C
1423
-NRLF
^1
THE
FAULTS OF
*
A Self-Corrector vA:..
AND
TEACHERS' MANUAL
BY
ALEXANDER MELVILLE BELL
SIXTH' EDITION
WASHINGTON, D. C.
THE VOLTA BUREAU, 1601 35TH ST. N. W.
1916
Copyright, 1898, by
THE VOLTA BUREAU
ALEXANDER MELVILLE BELL, F.E.T.S,. F.R S.S A., F.A.A.A.S.
PREFACE.
| HIS little work supplies a want of which
I have been frequently reminded dur-
ing my professional career. In revising the
4 ' Principles of Speech and Vocal Plrysiology ".
for a new edition in 1863, a section of the
book was devoted to the "Cure of Stammer-
ing;" and in another section the " Diction -
ary of Sounds" reference was made under
each consonant to the defects to which the
element was subject : but a complete separate
treatise on the FAULTS OF SPEECH has not
hitherto been published.
I am glad to be able still, to add to my
professional publications one which, I hope
and believe, will prove not the least useful of
the whole. A. M. B.
TUTELO HEIGHTS,
BRANTFORD, OXT., April, 1880.
CONTENTS.
ELEMENTARY SOUNDS 1
Corrective Training 5
Organic Defects 7
IMPEDIMENTS OF SPEECH . . . . 9
Nervousness 10
Stammering a Habit 11
Systems of Cure 12
Self-effort Necessary ... .13
Temporary Relief 14
THE CURE or STAMMERING . . . .17
The Breath. Atmospheric Pressure ; Air
Channels ; Inspiration and Expira-
tion 17-18
The Voice. Exercise, Continuity of
Voice; How to learn Elementary
Sounds; Difficult Elements . 19-23
Organic Regulation. The Mouth; The
Jaw; The Head; Spasmodic Ac-
tions 24-26
Self-Observation 27
Capricious Difficulties .... 28
Aggravants of Difficulty . . . .29
672799
vi CONTENTS.
MINOR FAULTS 30
Nasalizing 30
The Aspirate 32
Vocal Consonants ...... 33
Thickness of Speech 34
ORATORICAL FAULTS ...... 35
Conversational Slurring . . . .35
Sustained Voice 36
Mai-Respiration 38
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS 40
POSTSCRIPT 61
APPENDIX . . . . . . . 67
THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
ELEMENTARY SOUNDS.
| HE processes of speech are mechanical,
but they are intimately associated with
mental operations. Sometimes the mechanical
processes are mismanaged, and sometimes the
intellectual associations are imperfect. In the
latter case, expression is tardy or inexact ; in
the former, utterance is interrupted or vitiated.
The two kinds of defect may be combined, or
either may exist separately. Stammering,
stuttering, etc. are, for the most part, mechan-
ical defects; drawling, hemming, and uh
uh hesitation are, in great measure, faults of
the intellect. The observations in this work
will have reference to failures in the mechan-
ical execution of speech.
2 HIE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
The fact that " everybody speaks," and yet
not ,o:ie ( person in a thousand knows how he
Gp<;ak ; and that children talk the language
,of their nurses be it English, French, Ger-
nvu>,' "Italian, Indian, Patois, or whatever else
proves that language is normally acquired
by imitation. A child imitates with more or
less accuracy the general effect of the sounds
it hears ; but, in doing so, makes many sub-
stitutions of easier for more difficult actions
of the organs of speech. The lips and the
forepart of the tongue are the first of the ar-
ticulating organs to be brought into use ; and
u tum," u tat" and "tate" in most cases sat-
isfy the child's apprehension of the words
"come," "cat" and "cake." The action of
the back of the tongue is often not acquired
for years. Infantile defects are unwisely en-
couraged by parents, who with the requisite
knowledge might enable their children to
pronounce correctly as soon as they begin to
prattle at all. There can be no doubt that
the most serious blemishes and impediments
arise from parental neglect or rather ignor-
ance in this respect. When a child says
"turn" for "come," and "tin" for "king,"
ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 3
Jie correct articulation will be induced almost
at the first trial by the simple expedient of
holding down the forepart of the tongue with
the finger. The effort to imitate the general
effect will then force the back of the tongue
into action ; and in a few da}^s at most, the
child will, without any assistance, form A;, g
and ng where before it could only utter t, d
and n.
The "shut" consonants (p, t, k, b, d, g) are
the most easily acquired, and children conse-
quentty pronounce p instead of the more dif-
ficult /, and t instead of th. A few minutes
devoted to amusing exercise will conquer this
difficulty. Thus: tell the child to bite his
lower lip, and blow, and he will form a tol-
erable / at once ; or to bite his tongue, and
blow, and a passable th will be the result.
The sounds of s and sh are often for a long
time confounded ; also those of s and th. The
sound of s will be obtained from th by drawing
back or, if assistance is needed, by push-
ing back the tip of the tongue till it is free
from the teeth. The teeth require to be very
close for s, but there will be room to insert
the edge of a paper-cutter to play the tongue
THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
into position. The sound of sh will be ob-
tained from s by drawing or pushing back
the body of the tongue till it is free from the
gum. The sibilation of sli is formed between
the middle of the tongue and the palate, modi
fied by a degree of elevation of the point of
the tongue also : that of s is formed between
the point of the tongue and the upper gum,
modified by a degree of convexity of the mid-
dle of the tongue : and that of tli is formed
between the tip of the tongue and the upper
teeth, with the edges of the tongue flattened
against the side teetn to obstruct the breath
at all points but the tip.
The sounds of / and r are generally the last
to be mastered by a child. The I resembles
th in having the point of the tongue in con-
tact (preferably with the gum) , but the sides
of the tongue, instead of being flattened
against the teeth, are free from lateral con-
tact, so that the breath passes over the sides,
R resembles s in having the point of the
tongue raised to the upper gum, but the mid-
dle of the tongue, instead of being convex r
is depressed so that the breath strikes sharply
on the free tip of the tongue. The sound of
CORRECTIVE TRAINING.
y resembles sh in having the middle of the
tongue arched towards the palate, but without
the elevation of the forepart of the tongue,
which is a necessary part of the modification
of sh.
Corrective Training.
A VERY little attention on the part of par-
ents would secure their children against artic-
ulative blemishes which otherwise disfigure
them for life ; and which are often the first
causes of the most painful impediments. In-
stead of being satisfied with the child's im-
perfect imitation of the general effect of
concrete utterances in words and sentences,
parents should require an exact reproduction
however slowly of syllables, and, if ncc-
essaiy, of elementar} 7 sounds. This of course
implies that parents can themselves analyze
their utterance into s} T llables and elements.
Few persons can do so with entire accurac}' :
but the attempt, though imperfect, will put
the child in the right way to correct himself.
Some children manifest a degree of inapti-
tude for speech, probably from defective im-
itation, or it may be from intellectual dulness ;
6 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
so that a child of three or four years of age
will be no farther advanced than an average
child of two or three. The faculty of imita-
tion becomes almost inoperative after the earli-
est 3^ears, and special care should be given in?
such cases to establish a habit of distinct
elementary and syllabic utterance so far aa
ability extends, and to prevent the formation
of a habit of defect. It is certainty true that
a child who fails to pronounce the whole of a
word can be made to reproduce its s}'llables,
or its elements, one by one ; and as the long-
est utterance is made up of s}'llables, these
only should be required of the learner. Fac-
ility of combination will infallibly come with
practice, if patience and skill are displayed to
regulate the analytic utterance of the back-
ward child.
There is then no justification for allowing
lisping, burring, lallation and other elementary
defects to become fixed into habits. True,
the}' be corrected at any time, with but little
trouble ; yet "prevention is better than cure,"
and such elementary disfigurements of aduli
speech ought to have been rendered impossible
by attention in the nursery and school-room.
ORGANIC DEFECTS. 1
Organic Defects.
ORGANIC causes of difficult}' sometimes pre-
sent themselves. When the formation of the
jaws is such that the teeth cannot be brought
evenly in line, the sibilant sounds s and z will
be defective ; when the tongue is too closety
tied to the lower jaw, the sounds of , d, n, I
and r will be wanting in clearness. The den-
tist may do much to rectify the former mal-
formation ; and the surgeon, by the simple
operation of snipping the frsenum that binds
the tongue, may give the requisite freedom in
the latter case.
A more serious organic cause of defective
speech is cleft palate, when an opening exists ,
between the mouth and the nasal passage.
The breath, which requires to be shut within
the mouth for p-b, t-d, fc-g, escapes by the
nose, and a percussive articulation is impossi-
ble. In most cases a skilful dentist can cover
the fissure in the palate by a suction-plate,
and the power of clear enunciation may thus
be obtained. Cleft palate causes all vowels
to be nasalized ; but frequently the fault of
nasalizing vowels is merely habitual, without
8
THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
any organic cause. As with the mechanism
of consonants, so with that of vowels : habits
of mal-pronunciation may be prevented more
easily than rectified ; and among other imper-
fections, that of nasalizing is perfectly suscep-
tible of preventive or corrective training.
IMPEDIMENTS OF SPEECH.
JAR more serious than any of the ele-
mentaiy defects hitherto noticed are
those affections of speech which create an im-
: pediment to utterance. These are known by
the names of stuttering, stammering, spas-
.modic hesitation, etc. Their common charac-
teristic is involuntary action of the organs,
which are not obedient to the will. In stut-
tering, the articulating organs the lips and
tongue rebound again and again before the
sequent vowel can find egress. The mouth
opens and shuts in vain effort to act on the
throat ; and the throat opens and shuts in vain
effort to act on the diaphragm. From the
rocking head to the fluttering chest there is a
general want of precision in the attempt to
articulate. In stammering, the breathing is
entirely deranged the normal actions of the
Behest and diaphragm are reversed the breath
9
10 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
is inspired in the attempt to speak ; the throat
is shut in the attempt to form sound ; the voice
is fitfully ejected or restrained ; and the articu-
lating organs when they meet remain insepar-
able, as if glued together. In spasmodic
hesitation there is a futile straining, often
silent and choking, but occasionally frightfully
demonstrative. The eyeballs protrude, the
veins of the neck start out, the face is suf-
fused and contorted, and the muscles of the
whole body are spasmodically affected.
No sharp line of demarcation can be drawn
between these varieties of impediment. Loose
stuttering is apt to pass into compressive
stammering from the dread of ridicule in-
spired by consciousness of peculiarity ; and
the worst features of spasmodic difficulty ma}'
supervene, from the increase of sensitiveness
and the bitterness of disappointed effort.
Nervousness.
NOTWITHSTANDING the manifest nervousness
of the majority of stammerers, they are rarely-
persons of weak nerves under ordinary cir-
cumstances. Their nervousness is associated
only with speaking, and it is much more likely
STAMMERING A HABIT. 11
to have arisen as a consequence of impedi-
ment, than to have been as many imagine
a cause of the malady. The true cause prob- L
ably lies far back in childhood, when some
slight imperfection has been harshly corrected
or mocked ; or when weakness of the system-
after illness has made the child peculiarly sen-
sitive under ordinary difficulties. The slight-
est beginning at that period may lead on to
the most, aggravated form of impediment.
Even a casual example may exite imitation at
the time when that faculty is the strongest in
>ur nature, and so enslave the little mimic.
Many isolated cases are believed to have had
no other than this simple origin.
Stammering a Habit.
THE frequent occurrence of stammering
among members of the same family has led
many persons to imagine that the affection
was transmitted hereditarily, and that conse
quently it was an incurable affliction of the
constitution. But there is no ground for such
a supposition, opposed as it is to the manifest
nature of the impediment pertaining only to
speech, which is altogether artificial and no-
12 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
part of our physical endowment. A full con-
sideration of the subject and a wide experi-
ence with all varieties of the impediment lead
to the settled conviction that stammering is
v >a habit only the formation of which may be
entirely prevented by precautionary training
in childhood ; the growth of which may be
easily checked before it is aggravated by the
excitements of school ; and the uprooting of
which ma}' be accomplished at any. stage by
intelligent care and perseverance.
Systems of Cure.
THE stammerer's difficulty is : where to turn
for effective assistance. Certainly not to an}'
pretender who veils his method in convenient
secrecy, nor to an}' who profess to c 4 charm "
awa}' the impediment or to effect a cure in
a single lesson ! Not to any whose "system"
involves drawling, singing, sniffing, whistling,
stamping, beating time all of which expedi-
ents have constituted the "curative" means
of various charlatans ; nor to any who bridle
the mouth with mechanical appliances forks
on the tongue, tubes between the lips, bands
over the larynx, pebbles in the mouth, etc.,
SELF- EFFORT NECESSARY. 1&
etc. The habit of stammering can only be
counteracted by the cultivation of a habit of
correct speaking founded on the application
of natural principles. Respecting these there
is no mystery except what arises from the little
attention that has been paid to the science of
speech.
Instruction must be sought from teachers
whose professional position is a guarantee
against deception. If no encouragement were
given by too credulous stammerers to the craft
of unqualified u professors," respectable teach-
ers would prepare themselves by special study
for this important department of work, and.
the stammerer's perplexity to find trustworthy
skill would be at an end.
Self-effort Necessary.
BUT with the best assistance the stammerer
must work out his own cure. He cannot be
passive in the matter. He must clearly ap-
prebend the principles on which he is to pro-
ceed, and diligently apply them. Nor must
he, in this, depend too much on the watchful-
ness of his instructor, but must learn to watch
over himself. His perfect release from the
14 T1IE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
habit will require time, patience, and hopeful
energetic effort.
Temporary Relief.
IMMEDIATE temporary relief from the chok-
ing and spasmodic contortions of the impedi-
ment is generall}' obtained when the art of
managing the breath is acquired and this is
often in a single lesson. The stammerer is
apt to be unduly elated at this stage, and to
relax his watchfulness. A relapse is aim oat I
certain to be the consequence. Besides, other
functional difficulties will present themselves,
-each of which must be encountered in a cour-
ageous spirit, and mastered separately.
The following practical directions are de-
signed for the use of stammerers who may
attempt their own cure, as well as for the
guidance of parents, governesses and school
teachers.
PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS
FOK THE
CURE OF STAMMERING
AND
MINOR DEFECTS.
THE CURE OF STAMMERING.
The Breath. Atmospheric Pressure.
|N normal breathing the lungs are filled
by atmospheric pressure, to the extent
of the cavity within the chest. There is no
suction no effort. In deep breathing, as be-
fore a sigh, the inspiration is equally easy and
unlabored. The cavity within the chest is in-
creased by descent of the diaphragm the
muscular base of the chest as well as by
expansion of the bony framework the ribs,
etc. but atmospheric pressure fills out the
lungs to occupy the entire space created within
the chest.
Air Channels.
THE external apertures for the entrance of
: ,he air are the mouth and nostrils. Both these
passages meet behind the mouth, in the pliar-
fnx ; and the pharynx communicates with the
17
18 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
windpipe. At the top of the windpipe, be-
tween it and the pharynx, is the organ of
Voice the laiynx through which all air
entering the lungs, and all breath leaving
them, must pass. In order to make inspiration
silent and effortless there must be no obstruc-
tion or constriction in any part of the passage.
Stammerers attempt to "draw" in air while
the aperture of the larynx is either closed or
greatly narrowed, and even while the mouth-
passage is similarly obstructed by positions of
the tongue. The first point to be impressed
on the stammerer's mind, then, is that the
lungs fill themselves that no effort of suction
is required ; but that if he merely raise the
chest, with the passage to the windpipe open,
he cannot prevent the lungs from filling .
Inspiration and Expiration.
NEXT, considering that air entering the
lungs and breath escaping from them must
pass through the same channel, it is obvious
that the acts of inspiration and expiration
must be alternate, and cannot possibly take
place simultaneously. Stammerers, however,
endeavour to draw in air at the same time that
THE VOICE. li>
they are making muscular efforts to expel the L
breath. The first condition of free respiration
is, then, a silent pause to replenish the lungs
Again, in stammering, the chest is violently
heaved and pressed down, and the action of
the diaphragm is downwards instead of up-
wards. The action of the diaphragm may be
distinctly seen in the motion of the abdomen.
When the diaphragm falls (in inspiration) the
abdomen slightly protrudes ; and when the
diaphragm rises (in expiration) the abdomen
falls inward. The chest should rise and fall
but little ; it should be kept moderately raised
throughout speech, and the principal action of
respiration should be in the diaphragm. The
requisite motion, however, is very slight, and
entirely free from jerking. The stammerer \
must practise the acts of inspiration and ex-
piration until they are practically, as well as
theoretically, faultless.
The Voice.
VOICE is formed by the breath in its_jaut- ^
wardj>assage setting in vibration the edges
c )f the aperture of the larynx the glottis.
Stammerers often endeavour to form voice with,
20 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
ingoing air ; but in general the}' close the ^
glottis in the effort to vocalize. This of course
stops the breath, and hence the, choking and
other distressing symptoms of the impediment.
Voice is the material of Speech. This fact,^
in all its meaning, the stammerer has to learn.
His efforts are always directed elsewhere than
to the organ of voice. He moves the head,
he moves the jaw, he moves the tongue, he
moves his limbs, in the vain attempt to force
out sound, the production of which he is all
the time preventing, by closing the passage
through which only voice can come. Voice
being the material of speech, the speaker must
have voice, whatever else he lacks. The stam-
merer must not stint himself of this material,
nor must he cut it into shreds and fragments ;
but he must acquire command of a full, strong, *
unbroken stream of sound.
Exercise Continuity of Voice.
HAVING mastered the art of regulating the
breath, the stammerer's next step must be to
practise the continuous production of voice.
He should confine himself to this exercise
until he has become perfectly familiar with all
ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 21
vocal elements ; repeating them first one by
one, then in long sequences, and then in com-
binations, but always without a break in the
continuity of the sound.
The following are the elements for this ex-
> ercise, all of which may be prolonged ad lib-
Hum :
a, e, i, o, u, ah, aw, oo, oi, ou ;
1, m, n, ng, v, dh, z, zh, w, y.
These elements are not to be considered as
"vowels" and tfc consonants," but simply r as
voices, each of which has precisely the same
sound in the throat ; their differences arising
solely from the shape of the mouth-passage.
It must be carefully noted that the names
of the letters will be useless for this exercise ;
the actual sounds of the elements must be
pronounced.
How to Learn Elementary Sounds.
THE reader unaccustomed to phonetic analy*
sis will have no difficulty in isolating the act-
ual elementary sounds, if ne will simply pro-
long for some seconds the elements printed in
22 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
capitals in the following words, as commonly
pronounced :
feeL, seeM, vaiN, soNG, leaVe, wiTH(dh),
iS(z), rouGe(zh) ; We, Yes, Ale, An, EEL
End, Isle(ahee), In, Old, On, Use(yoo).
Us, Arm (ah), All (aw), OOze, OWl(ahoo),
Oil (awee) .
The use to be made of the power which will
be developed by this exercise is all-important,
The sensation of throat-action must never be
lost in speaking. When old tendencies in-
cline to false effort, the stammerer will feel
himself off the voice, like a locomotive off the
rails. Then, instead of plunging about wildly
at random, he must stop, and carefully put
himself upon the track again.
There are three elements of speech which
have obstructed vocality, and cannot be pro-
longed. These are B, D, and G (as in go)
The}' are often terrible stumbling-blocks to the
stammerer : but his never to be forgotten tal-
isman is : VOICE ! No mouth-action must be
allowed to interfere with throat-sound !
There is another class of elements which
are entirely non-vocal, and which therefore
tend strongly to throw the stammerer ' ' off the
DIFFICULT ELEMENTS. 23
voice." These are P, T, K, F, Wh, Th, S,
Sh, H. Each of these should be practised
separately, in connection with a vowel ; and
with the principle constant!}" before the mind
that no mouth-action must be allowed to in-
terfere with the flow of throat-sound.
Difficult Elements.
ELEMENTS that present special difficult}' must
be made the subject of special exercise, thus :
Prolong any throat-sound, say the vowel a/i,
and without stopping the sound introduce the
mouth-action to be practised, say B, thus :
ah bah bah bah bah, etc.
It will be found that the mouth-action does
not interfere with the continuity of the throat-
sound. The exercise must be continued until
the true relation between the two kinds of ele-
ments is distinctly felt and established in the
mind.
The relation between the throat and the
mouth in speech will be understood when it is
stated to be the same as that between the
sound-producing part of \\\Q flute the mouth -
hole and the sound-modifying parts the
24 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
finger-holes. The action of the fingers modi-
fies, without interrupting, the sound produced
at the mouth-hole ; and so the mouth-actions
in speech modify, without interrupting, the
sound produced in the throat. This relation
must be established practically, in connection
with the elements of speech, in cases of stam-
mering, and all difficulty, and dread of diffi-
culty, will certainly sooner or later disappear.
A few other directions will complete all
that is necessary to be attended to in overcom-
ing the habit of stammering.
The Mouth a Tube.
FROM what has been already said, it will be
understood that all effort thrown into the
mouth, jaw, lips or tongue, is futile. The
mouth should be as nearly as possible passive,
a mere tube or funnel for the deliveiy of throat-
sound. The mouth-tube is constantly varying
in shape ; but it is always a transmitter only,
and never an originator of sound.
The Jaw.
A GREAT deal of the stammerer's difficulty
will consist in subduing the upward pressure
THE HEAD. 2&
of the jaw. Whatever action the jaw has" 1
should be downward ; but there must be no
pressure, even in the right direction. The
practice of throwing the effort of speech back
to the throat will, however, speedily relieve
the tendency of the mouth-organs to cling to-
gether.
When mechanical assistance ma}' be neces-
sar} T , a paper-cutter held against the edges ot
the upper teeth will manifest an} r undue up-
ward motion of the jaw, while it will not pre-
vent the mouth from opening. The paper-
cutter must not be held between, or by, the
teeth. When the maxillary difficulty has been
overcome, the lower teeth should not once
touch the paper-cutter, in reading or speaking.
A gentle contact will be almost unavoidable
in forming the hissing sounds, but even this
should be prevented in curative exercise. t
The Head.
