The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-12-19
EssON IN PRONUNCIATION.

bounced Even by Educated People
There are in our English at the least
three or four thousand words that are
frequently mispronounced. Some of
these, writes Alfred Ayres in the New
York Times. are the following:
IJ-a tbs. Not a-5d-tis. That has been
done for this word that should be done,
as soon as practicable, for all foreign
words that we use. 1t has been fully
ar-licized The moro English we make
our i,rrlish the better English 1t is.
Abdomen. There is no authority, ex-
Cept popular usage, for accounting the
fret yllable Of this word.
Ab-dom-i nal. The short as in don.
-AJ-,r-crom- by. The of this proper
name is not the Of con, but the OF
come.
A6iect Not abject.
IN 'act-uess.
iCc7 iy.
AJ-so-l lto Not absoloot, as is often
onouuCed by the careless.
tSsllvc There is good authority for
sound.ng tha s Of this word like ?, but
tris is hardly in accordance with the
ao5t usage.
Absorb. The zsound of in this word
should be carefully avoided.
Ab-st~act-ly. Not ab-StrdrtlY,
Ab-s.J,ue The of this word has
...e sound Of long 90. This is the
rlro: L preceded by or the sound OF
a,- n. in the same syllable, often is
.cuu4cd like long 90, as in rude, rumor,
-ulc. sure, issue.
A-bg dos. Not AJ-y-dos.
ic.a d0-uli-an.
Accent Whom 4 noun. the first, when
q verb the second, is the accented syl-
l4lle. We accent syllable with an dc-
cent.
Acceptable. In Walkers time this
~---1 was accented on the first syllable
bv rue majority OF the better speakers.
Access. IL is more in accordance with
he best current usage to accent the first
-athcr than the second syllable of this
worl, Webster to the contrary notwith-
s,lnding.
sc-Jesso-ry. Ease OF uttcrance has
shifted tho accent from tho first 10 the
second syllable. whore it will remain.
Ac-,t .uale For the pronunciation
tlat accents the lirst syllable there is no
Authority.
hccruo. Hero is another word in
which the has the sound OF long 90.
Acetate. The long, as in fate.
Acoustics. All our dictionaries pro-
ucJulc the on OF this word OJr. while
r,ary the whole speaking
v-y~ld, So TAR as the writer's observation
goes, pronounce IL like long o. Many
persons thus pronounce it knowing that
thcauthoritiCs are against them. Squalor
s. another word treated in like manner.
A-E0rS-tics is certainly not pleasing to
t.a car.
.lct-or. Not the 0 of nor, but the OF
major.
N-cumen. Not GE-u-mcn r
Al ap-tI-tion.
Address. Both noun and verb arc now
commonly accented on the second sylla-
ulc
Adducc. When, in the samo syllable,
,nr 70 is preceded by one of the con-
-onants d. T. {, II, >, or h, it is not easy
r,Iutroduco tho sound Of q; hence care
Joss speakers omit it, pronOuncinE duty,
iCoty, tune, toon; lutte, loot; nuisance,
noosrncc, etc. And yet TO mako the u
II ,Lesc words as clear and perfect as in
u.ir. cute. etc, is oyer-nicc and conse-
u,.jiy snacks OF pcdantry. The two
extremes should be avoided with equal
ere.
: 'sy, Not adept.
Adhesive. 10 not pronounce the s
like :.
AIiposo. Do not pronounce the $
Ike :.
Ad-jec-tival. There is abundant au-
thority for acccnting the first syllable,
t.t it is to be hoped that no one will be
i-clincd to follow it.
II-jcg-tivc-ly.
I'd mi-ra-bIe; admirably.
.sImi-r-l-ty The first and not the
thil is the accented syllable.
A-do-nis.
Adobe Three syllables-ah-dob be.
\ |4H. There is no authority for adj
lit
vance. The second OF this word
Should 10 sounded broader than tho Il in
IN. an, fat etc, and not 50 broad as
lI lItDer.
A tho beginning of this century
ra5 IN which this so-callCd intCrmcdi-
atc occurs were generally pronounced
with rhc full, broad Italian a, as in
nor, wEicn by the exquisitcs was not
'regucuuy exaggerated. This Walker
IcrioCk % change, and to that end
marked tho . Of this class OF words
r3rt Ike tho in and, man, at, etc
lne Innovation mot with only partial
success. Now, there is a general dispo-
srtCn 70 unite IN some intermediate
a, ri between the broad in father,
Eich Is very rarely, and the short Il in
can, which Is very frequently heard in
this country. fow OF the words in
hich this q now receives this inter
MEDIATE sound are: After, alas, answer,
mt basll, basket, branch, brass, cask,
tas' chance, class craft, dance, raft,
cn,iant, example, fast, flask, gasp,
aIec, glass, grass, lance, last, mask,
mastH, nasty, pass, past, pastor, plas-
Ter, shaft, stan, task, vast, watt.