The Verbalist / A Manual Devoted to Brief Discussions of the Right and the Wrong Use of Words and to Some Other Matters of Interest to Those Who Would Speak and Write with Propriety. Papyras Classics

← The Verbalist / A Manual Devoted to Brief Discussions of the Right and the Wrong Use of Words and to Some Other Matters of Interest to Those Who Would Speak and Write with Propriety.

Chapter 4

Selections from the Work

The Orthoëpist:

A PRONOUNCING MANUAL,

Containing about Three Thousand Five Hundred
Words, including a Considerable Number of
the Names of Foreign Authors, Artists, etc.,
that are often mispronounced.

By Alfred Ayres.

  • ạb-dō´mẹn, not ăb´dọ-mĕn.
  • ạc-crṳe´, not -crū´.
  • The orthoëpists agree that u, preceded by r in the same syllable, generally becomes simply oo, as in rude, rumor, rural, rule, ruby.
  • ạl-lŏp´ạ-thy; ạl-lŏp´ạ-thĭst.
  • Ăr´ạ-bĭc, not Ạ-rā´bĭc.
  • Asia—ā´shẹ-ȧ, not ā´zhȧ.
  • ay, or aye (meaning yes)—ī.
  • aye (meaning always)—ā.
  • Bĭs´märck, not bĭz´-.
  • At the end of a syllable, s, in German, has invariably its sharp, hissing sound.
  • Cairo—in Egypt, kī´rō; in the United States, kā´rō.
  • Courbet—ko̤r´bā´.
  • dĕc´ạde, not dẹ-kād´.
  • dẹ-cō´roŭs.
  • The authority is small, and is becoming less, for saying dĕc´o-roŭs, which is really as incorrect as it would be to say sŏn´o-roŭs.
  • dĕf´ị-cĭt, not dẹ-fĭç´it.
  • dịs̱-dāin´, not dis-.
  • dịs̱-hŏn´or, not dis-.
  • ĕc-ọ-nŏm´ị-cạl, or ē-cọ-nŏm´ị-cạl.
  • The first is the marking of a large majority of the orthoëpists.
  • ẹ-nēr´vāte.
  • The only authority for saying ĕn´er-vāte is popular usage; all the orthoëpists say e-nẽr´vāte.
  • ĕp´ọc̵h, not ē´pŏc̵h.
  • The latter is a Websterian pronunciation, which is not even permitted in the late editions.
  • fĭn-ạn-ciēr´.
  • This much-used word is rarely pronounced correctly.
  • Heī´nẹ, not hine.
  • Final e in German is never silent.
  • honest—ŏn´est, not -ĭst, nor -ŭst.
  • "Honest, honest Iago," is preferable to "honust, honust Iago," some of our accidental Othellos to the contrary notwithstanding.
  • ĭs̱´ọ-lāte, or ĭs´ọ-late, not ī´sọ-lāt.
  • The first marking is Walker's, Worcester's, and Smart's; the second, Webster's.

One vol., 18mo, cloth. Price, $1.00.


New York: D. APPLETON & CO., 1, 3, & 5 Bond Street.