A LOOSE rising motion of the head is almost
a universal feature in stammering. This must r I
be subdued before power can be obtained over '
the organs of speech. The head should be
firmly on the neck, so that even a con-
56 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
siderable pressure would not force it back
At the same time there should be no stiffness
to interfere with free motion. The fault con-
sists in lifting the head, as a part of the action
of speech ; and it is often a source of very
great difficulty. The jaw cannot be controlled
while its fulcrum, the head, is unstable and
yielding.
Spasmodic Actions.
WITH reference to the spasmodic actions of
stammering, which sometimes extend over the
whole bod}', no specific directions are needed.
The} T invariably disappear when the breathing
is relieved.
There is nothing to prevent a stammerer
who will thoroughly master the principles laid
down in this Treatise and diligently and watch
fully exercise his voice, from perfectly throw-
ing off the fetters of impediment. Many
exercises will be found in the Author's "Prin-
ciples of Speech," which will be of service.
But, while a study of the whole subject, and
.a knowledge of all the organic actions, as ex-
hibited in " Visible Speech," are desirable, if
-not necessary, for teachers, stammerers should
SELF- OB SEE VA TION. 2 7
mot allow the mind to be diverted from the
direct and simple means of cure sufficiently
set forth in these pages.
Self- Observation.
ONE important hint remains to be given.
With all persons speech-actions are so purely
habitual that without watchful observation
faults m&y long remain undiscovered. This
is especially true in reference to the minutiae
of the organic actions on the rectification of
which success depends in cases of defect or
impediment. The stammerer will therefore
find the use of a mirror a most valuable auxil-
iary in his efforts at self-correction. In carry-
ing out the prescribed principles for the
regulation of the breath, the control of the
head and the jaw, the proper mechanism of
elementary sounds, etc., let the stammerei
seat himself before a mirror, and he will learn
man} r things of which he might otherwise have
-continued unconscious. Even teachers, in
dealing with defects and impediments of
speech, should place their pupils before a mir-
ror, as the readiest means of giving them
command over the organs of articulation. To
8 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
this use of the principle of "reflection" as an
aid to self-government, the poet's denuncia-
tion of
"Attitude and stare, and start theatric
Practised at the glass,"
has no applicability. The vocal action of
singers, as well as speakers, would less fre-
quently offend the eye if students were taught
to exercise the voice before a glass, that they
might "see themselves as others see them."
Capricious Difficulties.
IT is a very curious circumstance that stam-
merers who are powerless in the presence of
friends or strangers, generally declare that
they can speak freely when alone. A child,
however, or even a cat, in the room is enough
to destroy their freedom. The proper use to
make of this fact should be to build on it as
a ground of hopefulness and confidence ; for
it proves that no organic cause exists to pre-
vent success, and thus disposes of the mys-
terious dread of physical entailment. But
stammerers are often the victims of man}-
equalty groundless fancies: supposing their
infirmity to be affected by certain states of the
OF DIFFICULTY. 29
atmosphere, the direction of the wind, or the
phases of the moon ! Those who look for
such associations are pretty sure to find them.
But they carry the seekers back to the clays
of witchcraft and the "evil eye" to da}'s of
ignorance !
Aggravants of Difficulty.
THE function of articulation like ever} T
other function is, of course, affected by the
condition of the health deranged digestion,
depression of spirits, physical debility, etc. ;
but these aggravants are not to be confounded
with original causes of the difficulty. The
former will disappear and still leave the latter
behind. The stammerer must cast off idle
superstitious fears and fancies, and set to
work to stud}' and observe. He will undoubt-
edl} T find that " Knowledge is power;" and
that, with knowledge, "Patience and perse-
verance will conquer all difficulties."
MINOR FAULTS.
Nasalizing.
JHE soft palate which hangs at the back
of the mouth acts as a valve on the
passage to the nose. When the top of the
soft palate is arched backwards from its point
of junction with the hard palate, it covers the
internal nasal aperture, and the breath passes
altogether through the mouth. When the soft
palate is relaxed and pendent from the edge
of the hard palate, the breath passes partly
through the nose and partly through the
mouth ; and when the mouth-passage is closed
(by means of the back of the tongue, as in ng;
the forepart of the tongue, as in n; or the
lips, as in m) the breath passes altogether by
the nose. A knowledge of these facts will-
enable any person to correct the habit of na-
salizing vowels.
The chief difficult}- lies in the recognition
80
NASALIZING. 31
by the ear of pure oral and mixed nasal qual-
ity. The action of the soft palate ma}-, how-
ever, be seen, by opening the mouth very wide
in pronouncing the vowels ah and aw. Then,
by pressing on the top of the soft palate with
the thumb, or with the india-rubber end of a
pencil, the internal nasal aperture will be cov-
ered, and the utterance of ah and aw will be
purely oral. Repeat these vowels with and
without the mechanical pressure, and after a
few experiments the ear will distinguish the
difference between oral and nasal. Practice
on other vowels, in forming which the soft
palate cannot be seen, will soon develop a
feeling of the difference.
But the readiest way to gain a perception
of the denasalizing action of the soft palate
will be by the following exercise :
Sound the consonants m b without separat-
ing the lips, as in pronouncing the word ember.
The change from m to b is nothing more than
the covering of the nasal aperture by the soft
palate ; and the change from b to m, without
separating the lips, as in the word submit, is
merely the uncovering of the nasal aperture.
32 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
The tendencj 7 to nasalize vowels is most felt
when they occur immediately before or after
nasal consonants m, n or ng but many
persons nasalize every vowel.
The French elements an, en, in, on, un, am,
^m, etc., are merety nasalized vowels.
The Aspirate.
THE letter H represents a simple and nearly
silent emission of breath. The organs of
speech are placed in the position for the sub-
sequent vowel before the emission of the aspi-
rate. Thus h in the words lie, hay, hie, hoe,
hah, etc., has the oral quality of the vowel it
precedes. The aspirate is not the same as a
whispered vowel, for the words his and is,
hand and ana*, hold and oZo", hart and art are
clearly distinguishable when whispered.
H is sometimes roughened faultily by a gut-
tural quality. To correct this habit, breathe
out the aspirate silently.
The Cockney confusion of vowels and aspi-
rates is a remarkable fault which will disap-
pear when learners are taught phonetically in
the abecedarian stage of education. The same
person who says all for hall pronounces hall
VOCAL CONSONANTS. 33
for all, and so proves that the perverse habit
is due only to defective elementary training.
H is omitted in pronouncing the words heir,
honest, honour, hour, humour, and their deriv-
atives. It should be pronounced in herb, hos-
pital, humble, and all other words.
H is heard instead of wh, before o, as in
who, whose, whom, whole.
Vocal Consonants.
THE following consonants are respectively
pairs of vocal and non-vocal elements ; that
is, the consonants in the second column have
precise^ the same oral formation as those in
the first column, but with the addition of
throat-sound or murmur.
non-vocal. vocal.
P B
T D
K G as in go.
F V
WH W
S Z
SH ZHasinrmon.
TR&sinthin TH(=<Z/i)asin
CH as in church J then '
X (= Jcs) as in extend . . . X (= gz) as in
exist .
34 .THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
These pairs of consonants are confused by
Gaelic and Welsh speakers, who substitute
non-vocal for vocal elements ; and by German
speakers, who mix up the elements sometimes
by a similar substitution, but more frequently
by the use of vocal instead of non-vocal ele-
ments. Careful exercise and observation will
entirely remove these difficulties.
Thickness of Speech.
