-------.--------------------------------~~
L.::J
THE VOWEL
This is the so-called
ask
INTERMEDIATE
SOUND
(L
AS IN "pass".
"A." Represented by the spellings:
aunt
This sound is a LOW, FRONT-OF-THE-TONGUE
vowel with respect to the arch of the tongue. It has
become known as the INTERMEDIATE "A" vowel because its position is often perceived as intermediate between the vowel sound ~ as in "Pat" and the vowel sound Q.: as in "father."
Let your lower jaw lie wide open, relaxed; allow the tip of your tongue to rest behind your lower front teeth. Allow your lips to spread VERY SLIGHTLY in the feeling of a smile. Arch the FRONT of
your tongue low and forward as the jaw opens to its widest position for any front vowel.
One way to arrive at, or at least to approximate, the correct Intermediate "A" vowel sound is to
sing the word "my." Notice the first part of the sung word, which will sound something like "ma-."
Once again sing a good, long, extended "my," but this time notice that you are in fact sustaining a long pure vowel sound "maaaaaaa-." FEEL and HEAR this pure vowel sound and then
say: "rnamask," "rna- mast," "a- ask."
Cl-
is the first element of the diphthong sound
a·i'
as in "my."
a
As a pure vowel sound
is ALWAYS SHORT and is used ONLY in the so-called "ASK-LIST" of
words. The Ask-List is a compilation of the words in Spoken English, such as "ask," that have three
standards of pronunciation for the letter "a" in the spelling of a word, depending on the standard of
Spoken English being used at the time. (A complete Ask-List is given on pages 81-83.) Beyond a reliance on this list, it is a good idea when using proper names or referring to particular places to turn
to local sources for the correct pronunciation.
The three standards of pronunciation for words that comprise the Ask-List are given in A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English, by John S. Kenyon and Thomas A. Knott. For the actor, of
course, the choice of which of the three to use will be determined by the play and by the character.
Take the word "ask," for instance:
oe 1
THE SHORT NAN is used in General American pronunciation and is employed by a majority of
North Americans in ordinary speech. This is the vowel sound that occurs in the name "Pat" in
North American English and in Received Prounuciation (RP) of British English;
3.- 2
THE INTERMEDIATE
"N' is the American pronunciation listed in Webster's Third New International Dictionary. This is also the Theater Standard for Good Speech in classic texts and the
EasternAmerican Standard given in Kenyon and Knott's Dictionary;
0.: 3
THE BROAD "N' or ITALIAN fiN' is the British Standard for Received Pronunciation (RP) as given in
Everyman's English Pronouncing Dictionary, by Daniel Jones. This is the vowel sound that occurs in the word "father" in both North American English and British RP.
There are no rules for determining whether a particular word is on the Ask-List. Usage in the living language influences a word's pronunciation, and it is this usage that over centuries has governed
the words of the Ask-List. No one person, group, class, region, or country has invented the list.
THE FRONT VOWELS / 79
0~--------To illustrate that no rules exist for determining an Ask-List word, take a look at the following
words. Those in the left column are on the Ask-List; each has three standards of pronunciation.
Those on the right are NOT on the Ask-List; each has only one standard in both North American pronunciation and British Received Pronunciation.
ASK WORDS:
three standards ~
a... a: :
one standard
NOT ASK WORDS:
1 pass, passable, Passover
2 can't
~
only
passage, passenger, passive
can (n; v) can (sf of auxiliary verb) CAnnot,
cant (jargon)
classic, classical, classify
psychopath, pathological
graphic, telegraphic
bass (fish), Cass, mass, lass, crass
gather, blather, slather
3 class, classy
path
5 graph, telegraph
6 pass, class, brass, grass
7 lather, rather
4
This should demonstrate that there are no spelling or phonetic rules for determining Ask-List
words; nevertheless, the Ask-List words are all followed by certain consonant sounds. Below is a
partial listing of the most common Ask-List words, grouped according to the consonant sounds that
follow them. (Again, the complete Ask-List is on pages 81-83.)
