"ro'mance." The following are among the most common in which this error occurs: ac'cess requite research resource robust romance routine trousseau vagary In some words we find that as yet there is no fixed standard of spelling, two forms being equally correct, as "gasoline" or "gasolene," "theater" or "theater" or "theatre," ་་ scepter" or "sceptre"; so, often, in pronunciation two forms are considered correct. Thus Webster gives In the case of words of this kind that admit of two pronunciations, both of which are correct, it is usually considered best to follow the first pronunciation given. In words of this kind, for which there is no fixed standard of pronunciation, it is often very perplexing to a speaker to determine which authority is best to follow. In the first place he may safely leave out of consideration the British authorities - the Oxford English Dictionary, Stormonth, and the Encyclopedic Dictionary. British pronunciation differs so widely from American that it would not be wise to follow British authorities in determining the standards in this country. Aside from this he must use his own discretion. His good judgment will tell him that it is not wise to use an unusual or striking pronunciation and flaunt it in the face of an audience that is not accustomed to it, although there may be authority for it. It would show neither good taste nor good judgment to adopt the pronunciation 'celib'acy," as it is not in common use, and is recognized by only one authority and then only as a second choice. The following words, according to different authorities, admit of two or more pronunciations by change of accent: contour costume decorous defile demonstrate detail discount disputable diverse encore enema envelope envoy espionage exculpate exemplary extant finance financier illustrate indisputable inlaid irrefutable misconstrue mobile nomenclature de sire de sign de scend peremptory pianist placard portent premature prestige pretext prolix quinine recondite reflex not des ire not des ign not des cend des picable not de spicable IV. ERRORS OF PRONUNCIATION DUE TO INCORRECT SYLLABICATION "e Sometimes mispronunciation is due to failure to utter words according to their natural syllabic divisions, as de spair," mispronounced "des pair." More frequently, however, it is the result of a careless dropping of a syllable or of adding a syllable that has no place in the word. The following cases illustrate errors of syllabication that are a common source of mispronunciation. I. The error of incorrectly dividing words into syllables. pro bate pro pose reservoir sojourn souvenir strategic vindicative viola vizier 2. The error of dropping syllables entirely. accurate not acc'rate adaptation not adap'shn aërial not a'rial aëroplane not a'roplane annihilate not anni'late not prob ate not prop ose not pros cribe prob lem not pro blem not pro cess proc ess associate not assosh'ate barrel not bar'l boisterous not boist❜rous boundary not bound'ry brewery not brew'ry jugular not jug'lar not mount'n not myst❜ry not nov'l not om❜let not orde'l partiality not parsh'ality participle not part❜ciple particularly not partic❜ly realize not re❜lize reference not ref'rence regular not reg'lar scientifically not scientific❜ly slavery not slav'ry statistics not st❜istics not vacu❜m not valu❜ble not veg❜table not vict❜ry not Virgin'ya not wid❜ning mystery novel omelet ordeal vacuum valuable vegetable victory Virginia widening NOTE. Special attention should be given to such errors as those of the list above. I have found that among students there is no more common source of mispronunciation than that of the careless dropping of syllables. = 3. The error of pronouncing words with more syllables than usage permits. alien = not a li en not al le gi ance not awg zil i a ri |