

2. The improper diphthong ai, under accent, has this sound in numerous words; (see diphthong ai ;) but why it should, unless alphabetical short a is a regular sound, I am unable to perceive.

The admission of this short sound of alphabetical a among regular sounds, has, I conceive, an important bearing on the pronunciation of the unaccented terminations of a large class of words; as age, uny, able, ably, ace, ate, ately, &c, in most of which the long alphabetical sound is abandoned; and in which, consequently, the short, as being the nearest, should be heard.

III. Middle a long. I follow Perry in regarding this sound as quite too remote from alphabetical a long, to be classed with it. It is called middle a because its sound is about equally distant from that of a in game, and a in father. It occurs only before r and final e mute.

IV. Middle a short. I am alone, I believe, in enumerating this among distinct vowel sounds. It sustains precisely the same relation to a in care, fare, dare, &c., that a alphabetical short sustains to alphabetical a long. It appears only in unaccented syllables before r; but it is represented by e before r in the same syllable under accent; as in herd, merchant, &c.: hence, the a in liur, friar, &c., is not accurately represented, as Walker intimates, by short u; it has a sound a shade less guttural and broad; as may be observed in comparing mercy (pronouncing e in which like e in merry) with murder, blunder, &c.

V. Flat a long. A has this sound when followed by r or h in the same accented syllable; as in art, cart, dart, ah, bah.

EXCEPTIONS-A in this position preceded by w, has its long broad sound; as in war, ward.

VI. Flat a short. "The short sound of middle or Italian a, (i. e. flat a,) which is generally confounded with the short sound of slender a, (alphabetical a,) is the sound of this vowel in man, pan, tan, hat, &c.”—Walker.

A has this sound for the most part,

1. When followed by a single consonant, (except r and occasionally 1,) in the same accented syllable; as in ballad, capstan, massive

EXCEPTIONS.-Alien, ancient, cambric, chamber, manger, angel.

2. When followed by more than one consonant, (except r and 1, followed by another consonant,) in the same accented syllable; as in band, catch, cramp, act, apt.

VII. Broad a long. The regular place for this sound is before ll; as in all, ball, call, full, hall, wall; though it occurs in some other positions; as in ward, bawd, chalk.

1. When final and preceded by another vowel in the same syllable; as in mute, rebuke, literature.

2. When preceding l and n, in final unaccented syllables in many instances; as in navel, drivel, swivel, weasel, open, often, heaven.

3. When it precedes d in the preterit of verbs, and is not preceded by d or t; as in lived, loved, revealed, justified.

E is often in position final, where in pronunciation it is not; as in theatre, centre, massacre: where final, it is often viciously treated, as if not; as in the derivatives knavery, bravery, image-ry, nice-ty, slave-ry, fine-ry, savage-ry, &c.; all of which words Walker pronounces in three or four syllables; while others, correctly enough, he pronounces in two; as in safety, ninety, surety. Webster adverts to this error of Walker, yet in several instances leaves it uncorrected.

I. Alphabetical e long. E has this sound when it ends a syllable, and when it is followed in the same syllable by a consonant and final e; as in meteor secretion, severe, atmosphere, revere.

EXCEPTIONS. Where, there, were, ere.

This sound is often incorrectly superseded by alphabetical a short; as in establish, esteem, especial, espial, espy, espouse, esquire, egotist, &c.; in which words, long alphabetical e should be invariably heard. It is also often viciously suppressed in the prefix pre; as in precede, prevent, predict, &c.; which are pronounced as if written pr-cede, pr-vent, pr-dict.

II. Alphabetical e short. This sound, like that of alphabetical a short, treated by orthoepists and grammarians as anomalous; when the ear alone, one should think, is sufficient to establish its character as the short sound of in scheme. The report of the ear is confirmed by the analogy of the French and German languages; in which the long and short sound of e in scheme and pretty, are represented by the long and short sound of i. Short alphabetical e is heard in accented syllables in the words adduced in the table, and generally in the unaccented syllables es, cn, et.

III. Alphabetical a short. For the propriety of so calling e in men, met, &c., see above. E has this sound when followed by a consonant (except r) in the same syllable. In many words, as in chapel, gospel, rebel, &c., (which are exceptions to e mute, No. 2 above,) this sound is dropped, when it should be distinctly heard.

IV. Middle a long. This sound is only heard in the words enumerated in the table. Where, there, and ere have this sound, I believe, in consequence of their derivation they should have been written with a instead of e. (See Dictionaries of Webster and Richardson.) Ne'er, being a contraction of never, the vowels of which are alphabetical short a, and middle short a, is very properly pronounced as if written nare; for this is precisely the long sound into which the two short ones, being after contraction followed by r, should pass.