-!-
8 abaft aft after afternoon behalf calf chaff craft "-craft" endings daft
9 distaff djaft-draoght
epitaph gi-raffe graft graph "-graph" endings half
10 laugh raft rafter shaft staff waft cenotaph
"
-()
11 bath
-nt
lath
12 advantage
13 vantage
path
wrath
aunt
can't
- n d. 14 chandler
command
15 countermand
16 avalanche
chant
enchant
commander
blanchefilanche
17 advance answer chance
18 Frances=Francis glance
grant
demand
branch
planch
Flanders
- Z
24 raspb~-rry (This is the only Ask-List word with
slant
reprimand
stanch
supplant
slander
stanchion
chancel chancellor chance-ry
lance prance trance
19
20
21
22
23
g
shan't
a
-4
dance enhance
France
aghast alas ask bask basket blast brass cask ~caske£. cast=caste castle
caster=castor
clasp class disaster fast fasten flabbergast flask flasket
gasp ghastly glass grasp grass hasp last mask-masque
mast master mastiff
nasty pass passable Pas~ver a?ast pastime pastor pasture plaster rascal
rasp repast task vast alabaster
25
example
-1r
26
calves
halve
salve (ointment)
_ -3'
27
lather
rather
paths
-"Yh.jZ/
plant
sample
sampler
baths
laths
80 / SPEAK WITH DISTINCTION / CHAPTER TWO
':Z.. .)
------------------0
THE ASK-LIST OF WORDS
These words have three standards of pronunciation:
a
In Good Speech in classic texts
abaft
advance, -s
advanced
advancement, -s
advancing
advantage, -s
advantaged
aft
after
"after-"
a.
~ prefixes
aftermath, -s
afternoon
afterward, -s
aghast
~Iab~ster
Alabaster
alas ( ~ in RP)
answer, -s
answe-rable
answe-jably
answered
answe-rer, -s
answe-ring
ask, -s
[ask newt ;;e
asked
asking
aunt, -s
auntie, -s
autograph, -s
avalanche, -s
avast
bask, -s
basked
basket, -s
basketball,-s
basketful, -s
basketry
basket-work
bath, -s
bath-brick, -s
bath-chair, -s
bathroom, -s
behalf
blanch, -es
Blanche
blanched
blanching
blast, -s
a:.
blasted
blasting
blast-furnace, -s
blastment, -s
blast-pipe
branch, -es
Branch
branched
branching
branchless
brass, -es
brass-band, -s
brass-founder
brass-hat, -s
brassie, -s (golf)
brassier (more brassy)
brassiest
brassy
broadcast, -s
calf
ca If's-foot
calf-skin
calve, -s
calved
calves' -foot
calve-skin, -s
calving
can't
cask, -s
casked
casket, -s
casking
cast, -s
castaway, -s
caste, -s
caster
Castelnau
casting, -s
casting-net, -s
casting-vote, -s
cast-iron
castle, -s
Castlebar
Castlejea (gh)
Castleton
castoff, -s
castor, Os;Castor
castor-oil
cenotaph, -s
a:
In General American
chaff, -s
chaff-cutter, -s
chaffed
chaffer, -s (n)
[chaffer (v) ~
chaffiness
chaffing, -Iy
chaffless
chaffy
chance, -s
chanced
chancel, -s
chancelle-ries
chancelle-ry
chancellor, -s
Chancellor
chancellorship, -s
chancer
chance-ries
chance-ry
Chance-ry
chancier
chanciest
chancing
chancy
chandler, -s
Chandler
chant, -s
chanted
chanter, -s
chantey
chanties
chanting
Chantrey
chantries
chantry
Chantry
chanty
clasp, -s
clasped
clasping
clasp-knife, -ves
class, -es
classed
classier
classiest
classiness
classing
classman
1
In British
RP
classmate
classmen
classroom, -s
classwornan
classwornen
classy
command, -s
commanded
commander, -s
commanding, -Iy
commandment, -s
commando, -s
counterblast, -s
countermand, -s
cou ntermanded
countermanding
craft, -s
craftier
craftiest
craftily
craftiness
craftsman, -men
"-craft" suffixes
daft
dafter
daftest
daftly
daftness
dance, -s
Dance
danced
dancer, -s
Dancer
dancing
death mask, -s
demand, -s
demanded.
demanding
disadvantage, -d, -s
disaster, -s
disastrous, -Iy
disastrousness
distaff, -s
downcast
downdjaught, -s
draft, -s
drafted
drafter, -s
drafting
THE FRONT VOWELS / 81
0~-----------------THE ASK-LIST OF WORDS, Cont.
