VOCAL IMITATION. 97 



teeny bit. The present pronunciation of tiny is with long z, 

 and that sound of /' is the regular result of English phonetic 

 laws, yet when the speaker wishes more strongly to emphasize 

 littleness he persists in the old sound ee because the more con- 

 tracted position of the vocal organs in making this sound is 

 more expressive and imitative. 



The progression from vowels made by contracted position 

 of the vocal organs to vowels made by open and extended 

 position of the vocal organs is shown by the following series 

 of specimens. This progression is approximately <?, t, e, a, d, 

 ii, 0, a, an, o, oo. 



Contrasts of fonr or more words. 



creak, crick, crack, croak 

 check, chuck, chock, choke 

 cUck, cluck, clack, clock 



diddle, daddle, dawdle, doodle 



fleet, flit, flout, float 



gleam, glim (iiier) , glamour, glum, gloaming, gloom 



nib, neb, nab, nub, knob 



pale, pile, pole, pawl 



stick, stack, stock, stake, stalk, stoke 



sweep, swop(b), swap(b), swipe, swope, swoop 



skit, scat, scud, skate, scovit, scoot 



seep, sip, sap, sup, sop 



spit, spat, sput, spot, spout 



slish, slash, slush, slosh 



spear, spur, spar, spire 



shack, shuck, shake, shock 



streak, strake, strike, stroke 



strip, strap, strop, stripe 



Contrasts of three words. 



beat, bat, but bubby, baby, booby 



biff, baff, buff chip, chap, chop 



back, buck, balk cap, cape, cope 



babble, bubble, bawble cry, crow, croo 



