table uncle
ink-stand

Use the article "the" with the same list of words in oral expression,
pronouncing "the" with the long sound of "e" before words beginning with
vowels, as "The apple," "The ink-stand."

_The_ apple is on the table.
The peach is ripe.
The flower and _the_ orange are for you.
_The_ owl has bright eyes.
_The_ ice is smooth and hard.
Grandfather sits in _the_ arm chair.
Is _the_ envelope sealed?
_The_ old man leans on the cane.



RULES OR REASONS FOR SOUNDS

The real difficulty in phonics lies in the fact that the pronunciation
of the English language abounds in inconsistencies. Its letters have no
fixed values and represent different sounds in different words.

While there are but twenty-six letters in the English alphabet there are
forty-four elementary sounds in the English language.

Thus far but one sound for each consonant has been taught and
emphasized. Incidentally the fact that some of the letters have more
than one sound has been discovered, as c in city, g in gentle,--but now