6. Oo. Hold the lips and tongue as just directed but make the circle of the lips smaller. Say the following words: tooth, woo, coo, loom, boom, moon, balloon.

7. Now take each of the following consonant combinations, and say it with every one of the six important vowel sounds just given:

Read the following list of words, pronouncing every word carefully. Notice that every word calls for a separate and distinct vowel sound. These words are typical of all ordinary vowel sounds in English.

LESSON 11.

How to Pronounce Consonant Sounds

Correctly

KEY WORDS: USE THE DICTIONARY AS A GUIDE TO CONSONANT SOUNDS.

If you have been accustomed to speaking a foreign language you are likely to have difficulty in pronouncing some of the English consonant sounds. You may not even be aware that you speak incorrectly.

Turn to the front of any good dictionary, to the part where various sounds are explained.

Study the formation of consonant sounds. You will find full directions for the use of the tongue, the lips, the teeth, and the speech organs in general.

Follow those directions faithfully. There are no better directions given anywhere. You may rely upon it that you are consulting a recognized authority that none will dispute.

For your convenience you will find short directions in this work, in Lesson 13, on pages 53-61.

When you have mastered the way to use the organs of speech in producing any consonant sound, practise pronouncing the various words given as examples. Be sure you follow the directions for the use of the lips, teeth, tongue, etc.

When this has been done, turn to any page of the dictionary and pronounce the words on that page, trying to pronounce every consonant sound as you have been directed.

Whenever you are in doubt, refer at once to the directions for the use of the lips, teeth, tongue, etc., for producing the particular sound.

Repeat the exercise frequently, using the dictionary as a drillmaster, and you will soon speak unusually well.

PROBLEM.

Read aloud the following combinations of consonants and vowels, saying every sound with unusual distinctness.

ba be bi bo bu boo bow

boi

LESSON 12.

How to Master Syllabification

KEY WORDS: SOUND EVERY SYLLABLE THAT SHOULD BE SOUNDED.

One of the most common faults in speech is the failure to pronounce every syllable that should be pronounced.

A great many people speak somewhat as follows:

"Lo, Jim. Wotcha doin?"

"Nuthin."

"Lessgo over by the fakry an see if they're playngame."

"Right. Comelong."

This is really the speech of hundreds of thousands of people every day.

The fault lies in the failure to pronounce all the syllables.

Now let us look at the conversation again.

"Hello, Jim. What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Let's go over by the factory and see if they're playing a game."

"All right. Come along."

The black face type indicates the syllables that were omitted originally. Count them. There are thirteen that were not sounded fully, if at all.

Now read the conversation, sounding every syllable as fully as possible. The effect is as displeasing as the first.

The rule for syllabification is: Sound every syllable that should be sounded, but do not make speech unnatural or artificial.

Whoever you are, it is almost certain that you slur many of your syllables.

Read this page aloud, making sure that you pronounce every syllable fully. Make your speech somewhat artificial for the reading.

Read a hundred words in this way every day until you have cured yourself of slurring speech.

Give thought to the matter and you will easily become correct in syllabification.

PROBLEMS.

Read the following aloud, being careful to sound every syllable in every word: