Most persons perhaps would think it was made up of only two sounds-'mat,' and 'er.' These, however, are not either of them simple sounds, because, as may be easily shown, they can be themselves divided. In the syllable' mat,' the first sound heard is 'm,' produced by closing the lips in a particular manner ; the second is that of' a' in the word' a-t :' the third is that of 't' in the word 't-ake.' In the second syllable, 'er,' we have two sounds, 'e' as in the word u-nder,' and 'r' as in the word 'oa-r.'

In this word it so happens that the vocal elementsare almost the same in number with the letters. This is not, however, always the case. In the word 'straight,' the vocal elements are 's' (as in 'hi-ss'), 't,' 'r' r' (as in r-ow'), 'a' (as in a-le '), and 't'. The lettersigh have no corresponding sounds.

different letters. words, 'ea-rl,' same, though it In a perfect alpha

The same letter in different words often stands for very different vocal elements. The sounds heard at the beginning of the words, a-le,' 'a-ll,' 'a-rm,' and 'a-t,' are all represented by the letter' a.' In like manner, one element is often represented by The sound at the beginning of the 'I-rving,' and 'u-nder,' is exactly the is written in three different ways. bet, every sound would have its own letter, and every letter its own sound; but as ours is not a perfect alphabet, we must be content to remember the difference between a vocal element, or simple sound, and an alphabetic element, or letter.

If now we look back again to the first example, ' mat,' we shall see that the three elements which compose it are very unlike one another. The sound' a'

is made with the mouth and throat open, and may therefore be pronounced as loud and full as the voice will admit. The element' m' has the lips closed, and the sound confined. We cannot give it as much force or fulness as the other. The last element, 't,' has a sound like that which we should use in whispering either of the others.

Those elements, which like 'a' may be sounded with the mouth and throat entirely open, are called 'tonic elements.' The alphabetic elements, or letters, used to represent them, are called' vowels.'

Those elements, which like 'm' are sounded with any part of the mouth closed, are called' subtonics.' Those which like 't' have in addition the whispering sound, are called 'atonics.' The subtonic and atonic elements are represented by those letters which we call consonants.

The tonic elements used in the English language are 14 in number. Of these, 8 may be sounded long, the other 6 must be pronounced short.

The 8 long tonics are,

1 ee, as in the words ee-l, m-e, ea-t, bel-ie-ve

oo-ze, m-o-ve, tr-ue, l-u-te

a-le, ai-r, pr-ay

a-rm, l-au-nch, a-fter

2 00,

3 a,

4 a',

a-ll, l-au-d, l-o-rd, aw-ful

5 a",

6 0,

o-ld, n-o, oa-k, ow-n

ou,

ou-r, v-ow

[st-ye

8 i,

i-sle, l-ie, th-y-me, beautif-y,

The 6 short tonics are,

1 i', as in the words i-t, w-i-ll, beaut-y

It may be observed that the first four of the long tonics answer very nearly, if not exactly, to the first four of the short ones. The word eat,' (ee-t) shortened, becomes 'it,' (i-t). The sound of' ooze' (00-z) becomes that of 'foot,' (f-u-t); 'age' (a-dzh) is changed to 'edge,' (e-dzh), and all' (a'-l) into 'ol,' (0-1).

Of the eight long tonics, only two are really monothongs, i. e. only two end with the same sound as that on which they begin. These two are placed at the head of the list; 'ee' and 'oo.'

The other six are diphthongs; i. e. they begin on one sound, and end on another; thus,

These diphthongal elements are to be distinguished from the diphthongs, as they are commonly reckoned in grammar. They consist, it is true, of two sounds; but then the first of them cannot be given without the second, though the second may be sounded apart from the first. The sounds 'ay,' 'oy,' or ' eu,' as in feudal,'

(f-eu-dal) which might be called diphthongs in grammar, are not to be so considered in elocution, because they consist each of them of two perfectly distinct sounds, either of which may be sounded by itself. Thus, 'ay' is made up of a" and i', 'oy' of o' and i', and 'eu' of i' and oo.

The subtonic elements are 15 in number.

1 b, as in the words b-old, b-ul-b, El-be

2 d,

3 g,

4 1,

5 m,

d-are, ha-d

g-ive, ha-g

l-ow, a-ll

m-ine, ai-m

The atonic elements are 9 in number.

1 P * as in the words p-ull, ha-p, a-pe

2 t,

t-ake, sa-t, la-te

* The three atonic elements, p, t, and k, cannot be uttered audibly by themselves. They will require some other element to be sounded with them, p-i,l -p, t-s, a'''t-, k-l, l-k, o'-k. It does not signify whether the other element be a tonic, a subtonic, or even any other atonic. The union of any other element will enable us to sound them clearly enough.

There are several combinations of these elements which may be easily mistaken for simple sounds; e. g.

The combination d-zh in the words,j-oy, a-ge, stran-ge

The pupils must be exercised in repeating all these elements, BY THEMSELVES, as well as in the words in which they are exhibited, until each of them can be sounded correctly and with ease. After this practice is completed, let them proceed to the two following tables.* The first contains a number of words which

* The Grammar of Elocution gives directions for a course of exercises on the Vocal Elements, more copious than was thought necessary for a class of children. Adults, whose vicious pronunciation is more confirmed, would probably find the tables here given insufficient. Any teacher, who may wish to carry out his in struction in this branch farther than they will carry him, may be referred therefore to the larger work. Oral explanations may easily place its tables before the class. Probably, however, few will find

such a step necessary with children.