Since there are forty-two elementary sounds used in the formation of our words and only twenty-six letters to represent these sounds, some of these letters must necessarily represent more than one sound.

Of the forty-two elementary sounds, eighteen are vowel sounds, but we have only five vowels with which to represent these sounds, so each vowel has several different sounds.

Therefore we must have a key to pronunciation to indicate the various sounds which are represented by these letters used in forming the words. When you look up words in your dictionary you will find the vowels marked by certain signs to indicate the pronunciation. These signs are called diacritical marks.

The following table gives the diacritical marks for the vowels. Study this table and learn to pronounce the words you look up. When you have determined the correct pronunciation of the word, repeat it over to yourself aloud a number of times until you have accustomed your ear to the correct pronunciation.

Different dictionaries use different keys to pronunciation. This table is taken from the dictionary which we are using in connection with this course—Winston's New Universal Self-Pronouncing Dictionary.

Key to Pronunciation

• a as in late, fade.
• Ä as in mar, father.
• ? as in mask, dance.
• a as in cat, had.
• aw as in awl, fall.
• e as in he, feet.
• ? as in her, verge.
• e as in let, men.
• i as in line, time.
• i as in tin, little.
• o as in vote, home.
• Ô as in orb, form.
• o as in lot, odd.
• oi as in oil, join.
• oo as in moon, school.
• oo as in cook, foot.
• ou as in out, house.
• u as in mute, unit.
• u as in nut, drum.

The spelling lesson for this week is composed of words containing the different vowel sounds. Look up in your dictionary and mark all the a's in Monday's lesson, all the e's in Tuesday's lesson, all the i's in Wednesday's lesson, all the o's in Thursday's lesson, and all the u's in Friday's lesson. In Saturday's lesson note the use of w and y as vowels.

Monday

• Pause
• Adjective
• Lazy
• Quality
• Advance

Tuesday

• Resemble
• Descend
• Adverb
• Interjection
• Complete

Wednesday

• Limit
• Define
• Distinct
• Imprison
• Civilize

Thursday

• Form
• Footsteps
• Proof
• Report
• Common

Friday

• Union
• Under
• Unusual
• Summer
• Commune

Saturday

• Comply
• Employ
• Vowel
• News
• Lawful