-------.--------------------------------~~THE VOWEL SOUND (L AS IN "pass". L.::JThis is the so-called INTERMEDIATE "A." Representedby the spellings:

ask auntThis 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 intermedi-ate 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 low-er front teeth. Allow your lips to spread VERY SLIGHTLY in the feeling of a smile. Arch the FRONT ofyour 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 tosing 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 sustain-ing a long pure vowel sound "maaaaaaa-." FEEL and HEAR this pure vowel sound and thensay: "rna- mask," "rna- mast," "a- ask."

Cl- is the first element of the diphthong sound a·i' as in "my."

THE FRONT VOWELS / 79

As a pure vowel sound a is ALWAYS SHORT and is used ONLY in the so-called "ASK-LIST" ofwords. The Ask-List is a compilation of the words in Spoken English, such as "ask," that have threestandards of pronunciation for the letter "a" in the spelling of a word, depending on the standard ofSpoken English being used at the time. (A complete Ask-List is given on pages81-83.) Beyond a reli-ance on this list, it is a good idea when using proper names or referring to particular places to turnto local sources for the correct pronunciation.

The three standards of pronunciation for words that comprise the Ask-List are given in A Pro-nouncing Dictionary of American English, by John S. Kenyon and Thomas A. Knott. For the actor, ofcourse, the choice of which of the three to usewill 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" inNorth 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 Interna-tional Dictionary. This is also the Theater Standard for Good Speech in classic texts and theEasternAmerican 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 inEveryman's English Pronouncing Dictionary, by Daniel Jones. This is the vowel sound that oc-curs 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 liv-ing language influences a word's pronunciation, and it is this usagethat over centuries has governedthe words of the Ask-List. No one person, group, class, region, or country has invented the list.

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 pro-nunciation and British Received Pronunciation.

16 avalanche blanchefilanche branch planch stanch stanchiona17 advance answer chance chancel chancellor chance-ry dance enhance

18 Frances=Francis glance lance prance trance

-4 19 aghast alas ask bask basket blast brass cask ~caske£. cast=caste castle20 caster=castor clasp class disaster fast fasten flabbergast flask flasket21 gasp ghastly glass grasp grass hasp last mask-masque mast master mastiff22 nasty pass passable Pas~ver a?ast pastime pastor pasture plaster rascal23 rasp repast task vast alabaster

- Z 24 raspb~-rry (This is the only Ask-List word with ':Z.. .)

-"Yh.jZ/ g 25 example sample sampler

France

ASK WORDS: three standards ~ a... a: : NOT ASK WORDS: one standard ~ only

1 pass, passable, Passover2 can't

passage, passenger, passivecan (n; v) can (sf of auxiliary verb) CAnnot,cant (jargon)

3 class, classy classic, classical, classify4 path psychopath, pathological5 graph, telegraph graphic, telegraphic6 pass, class, brass, grass bass (fish), Cass, mass, lass, crass7 lather, rather gather, blather, slather

This should demonstrate that there are no spelling or phonetic rules for determining Ask-Listwords; nevertheless, the Ask-List words are all followed by certain consonant sounds. Below is apartial listing of the most common Ask-List words, grouped according to the consonant sounds thatfollow 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

bath lath path wrath-()

-nt11

12 advantage aunt can't chant enchant grant plant shan't slant supplant13 vantage

- n d. 14 chandler command commander demand Flanders reprimand slander15 countermand

-1r 26 calves halve salve (ointment)

_ -3' 27 lather rather paths baths laths

80 / SPEAK WITH DISTINCTION / CHAPTER TWO

------------------0THE ASK-LIST OF WORDS

These words have three standards of pronunciation:

a In Good Speech in classic texts

abaftadvance, -sadvancedadvancement, -sadvancingadvantage, -sadvantagedaftafter"after-" prefixesa. ~aftermath, -safternoonafterward, -saghast~Iab~sterAlabasteralas ( ~ in RP)answer, -sanswe-rableanswe-jablyansweredanswe-rer, -sanswe-ringask, -s

[ask newt ;;easkedaskingaunt, -sauntie, -sautograph, -savalanche, -savastbask, -sbaskedbasket, -sbasketball,-sbasketful, -sbasketrybasket-workbath, -sbath-brick, -sbath-chair, -sbathroom, -sbehalfblanch, -esBlancheblanchedblanchingblast, -s

blastedblastingblast-furnace, -sblastment, -sblast-pipebranch, -esBranchbranchedbranchingbranchlessbrass, -esbrass-band, -sbrass-founderbrass-hat, -sbrassie, -s (golf)brassier (more brassy)brassiestbrassybroadcast, -scalfca If's-footcalf-skincalve, -scalvedcalves' -footcalve-skin, -scalvingcan'tcask, -scaskedcasket, -scaskingcast, -scastaway, -scaste, -scasterCastelnaucasting, -scasting-net, -scasting-vote, -scast-ironcastle, -sCastlebarCastlejea (gh)Castletoncastoff, -scastor, Os;Castorcastor-oilcenotaph, -s

a:. In General American

chaff, -schaff-cutter, -schaffedchaffer, -s (n)

[chaffer (v) ~ 1chaffinesschaffing, -Iychafflesschaffychance, -schancedchancel, -schancelle-rieschancelle-rychancellor, -sChancellorchancellorship, -schancerchance-rieschance-ryChance-rychancierchanciestchancingchancychandler, -sChandlerchant, -schantedchanter, -schanteychantieschantingChantreychantrieschantryChantrychantyclasp, -sclaspedclaspingclasp-knife, -vesclass, -esclassedclassierclassiestclassinessclassingclassman

a: In British RP

classmateclassmenclassroom, -sclasswornanclasswornenclassycommand, -scommandedcommander, -scommanding, -Iycommandment, -scommando, -scounterblast, -scountermand, -scou ntermandedcountermandingcraft, -scraftiercraftiestcraftilycraftinesscraftsman, -men"-craft" suffixesdaftdafterdaftestdaftlydaftnessdance, -sDancedanceddancer, -sDancerdancingdeath mask, -sdemand, -sdemanded.demandingdisadvantage, -d, -sdisaster, -sdisastrous, -Iydisastrousnessdistaff, -sdowncastdowndjaught, -sdraft, -sdrafteddrafter, -sdrafting

