392 



VOWEL-SOUNDS. 



of the muscles which move the walls of those parts. 

 The characteristics of the sounds called vowel sounds 

 are especially remarkable and important. Thus if the 

 pure vowel sounds 



E (as in he); A (as in hay); A (as in ah); 

 (as in or); O f (as in oh) ; 00 (as in cool) ; 



are pronounced successively, it will be found that they 

 may be all formed out of the sound produced by a con- 

 tinuous expiration, the rnouth being kept open, but the 

 form of its aperture, and the extent to which the lips 

 are thrust out or drawn in so as to lengthen or shorten 

 the distance of the orifice from the larynx, being 

 changed for each vowel. A. definite position of the mouth 

 is thus required for each vowel, and the cavity of the 

 mouth has the office of strengthening in each case one or 

 several definite tones. Thus the following vowel sounds 

 correspond to the musical notes placed opposite them : 



oo (as in cool) corresponds to/. 



o (as in no) 

 a (as in far) 

 a! (as in fat) 

 o!' (as in fate) 

 i (as infield) 

 u (as in/wr) 

 y (as in truly) 



oo o a of 







e E 



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