DIVISION I

CHAPTER III

Clearness of Enunciation

The exercises for enunciation are arranged in the following groups:

Group I. The elementary sounds.

Study the elementary sounds to train the ear to recognize shades of sound, and to train the organs of articulation to accuracy of position.

Drill in molding sounds, and in pronunciation.

Group II. Enunciation of initial and final consonant sounds.

Group III. Spacing of words.

Group IV. Enunciation of final words in sentences.

GROUP I

The Elementary Sounds

The elementary sounds of a language are divided into vowel sounds and consonant sounds.

The vowel sounds are unobstructed tones of the vocal cords, molded into distinctive character by the shape of the cavity or tube in which they resound. The vowel cavity or tube sometimes consists of the mouth and oro-pharynx, sometimes of the mouth alone. For all the vowel sounds except ä (ah), the soft palate pushes back into the pharynx, and closes the opening into the upper pharynx.

By the action of the tongue and soft palate, the size and shape of the vowel tube varies. This affects the size and shape of the posterior orifice of the mouth cavity, and in

turn affects the character of the tone resounded.

The lips are also instrumental in giving to each vowel sound its individual character. It is therefore important that the lips be trained to accuracy of position.

The consonant sounds are the tones of the vocal cords, or else mere emissions of breath, molded into distinctive character by obstructions by the organs of articulation. The consonant sounds that have vocalization are sometimes called "subtonics," and sometimes "subvocals." The consonant sounds that are mere breathings are sometimes called "atonics" and sometimes "aspirates."

"A diphthong is the coalition or union of two vowel sounds pronounced in one syllable."

DIACRITICAL MARKS

Diacritical marks are the characters used to designate the various sounds of vowels and consonants.

Cognates are pairs of consonant sounds, one subvocal and one aspirate, made with the organs of articulation in the same position for both.

Mold with the lips the words in the following sentences:

1. Merry maidens make mirth.

2. Will to work and will to win.

3. Over the ocean old.

4. Arm, patriots, arm.

Mold with the tongue the sounds in the following syllables:

1. lō lä lōō lē

2. tō tä tā tē

3. dō då dōō dē

4. rō rä rā rē

GROUP II

Enunciate with Vigor the Initial and Final Consonant
Sounds of the Following Words:

Bring, brag, brogue, boy,
Call, cling, christen, cast,
Fling, frost, felt, frozen,
Govern, give, gagging,
Hall, ha, happy, haste,
Joke, jail, joist, just,
King, kaiser, kale, cake,
Long, look, lake, mull,
Morning, mamma, mist, lame,
North, sunny, noon, night,
Sing, bring, string, fling,

Pray, pull, papa, paper,

Quiet, quest, quill, quince,

Rest, roast, rill, rinse,

Stir, run, fur, burn,
Stove, sill, soft, last,
Tool, turn, test, wept,
This, that, those, then,
Thin, think, myth,
Vain, vault, varnish, vogue,
Waist, was, worth, word,
When, white, what, whine,
Xenophon, Xerxes,
Exist, exert, exalt,
Youth, young, yarrow, Yule,
Zone, zebra, zeal, zounds.

GROUP III

Avoid Running Words Together

Enunciate the words of the following sentences distinctly. Separate word from word, taking care that the final consonant sound of the one word shall not coalesce with the vowel sound of the following word.

EXERCISES

1. "At last, with creeping, crooked pace forth came An old, old man, with beard as white as snow."

2. "He cried, as raging seas are wont to roar,

When wintry storm his wrathful wreck does threat."

3. "I must go seek some dewdrops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear."

4. "Come, now a roundel and a fairy song."