SEC. 2. SPEECH. 

 Vowels. 



Every sound, or every note (for all vocal sounds when considered 

 by themselves are musical sounds), caused by the vibrations of the 

 vocal cords, besides its loudness due to the force of the expiratory 

 blast, and its pitch due to the tension of the cords, has a quality of 

 its own, due to the number and relative prominence of the over- 

 tones which accompany the fundamental tone. Some of these 

 features which make up the quality are imposed on the note by 

 the nature of the vocal cords, but still more arise from various modi- 

 fications which the relative intensities of the overtones undergo 

 through the resonance of the cavity of the mouth and throat. 

 Whenever we hear a note sounded by the larynx we are able to 

 recognize in it features which enable us to state that one or other 

 of the 'vowels' is being uttered. Vowel sounds are in fact only 

 extreme cases of quality, extreme prominence of certain overtones 

 brought about by the shape assumed by the buccal and pharyngeal 

 passages and orifices, as the vibrations pass through them. Each 

 vowel has its appropriate and causative disposition of these parts. 

 When i (ee in feet) is sounded, the sounding-tube of the upper air 

 passages is made as short as possible, the larynx is raised and the 

 lips are retracted, the whole cavity of the mouth taking on the form 

 of a broad flask with a narrow neck. During the giving out of e 

 (a in fat) the shape of the mouth is similar, but somewhat longer. 

 For the production of a (as in father) the mouth is widely open, so 

 that the buccal cavity is of the shape of a funnel with the apex at 

 the pharynx. With o, the buccal cavity is again flask-shaped, with 

 F. 42 



