8. The organs employed in uttering the consonant sounds, are the lips, teeth, tongue, palate, and throat.

9. The consonant sounds may also be classed with reference to the organs, principally employed in forming them. Those which are mainly formed by the lips, are called LABIALS; as, b, p, m, &c. Those, by the teeth, are called DENTALS; as, d, t. Those, by the tongue, are called LINGUALS; as, l. Those, by the palate, are called PALATALS; as, k. Those, by the throat, are called GUTTURALS; as, g in good.

latter, the vowel seems Thus, long a before r,

NOTE. In pronouncing some vowels before certain consonants, by a sudden change of the vocal organs in sounding the almost like a different sound from what it really is. appears almost like a different sound from a in late. case. The seeming variation is caused merely by a sudden change in the organs in closing the sound of a, preparatory to the sounding of the r following.

But such is not the

LESSON III.

ARTICULATION.-CONTINUED.

Syllables, Words, and Sentences.

1. The next department of Articulation, relates to the utterance of the Elemental sounds in their various combinations, in forming SYLLABLES, WORDS, and SENTENCES.

2. A SYLLABLE is expressed by one emission, or impulse, of the voice. A word of one syllable is called a monosyllable ; a word of two syllables, a dissyllable; a word of three syllables, a trisyllable; a word of four or more syllables, a polysyllable.

NOTE. A distinct syllable can contain but one elemental vowel sound,

What organs of the voice are employed in uttering the consonants? With reference to these organs, how may they be classed? What change is apparently made in sounding some vowels before certain consonants? How is it caused?

To what does the second department of Articulation relate? What is a syllable? How many vowel sounds does a syllable contain? Does every syllable contain a vowel sound?

though some syllables do not contain any vowel sound, as the second syl lable in staple, marble.

3. Let the student give utterance, in a distinct and forcible manner, to the following,

4. After a thorough practice in the foregoing combinations of sounds, let the following words be pronounced with distinctness

5. In the pronunciation of words, containing two or more syllables, one syllable is sounded with more stress of voice than the others. This distinction of certain syllables, is called

ACCENT.

1. ACCENT is a stress of voice on a particular syllable in a word, to distinguish it from the others.

2. Most words of three or more syllables, have two accented syllables. The more forcible stress of voice, is called the PRIMARY ACCENT,-the less forcible, is called the SECONDARY ACCENT. Thus, Ex'-tem-po-ra"-ne-ous.

3. In pronouncing words of several syllables, the unaccented

What exercise is proposed to acquire skill in the articulation of difficult combinations of consonant sounds? What is Accent? What is Primary Accent? What, Secondary ?

syllables are liable to be suppressed, or too slightly marked by the voice. For exercise, pronounce the following words, denoting, with due degree, the several syllables which compose them.

Dem'-on-strate, -ex-u'-ber-ance, - cem'-e-te-ry,-ar-tif'-i-cer,- hor-ticul'-tur-ist,-com-mu'-ni-ca-bil''-i-ty,-coun'-ter-rev-o-lu"-tion-a-ry,—val'

e-tu-di-nari-an,-in-com-pre-hen'-si-bil"-i-ty,- char'-i-ta-ble-ness,-con

sid'-er-a-ble,-in-stan-ta'-ne-ous-ly,-un-cer-e-mo'-ni-ous-ness,-di-a-met'ric-al-ly, hyp-o-crit'-ic-al-ly-im-pen-e-tra-bil-i-ty.

4. For further exercise in Articulation, let the following sentences be read with rapidity, and the differences in sense be denoted by the difference in articulation.

1.

2.

3.

4.

S He can maintain either position.

He can maintain neither position.

S They never imagined such an ocean to exist.
They never imagined such a notion to exist.
The magistrates ought to arrest the offender.

They discovered naught but wastes and deserts.
They discovered naught but waste sand deserts.
Are we in life through one great error led?

5. {Are we in life through one great terror led?

6.

S Lo! unvailed the scenes of those dark ages. Lo! unvailed the scenes of those dark cages. 7. Did you say "ice cream," or " I scream ?"

5. Let the following examples be repeatedly read,—giving each sound its due degree of expression,-until they can be uttered with distinctness and accuracy.