V. Middle a short. If e in met is the short sound of a in mate, there can be little doubt that e in merchant is the short sound of a in care. The same reason, in fact, which should induce us to treat a in care as a different sound from a in mate, should also induce us to treat e in merchant as a different scund from e in met. In both cases, the letter r produces the same modification of sound. 3. I has four sounds.

I. Alphabetical i. "This letter is a perfect diphthong, composed of the sounds of a in father, and e in he, pronounced as closely together as possible."—Walker. It has this sound,

1. When it ends an accented syllable; as in liar, reliance.

2. When followed by e mute in accented syllables; as in line, pine, wine, combine, canine.

EXCEPTIONS. 1. In words of French origin; as in machine, caprice, &c. 2. In the unaccented syllables of many words, though followed by e mute ; as in engine, rapine.

II. Alphabetical e. This, be it observed, is one of the vowels of which the preceding is composed.

III. Alphabetical e short. Dr. Johnson, (see introduction to his Dictionary,) not taking into consideration the compound character of alphabetical i, pronounced this short sound wholly unlike it; but Walker very justly observes that it" is the sound of e: the last letter of the diphthong that forms long i." Hence, I term it alphabetical e short. A similar derivation of a short sound from a part of a diphthongal sound, may be seen in the short sound of u in full, &c., below: called the short muffled sound of o.

I has this sound, generally, before a consonant, (except r,) or more than one consonant, in the same syllable; as in tin, tinder, wind, which, hitch.

A common error in the pronunciation of i, for which we are indebted to Mr. Walker and his admirers, consists in giving to it, withou reference to the origin of the word in which it appears, the sound of alphabetical e long, when it forms a syllable or ends one unaccented; as in divide, indivisibility, ability; which he pronounces as if written devide, in-de-vis-e-bil-e-ty, abil-e-ty. In these words, however, and in others, forming a very numerous class, alphabetical e short should be slightly but distinctly heard. (See Webster's Dictionary, introduction.)

IV. Middle a short. As this sound of í occurs only before r, and is precisely like that of middle a short, and of middle a short e, I have given it the same name. The short u sound which many substitute for this, should be in all cases avoided as a vulgarity.

I. Alphabetical o long. O has this sound,

1. When it ends an accented syllable; as in romance, explosion.
EXCEPTIONS. Do, to, who, ado.

2. When followed by a single consonant and mute e; as in tone, devote. EXCEPTIONS. Prove, move, behoove, lose, love, dove, above, come, done, none, one, pomegranate, some.

II. Alphabetical o short. "The long sound which seems the nearest elation to it, is the first sound of o in note, tone, rove, &c."-Walker.

As this sound, that of broad a long, that of short broad a, and that of muffled short, occur nearly in the same positions, usage alone must determine which of them is employed in a given case.

III. The long sound of muffled o is a middle sound between u in tube and u in full. It is, in fact, precisely the oo sound (as heard in groove) of which u in tube in part consists; (see alphabetical u below;) and of this, u in full is a slight contraction. It occurs in a few words only: prove, move, behoove, (and their derivatives,) do, who, to, ado, tomb, womb.

IV. The remarks just made show the propriety of treating the o in woman and wolf, and also in wol, the beginning of many proper names, (being exactly the sound of u in full,) as the short sound of muffled o long. It occurs, I believe, only in the words adduced.

V. Broad a long. This sound of o is admitted by orthoepists with reluctance and hesitation; but it is as well established by usage, at least in this country, as any other elementary sound in the language: the speaker who should pronounce o in cost, lost, or, nor, &c., like o in not, would expose himself to merited ridicule. The positions in which this sound occurs can only be learned from usage.

VI. Broad a short. This sound "corresponds exactly to that of a in what, with which the words not, got, lot, &c., are perfect rhymes."-Walker. Webster places both of the a sounds of o, very arbitrarily I think, under this head; but the editor of his octavo edition candidly admits, that in some cases, o approximates to the broad a long sound.

This letter is, in several instances, incorrectly pronounced. Home, stone, whole, which should invariably have the sound of alphabetical o long, are heard pronounced, not seldom, as if written hum, stun, hull: does and doth, the o in which is alphabetical short, as if written doos and dothe: in the unaccented syllable of such words as creator, govern or, &c., the short broad a sound of o, is, with very bad taste, substituted for the alphabetical short; which sound, it should be observed, is the proper one in nearly all unaccented terminations: the prefix pro, like pre, noticed above, in the careless pronunciation of some speakers, loses its vowel.