THE consonants , d, n, Z, r, are correct-
\y formed by the point of the tongue acting
against the upper gum ; but in u thick" speech
the tongue acts against the teeth, or the point
rests on the lower teeth and the above ele-
ments are imperfectly formed by the surface
of the tongue. This fault is unavoidable when
the tongue is so tied to the bed of the jaw that
the point cannot be raised. But "thickness"
has not alwa}'s this excuse ;' it is often the re-
sult of a childish habit of sucking the tongue,
that should have been "put away" with the
years of childhood. The more sharpty the
tongue can be pointed upwards, the better will
, c?, n, Z, and r be formed. The tongue should
never touch the lower teeth in speech, and it
CONVERSATIONAL SLURRING. 35
should never come between the teeth except
for the single element tli dli, and then to a
very slight extent. In fact, th is best formed
with the tongue behind, instead of between,
the teeth.
ORATORICAL FAULTS.
Conversational Slurring.
WHEN a person unaccustomed to public
speaking has occasion to address an audience,
his words seem to run together, and it is only
with the greatest difficulty that their purport
can be gathered by a hearer at a little distance.
He is called on to "speak out" and " speak
up," but increase of force is of little avail.
He has to learn the difference between speak-
ing and mumbling.
Conversational speech is, in general, very
slovenl}'. Could it be written down exactly
as we hear it, the speaker would not recognize
the unintelligible jargon. Thus :
Convsashnlspeech zngenlveslovnly.
This is not an exaggeration of the kind of
utterance that passes current in social life.
The chief element of distant audibility
36 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
throat-sound, or voice is so curtailed and
slurred out. that little more than mouth-actions
remain.
Sustained Voice.
THE very reverse must be the relation of
throat to mouth in oratorical speech. Conso-
nants may be softened to any degree, but
vowels must be given fully and with swelling
clearness. Thus :
srEEcn Is IN GENER-
AL VERY SLOVENLY.
But it is possible to soften the consonants
too much ; to soften them away altogether, as
we hear from some yaw-yaw-yaw speakers
whose utterance is
Vox et preterea nihil.
In good delivery every element should be
heard in its proper relation to other elements ;
every syllable in its proper relation to other
syllables ; every word in its proper relation to
other words ; every sentence in its proper rela-
tion to other sentences.
Sustained vocality is the secret of good
oratorical speech. This quality has perhaps
SUSTAINED VOICE. 37
never been better illustrated than in the case
of the Rev. Mr. Spurgeon, who, with no ap-
parent effort, in the vast Agricultural Hall, at
Islington, London, made himself distinctly
heard by an assemblage of twenty-five thou-
sand persons.* There could, of course, be no
undue softening of the consonants in such
delivery, nor, on the other hand, was any
harshness or prominence of consonant-action
perceptible even to the nearest auditor.
Some coarseness of effect to ears in the im-
mediate vicinity of a speaker is almost un-
avoidable in order to secure effectiveness at a
distance. Oratory is in this respect analogous
to scene-painting: the canvas which charms
by the softness of its depictions when viewed
from the proper standpoint, is often incredibly
rough to a close inspector. The speaker, then,
* I was present on one of the occasions. I got as near
to the speaker as possible, with the view of studying his
management of the vocal bellows; but I could discover no
unusual labour or straining. All was easy and natural.
I was within five feet of the speaker; and a friend with
whom I was to compare notes took the most distant seat from
the platform. We counted the audience by means of the
uniform sections into which the seats were arranged, and
found the number of hearers was upwards of 25,000. The
nearest ear was not offended by bellowing : the most distant
lost no syllable.
38 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
may without offence lay on his vowel lights
and shades in masses , and give corresponding
strength and firmness to his consonant out-
lines, in order to produce the right effect in
the farther corners and galleries of his audi-
torium.
It is to be noted that the percussiveness of
good oratorical speech is not due to chest-
action which would be laborious but to
expansibility of the pharynx, the cavity at the
back of the mouth and above the throat. Dis-
tension of the pharynx may be plainly seen in
the neck of a player on the bugle or cornet-a-
piston.
Mai - Respiration .
THE exhaustion after vocal effort from which
many public speakers, especially clergymen,
suffer; the " clerical sore- throat," which by
its frequency has won for itself a place in
medical terminology ; and the wild outbursts
of vociferation which throw the whole physical
frame into violent action, are due to misman-
agement of the "vocal bellows."
The principles of easy, natural, powerful
respiration are fully explained in the earlier
MAL- RESPIRATION. 39
sections of this work. Let public speakers
develop the solidity of chest and mobility of
diaphragm prescribed for the enfranchisement
of stammerers from their spasms of difficulty,
and the oratorical defects associated with mal-
respiration and which are so often painful in
their consequences will be unknown.
Oratorical defects in the expressive manage-
ment of the voice, by inflection and modula-
tion, are extremely common. In reference to
these the reader is referred to the Author's
"Principles of Elocution."*
* Fourth edition, 1878. Salem, Mass., J. P. Bui-bank.
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS.
GREAT variety of the minor defects
of speech arise from the substitution of
one part for another of the oral organs. The
correction of such defects presents no difficulty
to one who is familiar with the true formation
of the elements of speech. The following
classification embraces all ordinary defects of
this kind. The directions given should render
self-correction a hopeful undertaking in any
case, however long-established may be the
habit.
One plan of exercise should regulate teacher
or self-corrector in all cases. The attempt to
introduce a new element at once in reading or
speaking will never succeed. Awkwardness
and habit will defeat the best efforts of unac-
customed organs. Elementary power must
first be gained. Thus :
40
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 41
I. Pronounce the element separately again and
again, until it becomes easy of formation.
II. Practise its combination with a single vowel,
and continue this form of exercise until
rapid reiteration becomes easy.
III. Practise separately all the consonant com-
binations into which the element enters.
IV. Pronounce words or sentences containing
the element repeating each quickly. .
V. Introduce the corrected element in read-
ing, by slightly holding or prolonging it at
each recurrence, until the habit is formed
of articulating it correctly without special
effort.
One hour of systematic exercise regulated
as above, will do more than a week of desul-
tory effort.
LD for G.
THIS is generally an infantile defect, and
easily corrected (see page 3) ; but if no efforts
are made for its removal at an early age, it
will continue to disfigure even adult speech.
When we hear a grown-up boy or girl sa} T ing
* k dood" for good, and "dive" for give, the
very natural assumption is that there must be
42 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
a congenital cause for the defect. But this is
a mistake. The action of the back of the
tongue only requires to be developed. Hold
down the forepart of the tongue, and the back
will be compelled into action. Give this me-
chanical assistance in pronouncing the words
gay, guy, go, gawk, gag.
An hour's exercise should cure this defect.
It is a curious fact that perhaps three-fourths
of all speakers unconsciously substitute d for
g in the initial combination gl, as in glad*
glide, etc. Indeed, the resemblance in sound
is so close that only a watchful ear will dis-
cover the difference. Try :
dlad, dlide, dlow, dlove, dlory, dloom.
glad, glide, glow, glove, glory, gloom.
n. *Mf* .
THE formation of ' as that letter is pro-
nounced before a vowel, requires the tip of the
tongue to be pointed towards the upper gum.
In this defective substitution the tongue lies
flat, and acts forward against the teeth, giving
the sound of a soft dli (= th as in then) , instead
of r. Thus :
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 43
"Apdlietty intedhesting bdhide."
A prett} T interesting bride.
Inability to raise the tongue is generally the
cause of this defect. To effect a perfect cure
the tongue may require to be loosened ; but
careful exercise will, in most cases, develop
sufficient .power to make a good though un-
trilled r without an operation.
