How to Speak Correct English
Correctly spoken English is quite as important as correctly written English. Errors in pronunciation, modulation and general expression are of frequent occurrence, and it sometimes seems that the erroneous utterance of whole classes of words league the tongue and ear against their right use. An improved standard of pronunciation, therefore, is the safest bulwark against a permanent deterioration of our language, as well as a positive influence in advancing individual culture of speech.
Five Fundamental Rules.—The essential steps toward securing the unconscious ability to speak correctly may be set down as follows:
1. To thoroughly study the elementary sounds, and their mode of representation.
2. To observe the current usage of the best speakers with regard to such words as are most liable to be mispronounced.
3. To note the standard of pronunciation and expression of the best dramatic theaters.
4. By forming the habit of frequent reference to the dictionary and learning to interpret at sight the authorized pronunciation.
5. Ample practice in the reading and application of the leading principles of pronunciation that give words their true spoken values.
The Organ of Speech.—The mouth is the organ of speech; and the manner of production of the various sounds is of the first importance in the cultivation of correct pronunciation.
The sound uttered depends upon the form of the mouth. Change the form and you change the sound. Each particular sound is produced from a particular position.
Not more than one sound can be produced from one position of the mouth.
To produce a different sound you must change the position.
Each sound should be clear and precise. There should be no slurring.
The muscles must be under perfect control so that the mouth (lips and tongue included) may readily assume the position necessary for the emission of the required sound.
The proper use of the lips is the great factor in fluent speech.
It is from inability to use or negligence in using the muscles of the organ of speech that Americans are such indifferent linguists and frequently even incapable of distinct utterance of their own language.
The manner of production of the various sounds is of the first importance in the cultivation of correct pronunciation.
Vowels.—Pronounce the following words: moor; meer; merry; marry; mar; more. The whole compass of the mouth is brought into exercise by these words.
The first sound is produced from the lips. The second comes from a point just inside the mouth. The third sound point is farther back still. The last vowel is uttered from the throat.
If the sound a (long) as in bare, fair, is included, we have a scale of seven sounds produced by a gradual opening of the mouth, the sound point receding note by note from the front of the lips to the back of the throat, thus: moor, meer, merry, Mary, marry, mar, more.
In cultured English centers and in some parts of New England, the long sound of ä, No. 4, appears in such words as dance, France, glass, castle, cast, past, grasp, grant, etc.
In pronouncing the four words—meer merry, marry, mar—the mouth is gradually opened. The four separate “sound points” may be clearly recognized.
Repeat slowly:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| meer | merry | marry | mar |
| mee | mé | mâ | mä |
| mee | mé | mâ | mä |
O is a single sound. In conversation, however, it usually becomes double, being combined with the sound—oo (as in too, tooth, woo)—thus:
| so | is pronounced | so-oo |
| no | is pronounced | no-oo |
| go | is pronounced | go-oo |
The short o sound is pronounced as in hot, pot, nod, God.
O followed by a double consonant is short:
| off | not | awf |
| office | not | awfice |
| coffee | not | cawfee |
| cross, dross, loss, toss | ||
The sound oo unites with the open sound ä to form the double sound in such words as—cow, how, now:
| cä-oo | cow |
| nä-oo | now |
| dä-oo-n | down |
| ä-oo-t | out |
The sound u is a peculiar combination of at least three sounds. It is really a continued flow from ee to oo.
The letter is pronounced exactly as the word you. Speak the vowel very slowly.
The intermediate sound of û may be represented thus:
| u | is | ee-û-oo |
| duke | is | dee-û-oo-k |
| tube | is | tee-û-oo-b |
| mute | is | mee-û-oo-t |
The same sounds occur in such words as few, new, mew.
The middle sound is the most important, and the first and last must be cut very short for a good style.
Ru and lu. When u is preceded by r or l, the first portion of the triple sound is omitted and a double vowel sound is heard—the last part also being cut very short.
Consonants.—Speak slowly and pronounce every letter.
Initial Consonants.—Of these only two require special attention:
th and sh followed by r.
Children frequently say:—one, two, free; and grown-up people will speak of—shrimps as srimps.
Examples: three, shrimp; thread, shrill; throat, shrink; thrush, shroud; through, shrew.
Final Consonants.—The slurring or omission of final consonants is a greater fault than the mispronunciation of vowels, for it points directly to carelessness and indolence on the part of the speaker.
R. It is sometimes stated that there is no r sound in English.
In singing the r is always made distinct.
It should also be apparent in conversation. Thus: father and farther are quite distinct. So, too, ma and mar.
The t belongs to the preceding syllable and the words should be pronounced thus: nat-ure, feat-ure, pict-ure, premat-ure, creat-ure, fut-ure, indent-ure, nurt-ure.
The consonant values of w and y are never terminal in a syllable, but are followed in the same syllable by a vowel. In attempting, for phonic practice, to sound either of these consonants apart from its vowel, make it continuous, not abrupt.
H cannot be separated from its accompanying vowel. Pronounce ha, he, hi, ho, hu, hy. Notice that the office of h is to cover the following vowel with breath. It will be seen, on careful examination, that any attempt to sound h alone will result in whispering a vowel with it.
Wh has for its initial sound simply unvocalized breath, poured through the lips placed in position for w. As a whole the digraph is sounded as it would naturally be if the order of the letters were reversed, thus, hw; as, when, while, whip, pronounced hwen, hwile, hwip.
Lisping children and Germans need to carefully observe the sounds of s and th.
The sound of s is formed by forcing unvocal breath between the tip of the tongue and the upper gum.
Th is produced by placing the tip of the tongue between the teeth or against the upper front teeth, and forcing vocal or unvocal breath between the tongue and the teeth. If vocal breath is used, sonant th is heard, as in this; if unvocal breath, then non-sonant th is produced, as in thin—this last is the sound made for s by those who lisp (lithp).
TABLE OF CONSONANTS
| Name according to exit of sound | Checks | Spirants, Breathings[13] | Liquids Trills | Nasals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name according to quality of sound | Tenues Sharp Hard | Mediæ Flat Soft | Sharp Hard | Flat Soft | |||||||||
| Or- gan- ic Names | - | Labials | p | b | ... | w | ... | m | |||||
| Labio- dentals | ... | ... | ... | v | ... | ... | |||||||
| Dentals | t | d | th in thunder | th in this | l | n | |||||||
| Palatals | ... | ... | - | s | z | ... | ... | ||||||
| sh | - | j in (Fr.) jour | ... | ... | |||||||||
| s in pleasure | ... | ... | |||||||||||
| ch in church | j in John | r | ... | ||||||||||
| ch in (Germ.) ich | y in you | ... | ... | ||||||||||
| Gutturals | k, q, c | g in go | ch in Scotch (loch) | g in (Germ.) tage | ... | ng | |||||||
[13] Some of the Breathings are often called Aspirates.