Examples
| Incorrect | Correct | Incorrect | Correct |
| Sep-er-ate | sep-a-rate | Mem-er-ry | mem-o-ry |
| met-ric-ul | met-ric-al | up-pin-ion | o-pin-ion |
| up-pear | ap-pear | prup-ose | pro-pose |
| com-per-tent | com-pe-tent | gran-ny-lar | gran-u-lar |
| dum-mand | de-mand | par-tic-e-lar | par-tic-u-lar |
| ob-stur-nate | ob-sti-nate | ev-er-dent | ev-i-dent |
REMARK I.—In correcting errors of this kind in words of more than one syllable, it is very important to avoid a fault which is the natural consequence of an effort to articulate correctly. Thus, in endeavoring to sound correctly the a in met’ric-al, the pupil is very apt to say met-ric-al’. accenting the last syllable instead of the first.
REMARK 2.—The teacher should bear it in mind that in correcting a fault there is always danger of erring in the opposite extreme. Properly speaking, there is no danger of learning to articulate too distinctly, but there is danger of making the obscure sounds too prominent, and of reading in a slow, measured, and unnatural manner.
RULE IV.—Utter distinctly the terminating subvocals and aspirates.
Examples
| Incorrect | Correct | Incorrect | Correct |
| An’ | and | Mos’ | mosque |
| ban’ | band | near-es’ | near-est |
| moun’ | mound | wep’ | wept |
| mor-nin’ | morn-ing | ob-jec’ | ob-ject |
| des’ | desk | sub-jec | sub-ject |
REMARK 1.—This omission is still more likely to occur when several consonants come together.
Examples
| Incorrect | Correct | Incorrect | Correct |
| Thrus’ | thrusts | Harms’ | harm’st |
| beace | beasts | wrongs’ | wrong’st |
| thinks’ | thinkst | twinkles’ | twinkl’dst |
| weps’ | weptst | black’ns | black’n’dst |
REMARK 2.—In all cases of this kind these sounds are omitted, in the first instance, merely because they are difficult, and require care and attention for their utterance, although after a while it becomes a habit. The only remedy is to devote that care and attention which may be necessary. There is no other difficulty, unless there should be a defect in the organs of speech, which is not often the case.
RULE V.—A void blending syllables which belong to different words.
Examples
INCORRECT. CORRECT.
————— ——————
He ga-zdupon. He gazed upon.
Here res tsis sed. Here rests his head.
Whattis sis sname? What is his name?
For ranninstantush. For an instant hush.
Ther ris sa calm, There is a calm.
For tho stha tweep. For those that weep.
God sglorou simage. God’s glorious image.
Exercises in Articulation
This exercise and similar ones will afford valuable aid in training the organs to a distinct articulation.
Every vice fights against nature.
Folly is never pleased with itself.
Pride, not nature, craves much.
The little tattler tittered at the tempest.
Titus takes the petulant outcasts.
The covetous partner is destitute of fortune.
No one of you knows where the shoe pinches.
What can not be cured must be endured.
You can not catch old birds with chaff.
Never sport with the opinions of others.
The lightnings flashed, the thunders roared.
His hand in mine was fondly clasped.
They cultivated shrubs and plants.
He selected his texts with great care.
His lips grow restless, and his smile is curled half into scorn.
Wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness.
O breeze, that waftst me on my way!
Thou boast’st of what should be thy shame.
Life’s fitful fever over, he rests well.
Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons?
From star to star the living lightnings flash.
And glittering crowns of prostrate seraphim.
That morning, thou that slumber’d’st not before.
Habitual evils change not on a sudden.
Thou waft’d’st the rickety skiffs over the cliffs.
Thou reef’d’st the haggled, shipwrecked sails.
The honest shepherd’s catarrh.
The heiress in her dishabille is humorous.
The brave chevalier behaves like a conservative.
The luscious notion of champagne and precious sugar.
III. Inflections
Inflections are slides of the voice upward or downward. Of these, there are two: the rising inflection and the falling inflection.
The Rising Inflection is that in which the voice slides upward, and is marked thus (′); as,
Did you walk’? Did you walk.
The Falling Inflection is that in which the voice slides downward, and is marked thus (‘); as,
I did not walk’. I did not walk.
Both inflections are exhibited in the following question:
Did you walk’ or ride’? walk or ride.
In the following examples, the first member has the rising and the second member the falling inflection:
Examples
Is he sick’, or is he well’?
Did you say valor’, or value’?
Did you say statute’, or statue’?
Did he act properly’, or improperly’?
In the following examples, the inflections are used in a contrary order, the first member terminating with the falling and the second with the rising inflection:
Examples
He is well’, not sick’.
I said value’, not valor’.
I said statue’, not statute’.
He acted properly’, not improperly’.
Falling Inflections
Rule VI.—The falling inflection is generally proper wherever the sense is complete.
Examples
Truth is more wonderful than fiction’.
Men generally die as they live’.
By industry we obtain wealth’.
REMARK.—Parts of a sentence often make complete sense in themselves, and in this case, unless qualified or restrained by the succeeding clause, or unless the contrary is indicated by some other principle, the falling inflection takes place according to the rule.
Examples
Truth is wonderful’, even more so than fiction’.
Men generally die as they live’ and by their actions we must judge of their character’.
Exception.—When a sentence concludes with a negative clause, or with a contrast or comparison (called also antithesis), the first member of which requires the falling inflection, it must close with the rising inflection. (See Rule XI, and paragraph 2, Note.)
Examples
No one desires to be thought a fool’.
I come to bury’ Caesar, not to praise’ him.
He lives in England’ not in France’.
REMARK.—In bearing testimony to the general character of a man we say:
He is too honorable’ to be guilty of a vile’ act.
But if he is accused of some act of baseness, a contrast is at once instituted between his character and the specified act, and we change the inflections, and say:
He is too honorable’ to be guilty of such’ an act.
A man may say in general terms:
I am too busy’ for projects’.
But if he is urged to embark in some particular enterprise, he will change the inflections, and say:
I am too busy’ for projects’.
In such cases, as the falling inflection is required in the former part by the principle of contrast and emphasis (as will hereafter be more fully explained), the sentence necessarily closes with the rising inflection. Sometimes, also, emphasis alone seems to require the rising inflection on the concluding word. See exception to Rule VII.
(5.-2.)
Strong Emphasis
RULE VII.—Language which demands strong emphasis generally requires the falling inflection.
EXAMPLES. 1. Command or urgent entreaty; as,
Begone’,
Run’ to your houses, fall’ upon your knees,
Pray’ to the Gods to intermit the plagues.
0, save’ me, Hubert’ save’ me I My eyes are out
Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.
2. Exclamation, especially when indicating strong emotion; as,
0, ye Gods’! ye Gods’! must I endure all this?
Hark’! Hark’! the horrid sound
Hath raised up his head.
For interrogatory exclamation, see Rule X, Remark.
Notes
1 These questions and similar ones, with their answers, should be repeatedly pronounced with their proper inflection, until the distinction between the rising and falling inflection is well understood and easily made by the learner. He will be assisted in this by emphasizing strongly the word which receives the inflection, thus. Did you RIDE’ or did you WALK’?