42 The Sounds of the Consonants. 



b, d, g, there is a gradual swell in the intensity of the dots, 

 showing that the vowel sound was at first permitted to 

 escape by degrees. With the aspirates f, v, th, and ch^ a 

 series of indeterminate marks either precedes or follows the 

 vowel sound, showing that the breath was escaping before 

 or after the vowel had sounded. 



Now, the difference between the corresponding consonants 

 in these three classes is much more difficult to make out. 

 Why, we may ask, should the sudden stoppage of a sound 

 by the lips be recognised as the letter p, and the sudden 

 stoppage of the same sound by the teeth and tongue be 

 recognised as the letter t, or if the tongue and palate be 

 employed to do exactly the same thing why should we 

 recognise the resulting consonant as M 



An examination of the phonograms gives some clue to 

 this distinction. It will be found that on pronouncing a 

 syllable beginning with jp such as "pa" before the vowel sound 

 has properly begun, there will be found a few marks which 

 do not really belong to that vowel but have more affinity to 

 the vowel ii; the explanation is that if the lips are closed, 

 and we open them to emit the full sound a, we do not at 

 once reach the necessary resonating cavity, we have to pass 

 through the intermediate stages. Now these intermediate 

 stages are the resonating cavities which give the various 

 sounds of ti, and though these are very few in comparison 

 with the subsequent vowel vibrations they are sufficient to 

 be recognised by the ear, and so we can tell at once that 

 it must have been the lips which permitted the sudden 

 passage of the sound. 



When the consonant is produced by the tongue and teeth, 

 as in the letter t, before the vowel commences we have the 

 marks corresponding to e short; and when the consonant 

 is k, the vowel is preceded by marks corresponding first to 

 the long e, and then to a^ as in " may." 



Hence the formation of all the consonants. They are 

 either hard, soft, or aspirated ; and the ear judges as to 

 whether they are formed by the lips, teeth, or palate, by 

 observing the vowels through which the sound glides before 

 dwelling on the main vowels. 



Thus we find that all sounds, to which the human voice 

 gives rise, consist of vibrations of fixed periods, with their 

 harmonics ; the presence of these harmonics determines the 

 nature of the vowel, and moreover enables us to decide by 

 the ear as to which of the consonants has been uttered. 