III. I? for S.
THIS is one of the many forms of defect
arising from inactivity of the forepart of the
tongue. Sometimes a slight s-ward motion is
made by the tongue at the same time that the
lip's movement gives sharpness to the sibila-
tion. To correct this defect, hold down the
lower lip, and see the teeth, while pronounc-
ing s.
IV. F for Tli. '
THIS defective substitution arises from the
same cause as the preceding sluggishness
of the tongue. To correct it, hold down the
lower lip and see the teeth while pronounc-
ing th.
F and th are so much alike in phonetic effect
44 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
that this substitution might almost pass un-
noticed by one who did not see the speaker's
mouth. The resemblance will be manifest in
the following experiment :
free, firty, Jirty-free, featre, fimble.
three, thirty, thirty-three, theatre, thimble.
V. Gh for R.
THIS is the defect commonly called " Burr-
ing," in which the back of the tongue is
brought into action instead of the point. The
sound has all the varieties of the front-lingual
vibration smooth, when the soft palate is
merely approximated to the back of the
tongue ; and rough, when the uvula is rattled
against the tongue.
This defect sometimes arises from tongue-
tiedness, but is very often a mere habit ac-
quired by imitation. The cure is by no means
difficult. To bring the point of the tongue
into action, prolong the vowel aw and lift the
tip of the tongue till it almost touches the
edge of the palatal arch. Repeat the action
a number of times without stopping the vowel
sound. In this way the characteristic vibra-
tion of r will be gradually developed.
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 45
The tongue in this exercise may be raised
so close to the palate as to produce the effect
of d but softly, and without pressure, thus ;
aw daw daw daw daw , etc.
Gradually endeavour to maintain the tongue
in this close approximation to the palate all
the time that a continual vocal buzz is heard.
This is a rudimental r. Practice on this new
element, according to the directions on page
41, will complete the cure.
When the tongue is too much tied to the bed
of the jaw, the true vibration cannot be per-
fectly acquired without an operation ; but the
"burring" may at least be discontinued, and
an approximately distinct r substituted.
VI. L for E.
THIS substitution is common among child-
ren, the articulation of I being easier than that
of r. The Chinese never pronounce r, but
substitute L The two sounds are produced
by the action of the same part of the tongue
the point ; at the same part of the palate
the upper gum : the difference being that the
voice passes over the tip of the tongue for r
46 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
and over the sides for I. The alternation of
these letters in words and sentences presents
a difficulty to most persons; as in " Truly
rural." " Rob ran along the lane in the rain."
" A lump of raw, red liver,'* etc.*
VII.LU for S or Sli.
THE sibilants s and sh are produced by the
breath passing along a central channel over
the tongue arched towards the palate, and
with more or less elevation of the point. This
defect consists in passing the breath over one
or both sides of the tongue, as in forming I
without voice. The I apertures are narrowed
so as to cause a hissing, not unlike that of the
true sibilants. To correct this fault, the first
point is to concentrate the breath in a single
central channel. The channel of r may be
used as a guide ; and the channel of y will also
be available. Substitute r without voice for
the defective " cluttering" s ; and y without
voice for the defective sh. By arching the
middle of the tongue while the point is in the
position for r, s will be produced ; and by
* Many exercises on these and other difficult combinations
will be found in the Author's " Principles of Speech and
Dictionary of Sounds.'*
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 47
raising the front of the tongue while the mid-
dle is in the position for y, sh will be produced.
The sounds obtained may at first be very im-
perfect, but they will work into form. Per-
haps as often happens some experimental
or accidental shift may strike the true position
and end all difficult}^. The hisses must, how-
ever, be perfected as elements before an}' at-
tempt is made to introduce them into words
and sentences.
VIII. N for Ng.
CHILDREN who pronounce d for g and t for
&, of course sound n instead of ng. But the
substitution is very common also among care-
less speakers in pronouncing the termination
ing : as in meetin, eatin, and dririkin, for meet-
ing, eating and drinking. This substitution
is universal in Scotland. In the words length
and strength the ng is very apt to be changed
into n for ease of pronunciation. The sounds
of &, (/ and ng are pronounced by the very
same organic action contact and separation
of the back of the tongue and the soft pal-
ate : the differences being that k is non- vocal,
g vocal, and ng naso-vocal.
48 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
IX.Ngfor L.
THIS substitution is a not uncommon accom-
paniment of burring, arising from the same
inabilit}- or habitual difficulty in raising
the point of the tongue. The effect of ng at
the beginning of a syllable is very peculiar, as
that element is never initial in English. Thus :
ngove, ngord, ngady, nget weng angonc.
love, lord, lady, let well alone.
The formation of I has been explained above
(see page 45) . Some assistance in correcting
this defect will be obtained, at first, by holding
the nostrils, to prevent emission of sound by
the nose.
X. Ng for N.
THIS is an allowed assimilation, not a defect,
when n occurs before k in the same syllable r
as in
inyk, rangk, mongk, trungk.
ink, rank, monk, trunk.
It would be difficult to articulate n in these
words.
The same substitution of ng for ?i taKes
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 49
place but not uniformly before g; as in
angger, fingger, longger, langguage.
anger, finger, longer, language.
Foreigners are unnecessarily puzzled b} T the
Anomaly between such words and hanger, sing-
er, wronger, etc., where the ng represents a
single consonant.
XLNgg for Ng.
THIS is a Cockney peculiarity, occurring
chiefly where ng is followed by a vowel, as in
slugging, sing-g-a song.
singing, sing a song.
The correction of this defect will be assisted
at first by a slight stop between the ng and the
vowel.
XII. Nh for S.
THE effect represented by nil is n without
voice a simple breathing through the nose
while the tongue is in the position for n. This
defect is generally attributed to a congenital
organic cause ; but when it occurs as the sin-
gle nasal peculiarity of a speaker, it may be
confidently pronounced to be merely a correc-
50 THE. FAULTS OF SPEECH.
tible habit. Assistance will be derived at first
from a mechanical prevention of nasal emis-
sion by pinching the nostrils ; and also by
blowing a feather off the hand held before the
mouth.
When oral emission has thus been obtained
the means already prescribed for acquiring the
s sibilation (see page 46) , will be effectual m
curing the ungainly sniffling of this defect.
XIII. S for Sh, and Sli for S.
THESE two forms of defective sibilation will
be corrected by the means pointed out in pre-
vious* sections. The shades of difference in
hissing sounds are numerous : many sibilations
are heard of an intermediate kind, and which
partake more or less of the characteristics of
one or the other of the representative sibilants.
Organic malformation sometimes prevents a
perfect rectification as irregularly of the
teeth ; inability to close the jaws ; projecting
or retreating jaw, etc. but even in the worst
of such cases, improvement will follow intelli-
gent effort. In all cases where no malforma-
tion exists, the sibilants may be adjusted to a
normal standard.
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 51
The teeth require to be very close in pro-
nouncing s and sh. They should not touch,
but their separation can not be greater than
the thickness of a paper-cutter without produc-
ing some peculiarity.
The alternation of s and sh like that of r
and I presents a difficulty to most persons,
as in "Such a sash." "A shot silk sash."
" A shabby sash," etc.*
XIV. S for Th and Z for Dh.
THIS substitution is made by French speak-
ers, whose native language does not contain
the sounds of tli and dh. Imitation might be
expected to teach the foreigner so obvious an
articulation ; yet those who have spoken Eng-
lish for years may still be heard saying "I
sink" for I think, and " zat" for that. A few
minutes' exercise suffices to cure this defect.
