erence: with a, the passage of the breath is uninterrupted; with l, the
tongue is applied to the palate, breaking or arresting the passage of the
breath.

s. 108. The primary division of our articulate sounds is into vowels and
consonants. The latter are again divided into liquids (l, m, n, r) and
mutes (p, b, f, v, t, d, k, g, s, z, &c.).

s. 109. _Sharp and flat._--Take the sounds of p, f, t, k, s. Isolate them
from their vowels, and pronounce them. The sound is the sound of a whisper.

Let b, v, d, g, z, be similarly treated. The sound is no whisper, but one
at the natural tone of our voice.

Now p, f, t, k, s (with some others that will be brought forward anon) are
_sharp_, whilst b, v, &c., are _flat_. Instead of _sharp_, some say _hard_,
and instead of _flat_, some say _soft_. The terms _sonant_ and _surd_ are,
in a scientific point of view, the least exceptionable. They have, however,
the disadvantage of being pedantic. The _tenues_ of the classics (as far as
they go) are sharp, the _mediae_ flat.

s. 110. _Continuous and explosive._--Isolate the sounds of b, p, t, d, k,
g. Pronounce them. You have no power of prolonging the sounds, or of
resting upon them. They escape with the breath, and they escape at once.

It is not so with f, v, sh, zh. Here the breath is transmitted by degrees,
and the sound can be drawn out and prolonged for an indefinite space of
time. Now b, p, t, &c., are explosive, f, v, &c., continuous.

s. 111. Concerning the vowels, we may predicate a) that they are all
continuous, b) that they are all flat.

Concerning the liquids, we may predicate a) that they are all continuous,
b) that they are all flat.

Concerning the mutes, we may predicate a) that one half of them is flat,
and the other half sharp, and b) that some are continuous, and that others
are explosive.

s. 112.--The letter h is no _articulate_ sound, but only a breathing.

* * * * *

CHAPTER II.

SYSTEM OF ARTICULATE SOUNDS.

s. 113.--The attention of the reader is now directed to the following
_foreign_ vowel sounds.

1. The _['e] ferm['e]_, of the French.--This is a sound allied to, but
different from, the a in _fate_, and the ee in _feet_. It is intermediate
to the two.

2. The u of the French, ue of the Germans, y of the Danes.--This sound is
intermediate to the ee in _feet_, and the oo in _book_.

3. The _o chiuso_, of the Italians.--Intermediate to the o in _note_, and
the