Chapter II

PRONUNCIATION

We are judged by our speech. If we clip syllables, run words together, or pronounce them incorrectly, we shall merit the criticism of being careless or even ignorant. Yet clear enunciation and correct pronunciation are sometimes difficult. We learn most words by hearing others say them, and, if we do not hear the true values given to the different syllables, we shall find it hard to distinguish the correct from the incorrect forms. Children whose parents speak a foreign language usually have to watch their speech with especial care; Germans, for example, find difficulty in saying th and Irish people in saying oi as in oil. The exercises in this chapter are given for the purpose of correcting such habits. The words in the exercises should be pronounced repeatedly, until the correct forms are instinctive.

Train the ear to hear the difference between sounds, as in just and in jest. Don't slide over the final consonant in such words as going and reading. Watch words containing wh. The dictionary tells us that where was originally written hwar, the h coming before the w; and we still pronounce it so, although we write the w before the h. The word whether is of the same kind. The dictionary tells us that it was first spelled hweder. Such words should be carefully noted and their pronunciation practiced.

Then there is the habit of slurring syllables. We may understand what is meant by the expression "C'm' on" or "Waja say?", but most of us would prefer not to be included in the class of people who use either. Correct speech cannot be mastered without an effort.

In the following exercises watch every vowel and every consonant so that you may give each one its full value.

Exercise 10—Diacritical Marks

Although an a is always written a, it is not always given the same quality or length of sound. When we discover a new word, it is important that we know exactly the quality to give each of the vowels in it. For this purpose diacritical marks have been invented. They are illustrated in the following list from Webster's International Dictionary.

ā as in āte, fāte, lāb´or

[+a] " " sen´[+a]te, del´ic[+a]te, [+a]e´rial

â " " câre, shâre, pâr´ent

ă " " ăm, ădd, răn´dom

ä " " ärm, fär, fä´ther

ȧ " " ȧsk, grȧss, pȧss, dȧnce

a̠ " " fi´na̠l, in´fa̠nt, guid´ānce

a̤ " " a̤ll, a̤we, swa̤rm, ta̤lk

ē " " ēve, mēte, serēne´

[+e] " " [+e]vent´, d[+e]pend´, soci´[+e]ty

ĕ " " ĕnd, mĕt, ĕxcuse´, ĕfface´

ẽ " " fẽrn, hẽr, ẽr´mine, ev´ẽr

e " " re´cent, de´cency, pru´dence

ī " " īce, tīme, sīght, inspīre´

[+i] " " [+i]dea´, tr[+i]bu´nal, b[+i]ol´ogy

ĭ " " ĭll, pĭn, pĭt´y, admĭt´

ō " " ōld, nōte, ō´ver, prōpose´

[+o] " " [+o]bey´, t[+o]bac´co, sor´r[+o]w

ô " " ôrb, lôrd, ôr´der, abhôr´

ŏ " " ŏdd, nŏt, tŏr´rid, ŏccur´

ū " " ūse, pūre, dū´ty, assūme´

[+u] " " [+u]nite´, ac´t[+u]ate, ed[+u]ca´tion

ṳ " " rṳde, rṳ´mor, intrṳde´

ụ " " fụll, pụt, fụlfill´

ŭ " " ŭp, tŭb, stŭd´y

û " " ûrn, fûr, concûr´

y̆ " " pit´y̆, in´jury̆, divin´ity̆

o͞o " " fo͞ol, fo͞od, mo͞on

o͝o " " fo͝ot, wo͝ol, bo͝ok

ou " " out, thou, devour´

oi " " oil, noi´sy, avoid´

ā is called long a, and is marked with the macron

ă is called short a, and is marked with the breve

â is called caret a, and is marked with the caret

ä is called Italian a, and is marked with the diaeresis

ȧ is called short Italian a, and is marked with the dot

ẽ is called tilde e, and is marked with the tilde or wave

Exercise 11—Vowels

Of the twenty-six letters in the alphabet, how many are vowels? Name them. What are the other letters called?

Compare the ă in hat and the ā in hate. Which has more nearly the sound of a in the alphabet? This is called the natural or long sound of the vowel. The other is called the short sound.

Drop the e from hate. Explain the result.

Name other monosyllables ending in e and containing the long a sound.

Explain the difference in pronunciation between Pete, pet, ripe, rip, hope, hop, cube, cub.

Find other monosyllables ending in e and containing a long vowel that becomes short if the e is dropped.

Monosyllables ending in silent e usually contain a long vowel sound, which becomes short when the final e is dropped.

