1874.] accompanying the Articulation of the Human Voice. 281 



In these diagrams the part marked d is the silent discharge, and its 

 appearance in the diagram is under the control of the will ; for by holding 

 the breath immediately after pronouncing the word, this part of the 

 diagram can be altered and the discharge of air postponed or let off 

 gradually, as exhibited in fig. 2. 



If, instead of terminating with the " Explodents," another syllable be 

 added to each word, making them terminate with consonants of softer 

 sound, the air which would have been silently discharged is used to form 

 the syllable added, and the subsequent silent discharge is very much 

 diminished (see fig. 3). 



There are other silent or, rather, insensible actions which occur within 

 certain words, as is exhibited in the differences between the word 

 " Excommunicate " and the syllable " Eos " and the word ** Communicate,'" 

 pronounced separately. 



Ex. 



Ex. 



Communicate. 



Communicate. 



Excommunicate. 



Excommunicate. 



Here it is seen that the part jp, which is the secondary sound of the 

 syllable " Ex? becomes compressed, its length being shortened and its 

 height increased ; so that although nearly insensible as regards sound, it 

 becomes developed into the form p', and constitutes the most prominent 

 feature of the diagram when the whole word is pronounced. 



Some words are shortened when a syllable is added. This effect is 

 strongly exhibited in the word " Strengthen " as compared with " Strength" 

 " Strength " is, I believe, the only word of one syllable in the English 

 language which contains seven consonants, all of which are pro- 

 nounced. 



