ENUNCIATION.

THE most common defects or errors of enunciation are found in the substitution, omission, and addition of sounds in syllables, and the overlapping of words in sentences. When there is no organic defect, these faults result from carelessness or ignorance, and can be remedied by constant attention to, and correction of every error of the kind. Fixed habits of articulation or enunciation contracted by uncultivated associations and incompetent teachers are exceedingly difficult to correct. To correct an error the moment it is noticed, either in reading or speaking, may be humiliating, but will prove a sure remedy. In the following list the right-hand column is the corrected one, for practice in substitution, omission, and addition.

* Make a sentence for each word, and pronounce it properly.

The errors with w and v are peculiar to foreigners; there are also those peculiar to children, viz. :*

*Dr. Comstock says: "First I try to show the children the difference of the position of the organs of speech in producing k and g, t and d, etc. If this fails, I open my mouth as widely as possible, so that the tip of the tongue can not touch the gums of the upper teeth, and request the child to open his in like manner. I then direct him to pronounce after me the following syllables: gà, gã, gân, gã, gỗ, gỗ, gò, go, gõ, gõ, gụ, gã, kã, hả, kâ, kă, etc." When this scheme fails he advises the teacher and pupil to press back and down the tongue with the index finger, and pronounce the syllables given in the preceding exercise.

The addition of ǎ or å is so common, examples are not necessary. Heä wentä toä schoolä.

Overlapping.

There is an error of enunciation which deserves especial attention, and that is, the overlapping of successive words, a blending of the last sounds of one word with the first sounds of the succeeding word.*

instead of His small lies.

His small eyes

His hour is up

66

Let all men praise him

66

Water air and earth

"His sour is sup.

"Let tall men pray sim.
"Water rare and dearth.

The man had oars to row her over.
The man had doors to row her rover.

Can there be an aim more lofty?
Can there be a name more lofty?

He was awed at the works of labor and art before him.
He was sawed at the works sof labor an dart before rim.

Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness.

Oh for a lodge in some vas' swilderness.

*The examples here given are from the Introduction to "Sanders's Readers."

Words to Practice in Contrast.

These tables, arranged so as to place words of similar termination in contrast, are of importance to students who desire to speak perfect English. Contrasted words should be practiced alike with the rising or falling inflection, as continent', consonant'; or, continent', consonant'; or, double thus, continent', continent', consonant', consonant`.

TABLE NO. 19.

Contrast No. 1. ible and able (often given uble).*

Contrast No. 2. ěss and ous (often given iss).

*Repeat these endings alternately several times in quick succession.