—Hesiod, Words and Days.
And endless are the modes of speech, and far
Extends from side to side the field of words.
—Homer, Iliad.
In popular usage the terms "pronunciation," "enunciation1," and "articulation2" are synonymous, but real pronunciation includes three distinct processes, and may therefore be defined as, the utterance3 of a syllable4 or a group of syllables5 with regard to articulation, accentuation, and enunciation.
Distinct and precise utterance is one of the most important considerations of public speech. How preposterous6 it is to hear a speaker making sounds of "inarticulate earnestness" under the contented7 delusion8 that he is telling something to his audience! Telling? Telling means communicating, and how can he actually communicate without making every word distinct?
Slovenly9 pronunciation results from either physical deformity or habit. A surgeon or a surgeon dentist may correct a deformity, but your own will, working by self-observation and resolution in drill, will break a habit. All depends upon whether you think it worth while.
Defective10 speech is so widespread that freedom from it is the exception. It is painfully common to hear public speakers mutilate the king's English. If they do not actually murder it, as Curran once said, they often knock an i out.
A Canadian clergyman, writing in the Homiletic Review, relates that in his student days "a classmate who was an Englishman supplied a country church for a Sunday. On the following Monday he conducted a missionary11 meeting. In the course of his address he said some farmers thought they were doing their duty toward missions when they gave their 'hodds and hends' to the work, but the Lord required more. At the close of the meeting a young woman seriously said to a friend: 'I am sure the farmers do well if they give their hogs12 and hens to missions. It is more than most people can afford.'"
It is insufferable effrontery13 for any man to appear before an audience who persists in driving the h out of happiness, home and heaven, and, to paraphrase14 Waldo Messaros, will not let it rest in hell. He who does not show enough self-knowledge to see in himself such glaring faults, nor enough self-mastery to correct them, has no business to instruct others. If he can do no better, he should be silent. If he will do no better, he should also be silent.
Barring incurable15 physical defects—and few are incurable nowadays—the whole matter is one of will. The catalogue of those who have done the impossible by faithful work is as inspiring as a roll-call of warriors16. "The less there is of you," says Nathan Sheppard, "the more need for you to make the most of what there is of you."
Articulation
Articulation is the forming and joining of the elementary sounds of speech. It seems an appalling17 task to utter articulately the third-of-a million words that go to make up our English vocabulary, but the way to make a beginning is really simple: learn to utter correctly, and with easy change from one to the other, each of the forty-four elementary sounds in our language.
The reasons why articulation is so painfully slurred18 by a great many public speakers are four: ignorance of the elemental sounds; failure to discriminate19 between sounds nearly alike; a slovenly, lazy use of the vocal20 organs; and a torpid21 will. Anyone who is still master of himself will know how to handle each of these defects.
The vowel22 sounds are the most vexing23 source of errors, especially where diphthongs are found. Who has not heard such errors as are hit off in this inimitable verse by Oliver Wendell Holmes:
The careless lips that speak of s?ap for sōap;
The clownish voice that utters r?ad for rōad;
Less stern to him who calls his cōat, a c?at
She pardoned one, our classic city's boast.
Who said at Cambridge, m?st instead of mōst,
But knit her brows and stamped her angry foot
To hear a Teacher call a rōōt a r??t.
The foregoing examples are all monosyllables, but bad articulation is frequently the result of joining sounds that do not belong together. For example, no one finds it difficult to say beauty, but many persist in pronouncing duty as though it were spelled either dooty or juty. It is not only from untaught speakers that we hear such slovenly articulations as colyum for column, and pritty for pretty, but even great orators27 occasionally offend quite as unblushingly as less noted28 mortals.
Nearly all such are errors of carelessness, not of pure ignorance—of carelessness because the ear never tries to hear what the lips articulate. It must be exasperating29 to a foreigner to find that the elemental sound ou gives him no hint for the pronunciation of bough30, cough, rough, thorough, and through, and we can well forgive even a man of culture who occasionally loses his way amidst the intricacies of English articulation, but there can be no excuse for the slovenly utterance of the simple vowel sounds which form at once the life and the beauty of our language. He who is too lazy to speak distinctly should hold his tongue.
The consonant31 sounds occasion serious trouble only for those who do not look with care at the spelling of words about to be pronounced. Nothing but carelessness can account for saying Jacop, Babtist, sevem, alwus, or sadisfy.
