agreeable and impressive. For the attainment of this desirable
accomplishment, three classes of exercises are necessary. 1. Upon the
separate elementary sounds of the language, both vowels and consonants; 2.
Upon their various combinations, both such as constitute syllables and such
as do not, and especially the more difficult combinations of consonants;
and, 3. Upon words; spelling them by sounds, that is, uttering the
elementary sounds separately, and then the whole word.

Respecting these exercises, Dr. Rush observes:--"When the elements are
pronounced singly, they may receive a concentration of organic effort,
which gives them a clearness of sound, and a definiteness of outline, if I
may so speak, at their extremes, that make a fine preparation for a
distinct and forcible pronunciation of the compounds of speech." By
elementary sounds is here meant the forty-two sounds of the language which
are represented by the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. They are
represented in the following

TABLE OF ELEMENTARY SOUNDS.

VOWELS.

1. e, eve. 7. a, arm. 13. o, move.
2. i, in. 8. a, all. 14. u, full.
3. a, ale. 9, o, on. 15. u, tune.
4. e, end. 10. e, err. 16. i, isle.
5. a, air. 11. o, own. 17. oi, oil.
6. a, and. 12. u, un. 18. ou, our.

CONSONANTS.