XV. T for K.
THE directions given on page 41 for the cor-
rection of the defect " D for 6r," apply equally
to the kindred elements t and &, which are,
* See note, page 46.
52 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
merely the non- vocal forms of d and g. (See
page 33.)
The unconscious use of t instead of c (=* k)
in the combination d is also as common as that
ofdforg. Thus:
tlay, tlaw, tlew, tlaim, tlever, tlose.
clay, claw, clew, claim, clever, close.
XVL Thfor S.
THIS is the defect commonly called "Lisp-
ing." The relation between th arid s is the
same as that between I and r. The breath
escapes by a central aperture for s as for r;
&ud by lateral apertures for th as for I. In
forming r and I the middle of the tongue is
concave and the point sharply raised : in form-
ing s and th the middle of the tongue is con-
vex, and the point flattened out. The central
channel for s is over the top of the point of
the tongue ; that for r is over the end of the
tip. The lateral apertures for tk are between
the edges of the point of the tongue and the
"teeth, or the upper gum ; those for I are be-
tween the body of the tongue and the side, or
Iback, teeth. The apertures for th are inter-
OEGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS'. 53
stitial, and so cause hissing of the breath ;
those for I are wide, and allow the voice to-
pass with vowel purity. The I channels may r
however, be narrowed so as to produce sibila-
tion, and this is one form of defective substi-
tution for s. (See page 46.)
Lisping is easily cured. But some persons
affect the lisp as a symbol of childish artless-
ness, and, like Orlando of his love-disease,
"would not be cured." A better means of
displaying simplicity and innocence might be
suggested; but
"de gustibus non cst disputandum"
The correction of the habit of lisping will
be facilitated at first by mechanical^ prevent-
ing the tongue from touching the front teeth.
The edge of a paper-cutter may be used to
push back the tip of the tongue.
The tongue should be altogether out of sight
in forming s.
XVILV for Dh.
THE remarks on "Ffor Th" equally apply
to these, the vocal forms of the same articu-
lations. (See page 43.)
54 THE FAULTS OF SPEEC1L
XVIILV for Z.
THE directions on page 43 apply equally to
these elements, whicb *re merely vocal forms
of / and s.
. V for W and W for V.
THERE is a tendency to confound these con-
sonants when the} T ccur in alternation, a?
manifested in the Cockney's "werry veil" for
very well.
French and German speakers, whose ver-
nacular recognizes no sound exactly corre-
sponding to the English w, pronounce v instead
of it. The French, however, use the true
sound of w in pronouncing their diagraph 01,
as in soir, boire, oiseaux, etc.
The German w has the same labial action as
the English element, but with a difference in
the position of the tongue, which is advanced
for the German and retracted for the English w.
Foreigners can be taught the knack of the
English element perfectly. Imitation is obvi-
ously worthless for their direction. Mechani-
cal assistance will overcome the difficult}'.
Thus : sound the vowoi oo for some seconds
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 55
and during the continuance of the sound gently
approximate the centre of the lips with the
finger and thumb a number of times. The
vowel oo will be changed into the word
woo, ivoo, woo, woo, woe,
and the consonant w in its most difficult com-
bination will be the result.
English readers may, in the same wa} T , per-
fectl} r acquire the knack of pronouncing the
German w. Thus : sound the vowel ee for
some seconds, and during the continuance of
the sound gently approximate the centre of the
lips with the finger and thumb a number of
times. The vowel will be changed by every
action into a true German pronunciation of the
word
wie, wie, wie, wie, wie.
The phonetic resemblance of the German w
to the English v will be recognized in this ex-
periment. The articulative actions are, how-
ever, different, and the English student of
'German should profit by the lesson and dis-
tinguish in future between English v and Ger-
man w.
50 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
XX. W for L.
THIS substitution is due to lingual laziness.
The tongue lolling on the bed of the jaw sur-
renders its proper functions to any part of the
organs that can be got to undertake them. Ir*
this case the lips are obliging, and we hear :
" Wet the wady wait a wittoo."
Let the lady wait a little.
The existence of such defects is a disgrace.
No difficulty attends their correction, and they
should never have quitted the nursery.
XXL W for R.
R is the most difficult of all the consonants
for children to learn, and it is, of all elements
of speech, the most variously pronounced in
languages and dialects and among individual
speakers. When the r is trilled as in Scot-
land the sound is nearly uniform, but the
less definite varieties heard in England and
America differ greatly. The American r
scarcely uses the point of the tongue at all,
but has a glide-sound approximating to that
of y, while, between vowels, the r is modified
by the lips, as in "vej^/."
ORGANIC SUBSTITUTIONS. 57
In England the r final or before a conso-
nant has the vocality of a vowel ; and even
the initial r has little of the friaativeness of a
consonant.
The substitution of w for r is a favourite
dandyism in English speech, and generally
accompanies the aw aw aw of
"Awistocwatic dwawl."
Aristocratic drawl.
Those who have acquired the habit of using
10 for r, otherwise than as an affectation, or of
mixing the sounds of ID and r, may easily cure
themselves by the means recommended on
page 43 for the delabialising of s, namely :
Hold down the lower lip with the finger, and
see the teeth while pronouncing r.
XXILWfor Wh.
Wh is to w precisely what /is to v, or s to
z the non-vocal form of the same articulative
action. Speakers who make no difference be-
tween these elements confound "whey" with
way, "which" with witch, "whale" with wail,
"whether" with weather ; and put their hear
ers to unnecessary trouble to unriddle then
5*5 THE FAULTS OF SPEECH.
ambiguities. Refinement consists in the pre-
servation of nice distinctions ; and no speaker
with any pretensions to refinement will willing-
ly forego such a source of distinctiveness as
the proper pronunciation of these and all ele-
mentary sounds.
Cockney speech has no wh.
POSTSCRIPT
TO
SECOND EDITION.
POSTSCRIPT TO SECOND EDITION.
NEW Edition of this little book having
been called for, the opportunity is pre-
sented for adding any further observations or
directions that may seem necessary. The highly
condensed matter in these pages could easily be
expanded so as to fill a volume ; but the pre-
cision of the Treatise in its present form is
one of ts chief recommendations for the actual
work of rectifying the "Faults of Speech."
Some little peculiarity in the action of a single
organ, or in the mode of pronouncing a single
elementary sound, has the effect of rendering
the whole of speech peculiar ; and the work of
correction is incredibly simple when the fault
is merely traced to its mechanical cause. The
list of such mechanical causes of defects in
speech, herein contained, is not only extensive
but complete.
61
62 POSTSCRIPT.
The effect of ignorance on this subject i
often serious and painful. On one occasion a
gentleman came to the author with a defect
which greatly marred his whole utterance, yet
it arose simpty from the habit of substituting
nasal for oral emission in forming the sibilant
consonants the " fault" described in Section
XII, page 49. In this case a surgical opera-
ation had been performed, which had subjected
the patient to months of suffering, while the
defect arose from no organic malformation, but
merely from a mechanical habit which might
have been checked in childhood, as it was per-
fectly checked within a week of instruction.
8tammerers have been bewildered more than
benefitted by the theories of cause and cure of
their impediment, and the extensive terminol-
ogy given to its man} T varieties. In nearly all ,
cases, the source of difficulty is a failure in
some simple principle of phonation or organic
action, to which alone attention requires to be
directed. The chief points for the stammerer's
consideration and exercise whatever peculiar-
ity any case may seem to present will be
found set forth in the preceding pages. Let
POSTSCRIPT. 63
these be carefully studied, and the principles
perseveringly applied, without thought of
"consentaneous nerve actions" or any other
recondite theories, and in the vast majority of
cases relief will be certainty attained.
