* * * * *

The instructor should drill the pupils in spelling not only these “catch” words, but a wide range of English words.  These lessons may be taken to advantage from some of the books mentioned in the list for supplementary reading, from any other good spelling book, or even from the pages of any well printed book or magazine.  The words should be given out orally and written down by the pupil.  A good exercise is the reading of a paragraph from any good book, or some stanza of poetry, the passage read to be taken down by the pupil with care to spell, punctuate, and capitalize properly.

A number of topics sometimes treated under the head of spelling will be found discussed in the “Printer’s Manual of Style” (No. 41).

PRONUNCIATION

The English language is a difficult one to pronounce as well as to spell.  This arises from two causes.  The English language has some sounds not generally found in other languages, such as w and th.  As has already been pointed out, the alphabet fits the language very badly.  Careful lexicographers indicate no less than seven sounds of a, five of e, three of i, four of o and six of u, as shown in the following table: 

[=a] as in [=a]le [Ia] as in sen[Ia]te [)a] as in [)a]m a as in ask [a:] as in [a:]ll ae as in faether (a) as in fin(a)l

[=e] as in [=e]ve [)e] as in [)e]nd [Ie] as in ev[Ie]nt [e] as in f[e]rn (e) as in prud(e)nce

[=i] as in [=i]ce [Ii] as in [Ii]dea [)i] as in p[)i]n

[=o] as in [=o]ld [Io] as in [Io]pen [)o] as in [)o]dd o as in orb

[=u] as in [=u]se [Iu] as in [Iu]nite [)u] as in [)u]p [u:] as in r[u:]de [u=] as in f[u=]ll u as in urn

In addition to these there are diphthongs, combinations of vowel sounds pronounced as one syllable, such as

ou as in out oi as in oil

There are also a number of digraphs or combinations of vowels or consonants which have but one sound, such as

ai as in rain eo as in people ou as in soup ou as in soul ph as in phalanx ch as in chorus or chair

C has two sounds, hard before a, o, and u, as in cat, cot, and cut, and soft before e, i, and y, as in cell, city, and cycle.

G has two sounds, hard before a, o, and u, as in gate, gone, and gun, soft before e, i, and y, as in gem, gin, and gyve, although it is sometimes hard before i as in girl.

Ch is sometimes soft as in chair and arch, and sometimes hard as in choir.