OBS.—­The principles of articulation constitute the chief exercise of all those who are learning either to speak or to read.  So far as they are specifically taught in this work, they will be found in those sections which treat of the powers of the letters.

SECTION II.—­OF PRONUNCIATION.

Pronunciation, as distinguished from elocution, or delivery, is the utterance of words taken separately.  The correct pronunciation of words, or that part of grammar which teaches it, is frequently called Orthoepy.

Pronunciation, or orthoepy, requires a knowledge of the just powers of the letters in all their combinations; of the distinction of quantity in vowels and syllables; and of the force and seat of the accent.

ARTICLE I—­OF THE POWERS OF LETTERS.

The JUST POWERS of the letters, are those sounds which are given to them by the best readers.  These are to be learned, as reading is learned, partly from example, and partly from such books as show or aid the pronunciation of words.

It is to be observed, however, that considerable variety, even in the powers of the letters, is produced by the character and occasion of what is uttered.  It is noticed by Walker, that, “Some of the vowels, when neither under the accent, nor closed by a consonant, have a longer or a shorter, an opener or a closer sound, according to the solemnity or familiarity, the deliberation or rapidity of our delivery.”—­Pronouncing Dict., Preface, p. 4.  In cursory speech, or in such reading as imitates it, even the best scholars utter many letters with quicker and obscurer sounds than ought ever to be given them in solemn discourse.  “In public speaking,” says Rippingham, “every word should be uttered, as though it were spoken singly.  The solemnity of an oration justifies and demands such scrupulous distinctness.  That careful pronunciation which would be ridiculously pedantic in colloquial intercourse, is an essential requisite of good elocution.”—­Art of Public Speaking, p. xxxvii.

ARTICLE II—­OF QUANTITY.

QUANTITY, or TIME in pronunciation, is the measure of sounds or syllables in regard to their duration; and, by way of distinction, is supposed ever to determine them to be either long or short.[471]

The absolute time in which syllables are uttered, is very variable, and must be different to suit different subjects, passions, and occasions; but their relative length or shortness may nevertheless be preserved, and generally must be, especially in reciting poetry.

Our long syllables are chiefly those which, having sounds naturally capable of being lengthened at pleasure, are made long by falling under some stress either of accent or of emphasis.  Our short syllables are the weaker sounds, which, being the less significant words, or parts of words, are uttered without peculiar stress.