SPEECH. 621 



mentioned are widened ; for the pronunciation of other 

 vowels both are contracted ; and for others one is wide, 

 the other contracted. Admitting five degrees of size, both 

 of the opening of the mouth and of the space between the 

 tongue and palate, Kempelen thus states the dimensions 

 of these parts for the following vowel sounds : 



Another important distinction in articulate sounds is, 

 that the utterance of some is only of momentary duration, 

 taking place during a sudden change in the conformation 

 of the mouth, and being incapable of prolongation by a 

 continued expiration. To this class belong b, p, d, and the 

 hard g. In the utterance of other consonants the sounds 

 may be continuous ; they may be prolonged, ad libitum, as 

 long as a particular disposition of the mouth and a constant 

 expiration are maintained. Among these consonants are 

 h, m, 11, f, s, r, I. Corresponding differences in respect to 

 the time that may be occupied in their utterance exist in 

 the vowel-sounds, and principally constitute the differences 

 of long and short syllables. Thus, the a as in " far " and 

 " fate," the o as in " go " and " fort," may be indefinitely 

 prolonged ; but the same vowels (or more properly different 

 vowels expressed by the same letters), as in "can" and 

 " fact," in " dog " and " rotten," cannot be prolonged. 



All sounds of the first or explosive kind are insusceptible 

 of combination with vocal tone ("intonation" ), and are 

 absolutely mute ; nearly all the consonants of the second 

 or continuous kind may be attended with " intonation." 



The peculiarity of speaking, to which the term ven- 

 triloquism is applied, appears to consist merely in the 