Exercise 12

Pronounce carefully the following words containing the short Italian a:

advȧnce clȧss lȧnce plȧster

advȧntage contrȧst lȧst pȧstor

ȧfter enchȧnt mȧsk prȧnce

bȧsket Frȧnce mȧster rȧfter

brȧnch glȧnce mȧstiff shȧft

brȧss glȧss pȧss surpȧss

chȧff grȧss pȧst tȧsk

Exercise 13

Pronounce the following carefully, noting each a that is marked:

hälf ideȧ cälm audācious

pȧth cȧn't āpricot ȧghȧst

ȧsk cătch mȧdrăs ălgebrȧ

fäther v[+a]cātion ăgile forbăde

dȧnce extrȧ cȧst trȧnce

lȧss cȧsket grȧnt āviātion

Exercise 14

Pronounce the vowel o in the following very carefully. Don't give the sound feller or fella when you mean fellow.

fellow swallow theory borrow

potato follow position heroism

window original factory donkey

pillow evaporate ivory memory

chocolate mosquito licorice oriental

Exercise 15

The vowel u needs particular attention. When it is long, it is sounded naturally, as it is in the alphabet. Do not say redooce for reduce.

reduce picture educate figure

produce stupid judicial duty

conducive student calculate accumulate

endure genuine curiosity Tuesday

duration induce regular particular

singular avenue tune institute

nutriment constitution culinary January

revenue introduce opportunity manufacture

Exercise 16

Using diacritical marks indicate the value of the vowels in the following. Try marking them without first consulting a dictionary. After you have marked them, compare your markings with those used in a dictionary.

pupil different diacritical gigantic

alphabet several radiating gymnasium

natural letter Wyoming system

result eraser typical merchant

Exercise 17

Pronounce carefully, noting that in each word at least one consonant is silent, and sometimes a vowel as well. Draw an oblique line through the silent letter or letters in each.

through chasten sword island

although often fasten daughter

wrong soften calf might

yacht subtle hasten bouquet

gnaw almond naughty honest

psalm glisten thumb palm

whistle salve should knack

salmon chestnut knowledge castle

answer folks listen thigh

knot right debt honor

Exercise 18

Pronounce the following, paying particular attention to the vowels. Distinguish between the meanings of the words in each group.

accept bile least prevision

except boil lest provision

affect carol eleven poor

effect coral leaven pure

addition descent neither radish

edition dissent nether reddish

assay emerge pasture sentry

essay immerge pastor century

baron Francis pillar sit

barren Frances pillow set

been jest point wrench

bean just pint rinse

gist

Exercise 19

Enunciate the consonant sounds carefully in the following. Distinguish between the meanings of the words in each group.

acts close treaties rows

ax clothes treatise rouse

advice crossed princes rues

advise across princess ruse

alms formerly prince either

elms formally prints ether

bodice grays price running

bodies grace prize ruin

cease lose recent walking

seize loose resent walk in

chance plaintive sects weather

chants plaintiff sex whether

does pair news worst

dose payer noose worsted (yarn)

doze

Exercise 20

Pronounce the following, making sure that each syllable is correct. Guard against slurring the words in the last column.

been such barrel Did you?

gone put faucet Don't you?

to with suburb Go on.

for tiny hearth Our education

aunt and nothing You are

far poem office You're not

our catch peril We're coming

kept toward forbade They're coming

says donkey spirit What did you say?

rid again semi Where are you going?

since against scared Where have you been?

sleek honest saucy I want to go.

creek savage turnip I'm going to go.

where swept roof To-morrow morning

boil velvet proof Next month

hoist direct hydrant Last Saturday

Exercise 21

Enunciate carefully:

salary gentleman supple gymnasium

because library subtle perspiration

ideal wrestle italic clapboards

suite vessel insect cupboard

thirty friendship orchid archangel

tomato judgment hovel candelabra

grimy cowardice several extraordinary

patron miserable pumpkin civilization

omelet guarantee accurate horseshoe

hundred gelatine guardian laboratory

coupon glycerine delinquent tenacious

awkward paraffine secretary measure

hurrah portrait audacious February

pigeon mercantile conquer cellar

history juvenile conquest perfect

diamond thousand congress grandmother

asylum overalls licorice generally

Exercise 22

Be especially careful of the sounds th and wh. Add no syllable to a word and omit none. Consult a dictionary for any word below about which you are not certain:

when length diphthong generally

where strength diphtheria forget

while height anesthetic recognize

wharf width betrothal hungry

which depth theory geography

wheel there theme instead

wheeze them arithmetic isolated

why eleventh bathe writing

whiff twelfth lathe kettle

whence thought believe language

whet throat bronchitis leisure

what wreaths government volume

whale paths courteous column

wheat months different always

wheedle mouths engine once

whelp myths English twice

whimper breadths surprise arctic

whip moths deaf Italian

whit bath children picture

whither earth cruel often

Exercise 23—Homonyms

A homonym is a word having the same sound as another but differing from it in meaning. Use each of the following in a sentence to show its meaning.