draftsman, -men
draught, -s
"draught-" prefixes
draughtier
draughtiest
draughtily
>.
draughti ness
draughty
draughts man, -men
encephalograph, -s
enchant, -s
enchanted
enchanter, -s
enchanting
enchantment
enchantress, -es
enclasp, -s
enclasped
enclasping
engraft, -s
engrafted
engrafting
engraftment
enhance, -s
enhanced
enhancement, -s
enhancing
ensample, -s
entrance, -s (v)
entranced, -Iy
epigraph, -s
epitaph, -s
everlasting, -Iy
everlasti ngness
example, -s
exampled
exampling
Falstaff
fast, -s
fasted
faster, -s
fastest
fasting
fastness
fast-day, -s
fasten, -s
fastened
fastener, -s
fastening
fastness, -es
"_.:@St" stffixes
fl~bergast, -s
flabbergasted
flabbergasti ng
Flanders
flask, -s
flasket, -s
forecast, -ed, -ing, -s
forecaster, -s
France
Frances
Francies
Francis
freelance, -s, -d
gasped, -s
gasped
gasping
ghastlier
ghastliest
ghastl iness
ghastly
gi-raffe, -s
glance, -s
glanced
glancing, -Iy
glass, -es
glass-blower, -s
glass-blowing
glass-cutter, -s
glassful, -s
glass-house, -s
glassier
glassiest
glassily
glassiness
glass-paper, -s
glassware
glass-work, -s
glasswort
glassy
graft, -s
"-graft" suffixes
grafted
grafter, -s
grafting
grant
Grant
granted
grantee, -s
granting
grantor, -s
graph, -s
"-graph" suffixes
Grasmere
grasp, -s
grasped
grasper, -s
grasping, -Iy
grass, -es
grass-cutter, -s
grassed
grass-green
grasshopper, -s
grassier
grassiest
grassing
grass-land
grass-widow, -s
grass-widower, -s
grassy
half
"half-" prefixes
halve, -s
halved
halves
halving
hfndicr~ft, -s
hasp, -s
hasped
hasping
headmaster, -s
he-reafter
impassable, -bly
implant, -s, -ed
indraught, -s
lance, -s
Lance
lanced
lance-corpo-ral, -s
lancer, -s
lancet, -s
Lancet
lancing
Lancing
last, -s
lasted
lasting, -Iy
lastly
lath, -5, -y
lather, -s
lathered
lathe-ring
lathwork
lathy
laugh, -s
laughable
laughableness
laughably
laughed
82/ SPEAK WITH DISTINCTION / CHAPTER TWO
laugher, -s
laughing, -Iy
laughing-gas
laughing-stock, -s
laughter
mask,-s
masked
masking
masque, -s
mast, -s
master, -s
"master-" prefixes
"-master" suffixes
mastered
masterful, -Iy
masterfulness
maste-ring
masterpiece, -s
maste-ry
mast-head, -s
mastiff, -s (ce in RP)
mischance, -s
mooncalf
mooncalves
nastier
nastiest
nastily
nastiness
nasty
outcast, -s
outcaste, -s
outcasted
outcasting
outclass, -es
outclassing
outlast, -s
outlasted
outlasting
overcast
overglance, -d, -s
overtask,
-ed, -ing, -s
ce . a
pa-ragraph, -s
pa-ragraphed
pa-ragraphing
pass,-es
passed
passable, -ness
passably
pass-book, -s
passer, -s
[passer sparrow ce 1
passer-by
passers-by
------------------~
THE ASK-LIST OF WORDS, Cont.
