Page:Aids to the Pronunciation of Irish - Christian Brothers.djvu/19

 placing the finger on the pharynx, observe that “e” is voiced. All vowels and diphthongs are voiced.

Next pronounce for some seconds the sound of “a” in “fall.” The mouth is now wide open, the back of the tongue is slightly arched towards the soft palate, the tip is just below the lower teeth, and there is practically no tension felt in the tongue itself. The air passage for this vowel is much larger than for “e.”

8. We learn from the preceding that some vowels are formed in the of the mouth, others at the ; that the air passage for some is narrow or slender, whilst for others it is broad. We can now grasp the appropriateness of the two terms applied, for centuries back, by Irish Grammarians to the Irish vowels—viz., (broad), and  (slender). These are not mere arbitrary terms, but they exactly indicate the nature of the air passage needed for the production of those vowels.

9. Pronounce the words “be” and “me” several times, until the real difference between “b” and “m” is felt. The lips are completely closed for both, and both are voiced (§ 3). The essential difference is that the air passes through the nose for “m,” but not for “b.” Thus whilst “b” is labial, “m” is labial and nasal.

10. In the foregoing paragraphs we have dealt with English words and English sounds, as these are probably more familiar to the student, and it is always desirable