The American Union Speaker | Page 4

well
said that good articulation is to the ear what a fair hand or a clear type

is to the eye. Austin's often-quoted description of a good articulation
must not be omitted here. "In just articulation, the words are not to be
hurried over, nor precipitated syllable over syllable; nor as it were
melted together into a mass of confusion. They should be neither
abridged nor prolonged, nor swallowed, nor forced; they should not be
trailed, nor drawled, nor let to slip out carelessly, so as to drop
unfinished. They are to be delivered out from the lips as beautiful coins
newly issued from the mint, deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly
finished, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, in due succession,
and of due weight." Good articulation is not only necessary to the
speaker, as a condition of being heard and understood, but it is a
positive beauty of delivery, for the elementary sounds of speech, when
properly uttered, are in themselves both agreeable and impressive. For
the attainment of this desirable accomplishment, three classes of
exercises are necessary. 1. Upon the separate elementary sounds of the
language, both vowels and consonants; 2. Upon their various
combinations, both such as constitute syllables and such as do not, and
especially the more difficult combinations of consonants; and, 3. Upon
words; spelling them by sounds, that is, uttering the elementary sounds
separately, and then the whole word.
Respecting these exercises, Dr. Rush observes:--"When the elements
are pronounced singly, they may receive a concentration of organic
effort, which gives them a clearness of sound, and a definiteness of
outline, if I may so speak, at their extremes, that make a fine
preparation for a distinct and forcible pronunciation of the compounds
of speech." By elementary sounds is here meant the forty-two sounds of
the language which are represented by the twenty-six letters of the
alphabet. They are represented in the following
TABLE OF ELEMENTARY SOUNDS.
VOWELS.
1. e, eve. 7. a, arm. 13. o, move. 2. i, in. 8. a, all. 14. u, full. 3. a, ale. 9,
o, on. 15. u, tune. 4. e, end. 10. e, err. 16. i, isle. 5. a, air. 11. o, own. 17.
oi, oil. 6. a, and. 12. u, un. 18. ou, our.
CONSONANTS.
1. p, rope. 9. th, bath. 17. ch, etch. 2. b, robe. 10. th, bath. 18. dg,(j)
edge. 3. f, safe. 11. s, buss. 19. sh, rash. 4. v, save. 12. z, buzz. 20. g,(zh)
rouge. 5. m, seem. 13. l, feel. 21. k, rack. 6. w, way. 14. r, fear. 22. g,

rag. 7. t, feet. 15. n, seen. 23. ng, sing. 8. d, feed. 16. y, yea. 24. h, hay.
Pronounce the word eve, for example, slowly and distinctly, observing
the sounds which compose the word, and the movements of the organs
in producing them. Then enunciate singly the sound which the letter
standing on the left has in the word. When a distinct idea of each sound
has been acquired, the practice on the separate elements may be
continued without pronouncing the words. I have heard these sounds
given with distinctness by children five or six years of age. Indeed they
should always be taught with the alphabet.
The next step in articulation proceeds with the combinations of the
elementary sounds. The most common combinations of consonantal
sounds in pairs are those represented in the following
TABLE OF COMBINED CONSONANTS.
pl lf zm zn kr vd rth bl lv mp ln pr zd nth fl lt mf rn rp gd thz vl ld mt nt
rb bz thr tl ls md nd rf vz thn dl lz mz ns rv dz lch sl lk pn nz rt gz rch
zl lg fn pr rd nk nch kl lm vn br rz ks ndg(j) gl ln tn fr rk kt shr lp rm dn
tr rg st ndg lb sm sn dr bd sp ndz
When the simpler combinations have become familiar, the more
difficult, consisting of three or four consonants, should be practised
upon. Finally, words should be pronounced simply as words, giving
attention solely to the articulation. Not that the first steps are expected
to be perfect before the succeeding ones are attempted, but that
attention should be given to only one thing at a time, a grand maxim in
education, when rightly understood. These exercises should be
commenced with the first steps in reading, and continued until the
articulation is perfected, and the student has acquired facility as well as
precision, grace as well as force, and distinctness and ease have been
united and permanently secured.
I would not be understood to affirm that the mode here pointed out is
the only one by which a good articulation can be acquired. If a child is
brought up among