It is not necessary to use a great deal of breath even when speaking in the most rapid and energetic manner. A small amount of breath economically used will suffice for the utterance of a great many words if the voice is exercised in the natural key. But if its tone is strained and labored, or if it is used in too high or too low a key, the breath will soon become exhausted, and the lungs wearied from want of variety of action.

ACCENT.

Accent is the stress laid on particular syllables to promote harmony of utterance and distinctness of articulation. Generally words of three or more syllables have two of them accented. The one that is made most prominent is called the Primary accent and the other the Secondary

accent.

Accent is made on the short vowels by a more forcible percussive utterance of the accented syllables, and on the open vowels by a louder and more prolonged utterance of the syllables.

The syllable that receives the primary accent is the backbone of the spoken word. Although accent addresses itself to the ear only, while emphasis addresses itself through the ear to the understanding, yet emphasis in most cases is merely an extension of accent. The accented syllable is always the seat of emphasis and the center of vocal expression; hence the great importance of exercises, which, if frequently and faithfully practiced, will result in a good command of accent.

In the following exercises, hold the breath for a moment before the utterance of each accented syllable, exactly as it is held just before a slight cough, or as when you quickly and rather forcibly expel the air from the lungs in any other way; then let the voice suddenly burst forth with per

cussive suddenness on the accented syllable: the instant the breath is expelled let every muscle relax, and give the unaccented syllables in a light, tripping tone.

A clear, pleasant, perfect accent is necessary to distinct articulation and correct pronunciation. As a good articulation is the essence of syllables, so a good accent is the thing most essential in spoken words.

EXERCISES IN ACCENT ON THE SHORT VOWELS.

1. Words of two syllables accented on the first syllable on Sound No. 8, as in living, kindred, silver, fifty, thinking, pilgrim, sinful, singly, finger.

2. Sound No. 10, accented on second syllable, as in eclipse, exist, instill, forgive, convict, forbid, permit, bewitch, insist.

3. Sound No. 10, accented on middle syllable in words of three syllables, as in divinity, extinguish, revisit, explicit, unthinking, bewitching, deliberate, persisting.

4. Sound No. 11, accented in words of two syllables on first syllable, as in ended, selfish, tender, senseless, gentle, letter, beggar.

5. Sound No. 11, accented on second syllable, as in repent, forget, repel, upset, excell, profess, neglect, misstep, refresh, commend.

6. Sound No 11, accented on middle syllable in words of three syllables, as in intended, resplendant, expecting, excelling, repentant, descended, expression, contention.

7. Sound No. 12, accented on first syllable, as in service, certain, fertile, virtue, sterile, nervous, thirdly, person, mirthful.

8. Sound No. 12, on second syllable, as in reverse, observe, refer, confer, bestir, inverse, inter, perverse, converse.

9. Sound No. 12, in words of three syllables accented on middle syllable, as in reversion, inserting, dispersing, per

verseness, preserver, external, imperfect, discerning, persist

ence.

10. Sound No. 13, accented on first syllable of words of two syllables, as in batter, rapid, savage, habit, vandal, sabbath, sandwich, happy, candle.

11. Sound No. 13, accented on second syllable, as in began, recant, attach, detract, entrap, relapse, collapse, exact, detach, forbade.

12. Sound No. 13, accented on middle syllable of words of three syllables, as in inhabit, impassioned, detraction, recanted, expansion, enchanting, exactly, contractor.

13. Sound No. 14, accented on first syllable in words of two syllables, as in cottage, robber, spotted, honor, sorrow, model, dollar, fondly, socket.

14. Sound No. 14, accented on second syllable, as in upon, allot, untrod, along, among, unlock, aloft, restock.

15. Sound No. 14, accented on middle syllable, as in unspotted, deposit, dishonor, estoppel, revolver, remonstrance, demolish, despotic, untrodden.

16. Sound No. 15, accented on first syllable, as in rumble, thunder, furtive, murder, supper, sultry, hurried, mutter, sundry.

17. Sound No. 15, accented on second syllable, as in refund, begun, engulf, recur, unjust, repulse, unstrung, demur, upturned.

18. Sound No. 15, accented on middle syllable, as in impulsive, returning, unfurling, destruction, eruption, disturbance, refunding, resumption, consumption.

19. Sound No. 16, accented on first syllable, as in bookish, looking, crooked, booty, cooking, booted, rooting.

20. Sound No. 16, accented on second syllable, as in forsook, retook, reprove, improve, uproot, remove, withstood, mistook, re-roof.

When the accent is on an open vowel, the accented sound should be prolonged according to the degree of force with which the open vowel is uttered.

K. N. E.-4.

ARTICULATION.

Articulation includes the utterance of the sounds and syllables contained in words; it also includes syllabication, analysis, accent, and pronunciation.

A good articulation consists in giving every sound and every syllable perfectly, according to the established standard of pronunciation; and in making such a distinction between syllables of which words are composed that the ear shall, without difficulty, perceive their number and the syllable to which each sound belongs.

FAULTS IN ARTICULATION.

The worst faults in articulation are:

First.-A feeble utterance of the accented syllables. Second. Omitting or touching too lightly some of the unaccented syllables.

Third. The omission or the indistinct utterance of subvocal or aspirate sounds.

Fourth. The omission or imperfect utterance of the first or of the last syllable or sound of the word.

Fifth. The neglect of the short pauses by which words. must be separated.

Sixth.-Speaking too rapidly.

Articulation is the joining together of the elementary sounds into syllables and the syllables into words.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CORRECTION OF FAULTS IN ARTICU

LATION.

First.-Be always on the watch to detect your faults in articulation and pronunciation, and as soon as possible after you have discovered that you articulate imperfectly any word, write the word down in a page reserved for such words. Speak these words several times a day, taking pains

to utter them in your conversational key and manner, distinctly, and in all respects accurately; speak them very deliberately and with moderate force at first, then gradually increase the rapidity and the energy with which they are uttered.

Second. Select a considerable number of words containing such combinations of the aspirate and subvocal sounds as you find it difficult to speak distinctly and trippingly on the tongue, especially when the attempt is made to give several of them in rapid succession, and practice on them as above directed.

Third.-If you know what your faults in articulation are, let the exercises in which you engage for the purpose of correcting those faults be specially adapted to that end.

Fourth. If your accent has been too light, direct your attention to making it more clear and bold. If you are addicted to the habit of omitting unaccented syllables, frequently and carefully engage in exercises in analysis and syllabication. If to omitting or giving too lightly the initial or first sound in your exercises in articulation, let your attention be specially given to the distinct and perfect utterance of these syllables and their sounds. If your pauses between words are too short, and your utterance too rapid, speak or read very deliberately.

Fifth.-Frequently practice upon the elementary sounds, on difficult words and difficult short passages, in a loud whisper. Also read, recite, declaim, and speak in a loud whisper; but when thus engaged, be sure that every word, syllable, and sound is heard as far off as you intend it to be heard. There is no better exercise for breaking up faults of utterance and acquiring an easy, clear and distinct articulation than that of speaking in a whisper. When talking to persons a short distance from you in the whisper, you discover that the only way by which you can be perfectly heard is through the force and accuracy of your articulation. The effort necessary to be distinctly heard, even at a