1. Lie lightly on her, earth! her step was light on thee.

2. None now was left to tell the truthful tale.

3. Dark colored clouds spread o'er the heavens.

4. Had he heeded his humble advice, he happily might have escaped.

5. They came too late to attend the triennial meeting.

6. He committed to memory the mysterious mummery, most mindful of its magnitude.

7. His composition was compared with his competent competitors. 8. The act, of all the acts of government, was the most stringent.

9. Thou look'st from Thy throne in the clouds, and laugh'st at the storm.

What error are we liable to commit in pronouncing words of numerous syllables?

10. Bright angels! strike your loudest strings,— Your sweetest voices raise.

11. I love my country's pine-clad hills,

Her thousand bright and gushing rills,
Her sunshine and her storms;

Her rough and rugged rocks that rear
Their hoary heads high in the air,

In wild fantastic forms.

12. The cricket kept creeping across the crevices.

13. For fear of offending the frightful fugitive, the vile vagabond ventured to vilify the venerable veteran.

14. While wandering where the whirlpool wends its winding way,

We wistfully watched the wrathful waters wildly play.

15. The strippling stranger strayed straight toward the struggling stream. 16. The sleepy sluggard sits slumbering silently.

17. All that's bright must fade,―

The brightest still the fleetest;

All that's sweet was made

But to be lost when sweetest.

18. He carves with classic chisel the Corinthian capital that crowns the column.

19. Now on his couch he shrunk and shivered.

20. Morn that now meet'st the orient sun, now fly'st.

21. Yet say, should tyrants learn at last to feel,

And the loud din of battle cease to bray;

Would death be foiled? Would health, and strength, and youth,
Defy his power? Has he no arts in store,

No other shafts save those of war? Alas!

Even in the smile of peace-that smile which sheds

A heavenly sunshine o'er the soul,-there basks
That serpent-Luxury.

22. The Almighty sustains and conducts the universe. It was He who separated the jarring elements! It was He who hung up the worlds in empty space! It is He who preserves them in their circles, and impels hem in their course!

23. The bliss of man,-could pride that blessing find,

Is not to act or think beyond mankind.

24. All the oriental luster of the richest gems, all the enchanting beau ties of exterior shape, the exquisite of all forms, the loveliness of col or, the harmony of sounds, the heat and brightness of the enlivening sun, the heroic virtue of the bravest minds, with the purity and quickness of the highest intellect, are all emanations from the Deity.

25. The foulest stain and scandal of our nature,
Became its boast. One murder makes a villain,
Millions, a hero. War its thousands slays;
Peace, its tens of thousands.

6. In attempting to avoid the errors which there is a liability to commit in reading, as in passages like the foregoing, some readers protract the sounds which they are inclined to inarticulate, to an undue length, give too much stress on unaccented syllables, and render emphatic unimportant words. Such a practice renders the reading or speaking too studied, labored, and affected; and it should be as studiously avoided as the most careless habits of utterance. While the several syllables and words should be distinctly noted by the voice, yet they should be pronounced "trippingly on the tongue."

7. The four principal faults which are often committed, are particularly noticed on page 13 of "THE SCHOOL READER, FOURTH BOOK," which, it is presumed, have received due attention. But perhaps the most common fault, and the one which particularly deserves notice, is the habit of carrying forward the last sound of a syllable or word, to a succeeding one. Thus, “He brought some mice," instead of, "He brought some ice."

8. The origin of these faults, is attributable, to a great extent, to the habit which generally prevails, of reading too rapidly. It is sometimes, however, owing to physical defects in the vocal organs. In some persons, these organs are more stiff and unwieldy than in others; yet by a vigorous discipline, they may be rendered pliant and tractable. For instance, if the muscles around the lips and mouth, are heavy, much practice on sounds which bring them into exercise, will render them sprightly and manageable. Thus, sound b or p several times in quick succession; or repeat rapidly such a sentence as, "The swan swam over the river, well swum swan."

What error is sometimes committed in attempting to avoid errors? What are some of the faults which we are liable to commit in articulation? To what is the origin of these faults attributable? What exercise is recommended to acquire skill in controlling the organs of the voice?