vowel sound in the first syllable of the word 'jewel,' and that in the first syllable of the word 'beauty,' are identical; so also is that in the first syllable of the word 'ruin;' and yet they are represented respectively by the different signs 'ew,' 'eau,' and 'u.'

The sub-vowel element, which is represented by the sign 'gs' in the word 'rags,' is identical with that which is represented by the sign 'x' in the word 'exact.'

The aspirate element 'f' in 'fancy' is the same which in 'phantom' is represented by 'ph,' &c. In our alphabet, then, the same sign may be used to stand for several different elements or sounds; and the same sound may be represented by several different signs. But in a perfect alphabet this would not be the case.

CHAPTER II.

TABLE OF ELEMENTS.

NOTATION OF SIGNS.

BELOW will be found a table of the elements classed in three columns according to their vocality. It will be observed that syllables or well known words of the English language, the pronunciation of which is so generally agreed upon as to leave no room for dispute, have been selected and placed in order in the 2d, 4th, and 6th of the columns of the table; each of these syllables or words contains an element, and the 1st, 3d, and 5th columns contain the signs of these elements; the letter or letters which in these syllables or words represent each element respectively.

These elements then are to be EXPLODED in the order in which they are placed. That is, they are to be uttered with fullness, with intensity, with abruptness, and force. In this practice two distinct objects are to be had in view, viz. the training of the voice to the perfect utterance, and of the ear to the nice and accurate distinction of sounds.

In default of a Phonetic Alphabet, as most readers may be unacquainted with any such, our own letters, either singly or in combination, are used, and the marks which are adopted by Dr. Webster in his pronouncing dictionary, so far as they are required to represent the sounds of the elements.

This arrangement would be dispensed with by the use of a

*It will be observed that the sub-vowel sounds of th and x, both in the table and the exercises which follow, are represented by italics, while the aspirates corresponding to them are in roman letters.

Phonetic Alphabet, wherein every element would have a sign or letter, and no two signs should represent the same sound. Such an alphabet would be an aid in teaching pronunciation. (See Comstock's System of Elocution.)

NOTATION OF SIGNS.

THE four sounds of A respectively, as heard in the words 'ale,' 'arm,' 'all,' 'an,' are represented thus: àä a ǎ. The sounds of E in the words Eve and end are marked thus: ĕ ĕ. The sounds of I in the words 'isle' and 'in' are I I. Of O in the words 'old,' 'lose,' and 'on,' are marked ō oo Ŏ. The second sound of O is represented by oo. The sounds of U in the words 'tube,' 'up,' and 'full,' are represented respectively thus: ū ŭ ụ. The combinations 'eu' and 'ew' have likewise the same sound precisely with the first ū. The letters 'ou' in these exercises have always the vowel sound in 'our,' and oi is pronounced as in 'oil.'

The sign G in our table and subsequent exercises has always the hard sound as in 'gay.'

The sub-vowel in the word 'then' is represented by italic letters to distinguish it from the aspirate th in the word 'thin.' The sounds of Z and S are well known, as distinguishing the sub-vowel and aspirate sounds of 'S,' as in the words 'reason' and 'sadness.' The sound of 'Z' in the word 'azure' is represented by 'zh;' that of the corresponding aspirate by 'sh.' The sub-vowel in 'Job', 'George,' &c., by 'J.'

The sub-vowel sound of X in 'exact,' is that marked by italic x.

The aspirate X in 'excel' is roman.

The sound of W in watch' is well known. Its correspond

ing aspirate in the word 'what' is commonly represented by 'wh,' but would be better represented by 'hw.'

CHAPTER III.

FAULTS OF THE ALPHABET.

THE SAME SIGN USED FOR DIFFERENT SOUNDS-THE SAME ELEMENT REPRESENTED BY DIFFERENT SIGNS.

Ir will be seen by the following tables that in the use of our alphabet, the same sign is employed to represent several different elements or sounds; and also that the same element is represented by different signs; as follows:

*

It will be seen that the author has been at some pains to prepare these tables; but all that is to be illustrated by them must be wholly lost unless the reader assure himself of the name of each element spoken of. The elements are simple sounds. The names of the letters are not usually the names of the elements. But an element is the sound represented by a letter or sign as found in a certain position or word; and we can only represent and distinguish the elements in our tables by conventional signs. Thus the vowel element in the word ale, is represented by the sign ā; and this sign should not, in reading the tables, be sounded like the sign ä in the word 'arm.' The sign oo or ö in the word 'move' should not be pronounced as the