aloud draft fowl principal

allowed draught foul principle

ascent faint gate peal

assent feint gait peel

aught canvas great quire

ought canvass grate choir

bad cereal hew seen

bade serial hue scene

bale cession kernel soul

bail session colonel sole

berry cite leased strait

bury site least straight

boy coarse lesser stair

buoy course lessor stare

by compliment mite sweet

buy complement might suite

council feign miner there

counsel fain minor their

current flour need wood

currant flower knead would

Exercise 24

Do the same with the following:

aisle clause kill sail

isle claws kiln sale

awl climb key ring

all clime quay wring

base draught lie serge

bass draft lye surge

blew dew medal sole

blue due meddle soul

bough done peer shone

bow dun pier shown

bread dual pore steel

bred duel pour steal

bear flue profit stationary

bare flew prophet stationery

bridal freeze quarts wade

bridle frieze quartz weighed

capital guilt rest wave

capitol gilt wrest waive

ceiling heard root wrap

sealing herd route rap

Exercise 25—Syllabication

What is a syllable?

Choose a word and notice that every vowel sound in it makes a syllable. Therefore, you never have two vowels in one syllable unless the two are pronounced as one sound.

In pronouncing notice carefully to which syllable a consonant belongs; as in dif-fer-ent, beau-ti-fy, dai-sy.

Divide the following words into syllables. If you cannot decide with which syllable a consonant belongs, consult a dictionary.

paper grocer rotate mystery

tomato erect repeat regular

vinegar polish general arithmetic

If a syllable, especially an accented syllable, ends in a vowel, what is usually the length of the vowel?

If the syllable ends in a consonant, what is usually the length of the vowel of the syllable?

When a consonant is doubled, the division is usually made between the two letters; as,

blot-ter skip-ping remit-tance

neces-sary throt-tle span-ning

As a rule, a prefix constitutes one syllable; as,

pro-long pre-fer con-stant de-fect ad-mit

re-ceive se-lect dis-trust e-merge im-merse

As a rule, a suffix constitutes one syllable; as,

labor-er soft-ly beauti-fy selec-tion

mole-cule revolution-ist percent-age fanat-ic

When two or more letters together give one sound, they must not be divided; as,

math-ematics ex-change paragraph-ing abolish-ing

bow-ing toil-ing nation-al gra-cious

Can a word of one syllable be divided?

Do not divide a syllable of one letter from the rest of the word. The division ever-y is wrong.

Exercise 26

Divide the following words into syllables, using the suggestions given in the preceding exercise:

accountant dissatisfaction manufacturer reference

advertisement economy material repeatedly

anecdote employment mechanical salesman

annually energetic neighborhood security

application environment occupation separate

automobile especially opportunity signature

beginning establishment organized specification

collection expenditure permanent stenography

comparison factory preparation suburban

competent furniture president superintend

confirmation illustration quotation systematic

consequence impression realize telephone

correspondence improvement receptacle treasurer

counterfeit judgment recognition unanimous

customer machinist recommend unusual

Exercise 27—Accent

What is accent?

Divide into syllables, indicate the accent, and pronounce the following:

expand volume defect interesting

mischievous usually incomparable theatre

exquisite tedious hospitable generally

column inquiry impious

In the following words the meaning changes with the accent. Use each word in a sentence to show its meaning.

ob´ject subject contrast desert

ob-ject´ insult protest extract

tor´ment essay conflict compact

tor-ment´ transfer compound survey

minute (notice the vowel change)

refuse (notice the consonant change)

Bring to class a list of words that you have heard mispronounced in your classes. Be sure that you can pronounce them correctly.

Exercise 28

The following words are frequently mispronounced. Divide them into syllables, mark the accent, and pronounce carefully.

municipal exquisite champion accurately

interesting gondola inquiry Genoa

influence finance inexplicable alias

illustrate deficit despicable expert

inventory pretense mischievous impious

alternate dirigible perfume detail