The principles of vocal respiration are all-
important, not only to stammerers, but to pub-
lic speakers, readers and singers. Claims
have been set up to the recent discovery of the
proper function of the diaphragm in breathing ;
but this ct discovery" will be found fully em-
bodied in the Author's New Elucidation of
the Principles of Speech and Elocution,
published in 1849. The simple fundamental
principles of breathing cannot be too clearly
apprehended. The reader is referred to pages
17-19 for definite instruction on this subject.
Teachers who undertake the rectification of
faults of speech should study the mechanism of
articulation as exhibited in the symbols of
"Visible Speech." The phonetic elements of
languages, and their mutual relations, are so
depicted in these symbols that all difficulty
is removed from this otherwise difficult study.
The text book Sounds and their Relations, e&
10
U POSTSCRIPT.
hibited in Visible Speech,* may be obtained
through any bookseller. The Visible Speech
Reader,^ (adapted for children) may also be
used with advantage to facilitate the acquisi-
tion of English sounds by teacher or pupil.
A. M. B.
WEST WASHINGTON, D. C.,
October, 1883.
* Price $2.00, post-paid, from the publisher of this Work,
f Recently issued ; price 40 cents.
NOTE TO FOURTH EDITION.
No alterations were made in the Third Edition of this work,
published in 1889; nor are any required in this Fourth Edition,
issued under the auspices of the Volta Bureau. The little
book has done good service during the seventeen years since
its first publication; and it is now hopefully committed to a
new generation of students.
A. M. B.
WASHINGTON, D. C..
1525 35th Street,
Dec. 1st, 1897.
Sounds and Their Relations Exhibited in Visible
Speech and The Visible Speech Reader are out of print.
But the Volta Bureau offers Visible Speech and Vocal
Physiology, at 50 cents, as one of the most helpful
of A. Melville Bell's works. (See page 72.)
APPENDIX
CONTAINING
TABLES AND EXERCISES.
APPENDIX.
Table of Consonants.
jlHE following table contains all English
elements, and others referred to in the
preceding paget*.
Nasal Emission.
Oral.
Oral
Obstruct!
non-vocal
fP .
vocal
B
IT .
. . D
on lK.
G
Central
Emission
Lateral
Emission
non-vocal
(Mh) .
Kh . .
(Ngh).
(Blowing to cool) W German.
Wh . . . . W
S . . . . Z
/RV.N 5 French r in T> cr
^ Kn ^ theatre. R smooth.
Sh . . . . Zh in w*ion.
cM (= '&; n j-*-
(Yh) |Germana v
vocal
. M
. N
. Ng
(Ch)bennan. ' Gh j
in auge;
F
Thi
Lh Fr. I in teWe.
Lax j (Snarl.)
Vibration \ (Rh)
V
Dh to in <An.
L
(Burr.)
R trilled.
67
APPENDIX.
Table of Initial Consonant Combinations.
Bl . as in
blade
Fr . as in
fright
Br . . .
bride
Fy . . .
few
Bw . . .
buoy
Vy . . .
view
By ...
beauty
Thr . .
three
n. . . .
place
Thw . . .
thwart
Pr . . .
price
Thy . .
thews
Py . . .
pure
SI ...
sleep
Dr . . .
draw
Sm. . .
smile
Dzh . . .
jew
Sn ...
snarl
Dw . . .
dwell
Sf . . .
sphere
Dy . . .
due
Sp . . .
spy
Tr . . .
try
St . . .
sty
Tsh . . .
chain
Sk . . .
sky
Tw . . .
twelve
Sw . . ."
sway
Ty . . .
tune
Sy . . .
sue
Gl . . .
glad
Shr . .
shrink
Gr . . .
great
Spl . . .
spleen
Gw
guelph
Spr . . .
spring
Gy . . .
gewgaw
Spy . . .
spume
Kl . . .
climb
Str . . .
straw
Kr . . .
crime
Sty . . .
stuw
Kw . . .
quite
Ski . .
sclerotic
Kv . . .
cure
Skr . . .
screw
Mt . V .
muse
Skw . .
squint
:NV . . .
new
Sky . . .
skewer
Fl . .
flight
APPENDIX.
Consonant Exercises.
FOR rapid reiteration.
non-vocal.
pata patapa
tapa tapata
paka pakapa
kapa kapaka
taka takata
kata kataka
pataka pakata
tapaka takapa
kapata katapa
pafa pafapa
fapa fapafa
fawha fawhafa
whafa whafawha
pawhafa pafawha
fapawka fawhapa
whapafa whafapa
fatha falhafa
tbafa thafatha
thasa thasatha
satha sathasa
.-sasha sashasa
shasa sbasasnu
thasba thashatha
shatha shathasha
tliasasha thashasa
sathasha sashatha
shasatha shathasa
vocal.
bada baclaba
daba dabada
baga bagaba
gaba gabaga
daga dagada
gada gadaga
bagada badaga
dabaga dagaba
gadaba gabada
bava bavaba
vaba vabava
bawa bawaba
waba wabawa
vawa vawava
wava wavaAVi*
bawava bavawa
70
APPENDIX.
vabawa vawaba
wabava wavaba
> r atha vathava
thava thavatha
thaza thazatha
zatha zathaza
vathaza vazatha
thavaza thazava
zavatha zathava
thazha thazhatha
zhatha zhathazha
zazha zazhaza
zhaza zhazazha
thazhaza thazazha
zathazha zazhatha
zhazatha zhathaza
rala ralara
lara larala
rana ranara
nara narana
lana lanala
nala nalana
ralana ranala
larana lanara
nalara narala
combinations.
blabra blabrabla
brabla brablabra
plapra plaprapla
prapla praplapra
flafra flafrafla
frafla fraflafra
glagra glagragla
gragla graglagra
clacra clacracla
cracla craclacra
thwaswa thwaswathwa
swathwa swathwaswa
thrashra thrashrathra
shrathra shrathrashra
slasna slasnasla
snasla snaslasna
tradra tradratra
dratra dratradra
chaja chajacha
jacha jachaja
spasfa spasfaspa
sfaspa sfaspasfa
APPENDIX. 71
staska staskasta splaspra splaspraspla
skasta skastaska spraspla sprasplaspra
Words and Sentences.
Beef-broth. Cloud-capp'd.
Three sixths. Laurel wreath.
Literally literary. Linen lining.
Knitting needle. A comic mimic.
Quit quickly. Rural railroad.
Such a sash. Scotch thatch.
Puff up the fop. Statistics of sects.
A velvet weaver. Portly poultry.
A cut of pumpkin. A wet white wafer.
A knapsack strap. Pick pepper peacock,
Coop up the cook. I snuff shop snuff.
A school coal-scuttle.
Veal and white wine vinegar.
Geese cackle and cattle low.
Cocks crow and crows caw.
A shocking sottish set
She sells sea-shells.
THF END.
The Volta Bureau's Book
Department
A. MELVILLE BELL'S BOOKS
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Visible Speech and Vocal Physiology 50
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Visible Speech Class Primer 10
Visible Speech. Inaugural Edition 2.00
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Essays and Postscripts on Elocution 1 . 00
Address to Elocutionists 10
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Letters and Sounds (Visible Speech) 10
Sounds of R , 10
World English: Universal Language 10
World English, Handbook of ." 10
Popular Shorthand 10
Elliptical Steno-Phonography 10
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Line W riting, Universal 10
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