"He that hath yaws to yaw, let him yaw," is the rendering32 which an Anglophobiac clergyman gave of the familiar scripture33, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." After hearing the name of Sir Humphry Davy pronounced, a Frenchman who wished to write to the eminent34 Englishman thus addressed the letter: "Serum35 Fridavi."
Accentuation
Accentuation is the stressing of the proper syllables in words. This it is that is popularly called pronunciation. For instance, we properly say that a word is mispronounced when it is accented in'-viteinstead of in-vite', though it is really an offense36 against only one form of pronunciation—accentuation.
It is the work of a lifetime to learn the accents of a large vocabulary and to keep pace with changing usage; but an alert ear, the study of word-origins, and the dictionary habit, will prove to be mighty37 helpers in a task that can never be finally completed.
Enunciation
Correct enunciation is the complete utterance of all the sounds of a syllable or a word. Wrong articulation gives the wrong sound to the vowel or vowels38 of a word or a syllable, as doo for dew; or unites two sounds improperly40, as hully for wholly. Wrong enunciation is the incomplete utterance of a syllable or a word, the sound omitted or added being usually consonantal41. To say needcessity instead of necessity is a wrong articulation; to say doin for doing is improper39 enunciation. The one articulates—that is, joints42—two sounds that should not be joined, and thus gives the word a positively43 wrong sound; the other fails to touch all the sounds in the word, and in that particular way also sounds the word incorrectly.
"My tex' may be foun' in the fif' and six' verses of the secon' chapter of Titus; and the subjec' of my discourse44 is 'The Gover'ment of ar Homes.'"[6]
What did this preacher do with his final consonants45? This slovenly dropping of essential sounds is as offensive as the common habit of running words together so that they lose their individuality and distinctness. Lighten dark, uppen down, doncher know, partic'lar, zamination, are all too common to need comment.
Imperfect enunciation is due to lack of attention and to lazy lips. It can be corrected by resolutely46 attending to the formation of syllables as they are uttered. Flexible lips will enunciate47 difficult combinations of sounds without slighting any of them, but such flexibility48 cannot be attained49 except by habitually50 uttering words with distinctness and accuracy. A daily exercise in enunciating a series of sounds will in a short time give flexibility to the lips and alertness to the mind, so that no word will be uttered without receiving its due complement51 of sound.
Returning to our definition, we see that when the sounds of a word are properly articulated, the right syllables accented, and full value given to each sound in its enunciation, we have correct pronunciation. Perhaps one word of caution is needed here, lest any one, anxious to bring out clearly every sound, should overdo52 the matter and neglect the unity53 and smoothness of pronunciation. Be careful not to bring syllables into so much prominence54 as to make words seem long and angular. The joints must be kept decently dressed.
Before delivery, do not fail to go over your manuscript and note every sound that may possibly be mispronounced. Consult the dictionary and make assurance doubly sure. If the arrangement of words is unfavorable to clear enunciation, change either words or order and do not rest until you can follow Hamlet's directions to the players.
QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES
1. Practise repeating the following rapidly, paying particular attention to the consonants.
You youngsters yielded your youthful yule-tide yearnings yesterday.
2. Sound the l in each of the following words, repeated in sequence:
Blue black blinkers blocked Black Blondin's eyes.
3. Do you say a bloo sky or a blue sky?
4. Compare the u sound in few and in new. Say each aloud, and decide which is correct, Noo York, New Yawk, or New York?
5. Pay careful heed60 to the directions of this chapter in reading the following, from Hamlet. After the interview with the ghost of his father, Hamlet tells his friends Horatio and Marcellus that he intends to act a part:
Hamlet. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
But come;
Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
How strange or odd so'er I bear myself,—
As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition62 on,—
That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, an if we would,"
Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an if there might,"
Or such ambiguous giving-out, to note
That you know aught of me: this not to do,
So grace and mercy at your most need help you,
Swear.
—Act I. Scene V.
6. Make a list of common errors of pronunciation, saying which are due to faulty articulation, wrong accentuation, and incomplete enunciation. In each case make the correction.
8. Explain how the false shame of seeming to be too precise may hinder us from cultivating perfect verbal utterance.
9. Over-precision is likewise a fault. To bring out any syllable unduly64 is to caricature the word. Be moderate in reading the following:
THE LAST SPEECH OF MAXIMILIAN DE ROBESPIERRE
The enemies of the Republic call me tyrant65! Were I such they would grovel66 at my feet. I should gorge67 them with gold, I should grant them immunity68 for their crimes, and they would be grateful. Were I such, the kings we have vanquished69, far from denouncing Robespierre, would lend me their guilty support; there would be a covenant70 between them and me. Tyranny must have tools. But the enemies of tyranny,—whither does their path tend? To the tomb, and to immortality71! What tyrant is my protector? To what faction72 do I belong? Yourselves! What faction, since the beginning of the Revolution, has crushed and annihilated73 so many detected traitors74? You, the people,—our principles—are that faction—a faction to which I am devoted75, and against which all the scoundrelism of the day is banded!