passing
prancing
sampler, -s
pass-key, -s
quaff, -s*
sampling
passman, -men
quaffed *
schoolmaster, -s
Passover, -s
quaffer, -s *
shaft, -s
passport, -s
quaffing *
Shaftesbu-jy
pass-word, -s
raft, -s
shan't
past
rafted, -s
slander, -s
pastime, -s
rafter, -s
slandered
past-master, -s
raftered
slande-rer
pastor, -s
rafting
slande-ring
pasto-ral, -s
rascal, -s
slande-rous, -Iy
pasto-ral ism
rascal ities
slande-rousness
pasto-rate, -s
rascality
slant, -s
pastu-rage
rascally
slanted
pasture, -s
rasp, -s
slanting, -Iy
pastured
rasped
slantwise
pastu-ring
rasping
staff, -s
path, -s
raspbe-rries
staffed
pathfinder, -s
raspbe-rry
staffing
Pathfinder
raspiness
stagecraft
pathless
raspy
stanch, -es
pathway, -s
rather
stanched
perchance
recast, -s
stanching
planch, -es
recasting
stanchion, -s
planchette, -s
repass, -es
statecraft
plant, -s
repassed
steadfast, -Iy
planted
repassing
steadfastness
planter, -s
repast, -s
stedfast
planting
repasture
supplant, -s
plaster, -s
reprimand, -s
supplanted
plastered
reprimanded
supplanter, -s
plaste-rer, -s
reprimanding
supplanting
plaste-ring
salve, -s ** (anoint)
surpass, -ed, -es
prance, -s
salved **
surpassing, -Iy
Prance
salving **
taft, -ed, -s
pranced
sample, -s
tafting
prancer, -s
sampled
task, -s
* In North American speech and in British RP, "quaff" and its derivatives usually
tasked
tasking
taskmaster, -s
task-mistress, -es
te lecast, -S
telegraph, -s
telegraphed
telegraphing
the-reafter
topmasttrance, as
tr!nsplant, -S
transplantable
transplanted
transpl anti ng
trespass, -es 2
trespassed
trespasser, -s
trespass! ng
unstanch
unsurpassed
upcast, -S
vantage, -s
vast
vaster
vastest
vastly
vastness
vasty
waft, -S
waftage
wafted
wafting
witchcraft
wrath ( 1:) or J' in RP)
wrathful, -Iy
are pronounced
often in verse must rhyme with an Ask-Word, in which case they, too, become Ask-Words.
** In British RP, "salve" (anoint; soothe) and its derivatives are pronounced:
'k,w"rJibut
'xi cet:1t"
For proper names and places not listed above, it is best to check local pronunciation
dictionaries if you suspect it may be an Ask-word.
and the
8...
PHRASES FOR PRACTICE USING
13
1 ? Auntie asked after
14
2 castle in France
15
3 fast danci ng
16
4 demand the flask
17
5 slander Flanders
18
6 the last master
7 ask the class
19
20
8 chant the epitaph
21
9 glass fu II of grass
22
10 unsurpassed slander
11 wrathful telegraph
23
24
12 handicjafted laths
r after answers,
-J
alas
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
vasty fields of France
a brass casket
a drafty raft
path to the bath
pigeons on the grass, alas
a chance advantage
rather ghastly
d
raspbe-r...ry branch basket
halved samples of salve
recast the gasping dancer
reprimanding taskmaster
r afternoon
s.
SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE USING
37 '( Auntie asked foryn answej after advancing.
38 The commander demanded an alabaster casket.
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
~
e
.Reprimands from the taskmaster ~ar.e-./examples of his wrath.
Castleton's calf-skins were classy castoffs.
Auntie was aghast after the nasty afternoon answers.
Aunt Blanche had the last laugh.
It was a vast castle in France.
Ask the class for the answers.
The rascal demanded the flask.
Francis slandered Flanders.
They chanted epitaphs over the casket.
~
Good afternoon, Mr. Gi-raffe.
At last I've passed!
The masterful cast led the dance.
I can't dance, Aunt Frances.
On behalf of the calf, I'd like to invite you to the pasture.
A disastrous ~altnche
spoiled my chances.
I shan't be taking a bath after,}".
I'd rather fast than eat raspb~-rries.
After the dance, let's board the craft.
She enchanted me with her witchcraft.
~
i1...
The last pa-ragraph was ghastly.
It's half past five in the afternoon.
Did the staff take advantage of the planter?
I demand an answer now!
This cask, for example, is made of brass.
J
Grant me a better vantage, I command you.
That nasty commander went into a trance.
Pass me the glass, Pastor Francis.
84/ SPEAKWITH DISTINCTION / CHAPTER TWO
d
aftermath
I can't dance
a disastrous ~valtnche
I ask you for an answer
enchanting witchcraft
a masterful cast
on behalf of the calf
at last I've passed
classroom draftsman
grass-green grasshopper
disadvantaged drafter
outlast the outclassed outcast
lr 8-J(J /;6>
-",