The confirmation76 of the Republic has been my object; and I know that the Republic can be established only on the eternal basis of morality. Against me, and against those who hold kindred principles, the league is formed. My life? Oh! my life I abandon without a regret! I have seen the past; and I foresee the future. What friend of this country would wish to survive the moment when he could no longer serve it,—when he could no longer defend innocence77 against oppression? Wherefore should I continue in an order of things, where intrigue78 eternally triumphs over truth; where justice is mocked; where passions the most abject79, or fears the most absurd, over-ride the sacred interests of humanity? In witnessing the multitude of vices80 which the torrent81 of the Revolution has rolled in turbid82 communion with its civic83 virtues84, I confess that I have sometimes feared that I should be sullied, in the eyes of posterity85, by the impure86 neighborhood of unprincipled men, who had thrust themselves into association with the sincere friends of humanity; and I rejoice that these conspirators87 against my country have now, by their reckless rage, traced deep the line of demarcation between themselves and all true men.
Question history, and learn how all the defenders88 of liberty, in all times, have been overwhelmed by calumny89. But their traducers died also. The good and the bad disappear alike from the earth; but in very different conditions. O Frenchmen! O my countrymen! Let not your enemies, with their desolating90 doctrines91, degrade your souls, and enervate92 your virtues! No, Chaumette, no! Death is not "an eternal sleep!" Citizens! efface93 from the tomb that motto, graven by sacrilegious hands, which spreads over all nature a funereal94 crape, takes from oppressed innocence its support, and affronts95 the beneficent dispensation of death! Inscribe96 rather thereon these words: "Death is the commencement of immortality!" I leave to the oppressors of the People a terrible testament97, which I proclaim with the independence befitting one whose career is so nearly ended; it is the awful truth—"Thou shalt die!"
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1
enunciation
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| n.清晰的发音；表明，宣言；口齿 | |
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articulation
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| n.（清楚的）发音；清晰度，咬合 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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syllables
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| n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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9
slovenly
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| adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的 | |
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defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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paraphrase
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| vt.将…释义，改写；n.释义，意义 | |
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incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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slurred
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| 含糊地说出( slur的过去式和过去分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱 | |
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19
discriminate
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| v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待 | |
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vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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torpid
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| adj.麻痹的，麻木的，迟钝的 | |
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vowel
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| n.元音；元音字母 | |
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vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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condemns
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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steers
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| n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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exasperating
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| adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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consonant
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| n.辅音；adj.[音]符合的 | |
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rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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scripture
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| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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serum
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| n.浆液，血清，乳浆 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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vowels
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| n.元音，元音字母( vowel的名词复数 ) | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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improperly
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| 不正确地，不适当地 | |
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consonantal
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| adj.辅音的，带辅音性质的 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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consonants
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| n.辅音，子音( consonant的名词复数 )；辅音字母 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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enunciate
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| v.发音；（清楚地）表达 | |
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flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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frivolity
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| n.轻松的乐事，兴高采烈；轻浮的举止 | |
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mimicry
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| n.（生物）拟态，模仿 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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shale
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| n.页岩，泥板岩 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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grovel
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| vi.卑躬屈膝，奴颜婢膝 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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covenant
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| n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约 | |
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immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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faction
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| n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争 | |
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annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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76
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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77
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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78
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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80
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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81
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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turbid
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| adj.混浊的，泥水的，浓的 | |
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83
civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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84
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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85
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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86
impure
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| adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的 | |
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87
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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88
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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calumny
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| n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤 | |
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90
desolating
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| 毁坏( desolate的现在分词 )； 极大地破坏； 使沮丧； 使痛苦 | |
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91
doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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92
enervate
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| v.使虚弱，使无力 | |
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efface
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| v.擦掉，抹去 | |
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94
funereal
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| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
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95
affronts
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| n.（当众）侮辱，（故意）冒犯( affront的名词复数 )v.勇敢地面对( affront的第三人称单数 )；相遇 | |
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inscribe
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| v.刻；雕；题写；牢记 | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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