THE FRONT VOWELS / 81

0~------------------THE ASK-LIST OF WORDS, Cont.draftsman, -mendraught, -s"draught-" prefixesdraughtierdraughtiestdraughtilydraughti nessdraughtydraughts man, -menencephalograph, -senchant, -senchantedenchanter, -senchantingenchantmentenchantress, -esenclasp, -senclaspedenclaspingengraft, -sengraftedengraftingengraftmentenhance, -senhancedenhancement, -senhancingensample, -sentrance, -s (v)entranced, -Iyepigraph, -sepitaph, -severlasting, -Iyeverlasti ngnessexample, -sexampledexamplingFalstafffast, -sfastedfaster, -sfastestfastingfastnessfast-day, -sfasten, -sfastenedfastener, -sfasteningfastness, -es"_.:@St" stffixesfl~bergast, -sflabbergasted

>.

flabbergasti ngFlandersflask, -sflasket, -sforecast, -ed, -ing, -sforecaster, -sFranceFrancesFranciesFrancisfreelance, -s, -dgasped, -sgaspedgaspingghastlierghastliestghastl inessghastlygi-raffe, -sglance, -sglancedglancing, -Iyglass, -esglass-blower, -sglass-blowingglass-cutter, -sglassful, -sglass-house, -sglassierglassiestglassilyglassinessglass-paper, -sglasswareglass-work, -sglasswortglassygraft, -s"-graft" suffixesgraftedgrafter, -sgraftinggrantGrantgrantedgrantee, -sgrantinggrantor, -sgraph, -s"-graph" suffixesGrasmeregrasp, -sgrasped

grasper, -sgrasping, -Iygrass, -esgrass-cutter, -sgrassedgrass-greengrasshopper, -sgrassiergrassiestgrassinggrass-landgrass-widow, -sgrass-widower, -sgrassyhalf"half-" prefixeshalve, -shalvedhalveshalvinghfndicr~ft, -shasp, -shaspedhaspingheadmaster, -she-reafterimpassable, -blyimplant, -s, -edindraught, -slance, -sLancelancedlance-corpo-ral, -slancer, -slancet, -sLancetlancingLancinglast, -slastedlasting, -Iylastlylath, -5, -ylather, -slatheredlathe-ringlathworklathylaugh, -slaughablelaughablenesslaughablylaughed

82/ SPEAK WITH DISTINCTION / CHAPTER TWO

laugher, -slaughing, -Iylaughing-gaslaughing-stock, -slaughtermask,-smaskedmaskingmasque, -smast, -smaster, -s"master-" prefixes"-master" suffixesmasteredmasterful, -Iymasterfulnessmaste-ringmasterpiece, -smaste-rymast-head, -smastiff, -s (ce in RP)mischance, -smooncalfmooncalvesnastiernastiestnastilynastinessnastyoutcast, -soutcaste, -soutcastedoutcastingoutclass, -esoutclassingoutlast, -soutlastedoutlastingovercastoverglance, -d, -sovertask, -ed, -ing, -sce . apa-ragraph, -spa-ragraphedpa-ragraphingpass,-espassedpassable, -nesspassablypass-book, -spasser, -s

[passer sparrow ce 1passer-bypassers-by

------------------~THE ASK-LIST OF WORDS, Cont.passing prancing sampler, -spass-key, -s quaff, -s* samplingpassman, -men quaffed * schoolmaster, -sPassover, -s quaffer, -s * shaft, -spassport, -s quaffing * Shaftesbu-jypass-word, -s raft, -s shan'tpast rafted, -s slander, -spastime, -s rafter, -s slanderedpast-master, -s raftered slande-rerpastor, -s rafting slande-ringpasto-ral, -s rascal, -s slande-rous, -Iypasto-ral ism rascal ities slande-rousnesspasto-rate, -s rascality slant, -spastu-rage rascally slantedpasture, -s rasp, -s slanting, -Iypastured rasped slantwisepastu-ring rasping staff, -spath, -s raspbe-rries staffedpathfinder, -s raspbe-rry staffingPathfinder raspiness stagecraftpathless raspy stanch, -espathway, -s rather stanchedperchance recast, -s stanchingplanch, -es recasting stanchion, -splanchette, -s repass, -es statecraftplant, -s repassed steadfast, -Iyplanted repassing steadfastnessplanter, -s repast, -s stedfastplanting repasture supplant, -splaster, -s reprimand, -s supplantedplastered reprimanded supplanter, -splaste-rer, -s reprimanding supplantingplaste-ring salve, -s ** (anoint) surpass, -ed, -esprance, -s salved ** surpassing, -IyPrance salving ** taft, -ed, -spranced sample, -s taftingprancer, -s sampled task, -s* In North American speech and in British RP, "quaff" and its derivatives usually are pronounced 'k,w"rJibut

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: 'xi cet:1t"

taskedtaskingtaskmaster, -stask-mistress, -este lecast, -Stelegraph, -stelegraphedtelegraphingthe-reaftertopmast-trance, astr!nsplant, -Stransplantabletransplantedtranspl anti ngtrespass, -es 2

trespassedtrespasser, -strespass! ngunstanchunsurpassedupcast, -Svantage, -svastvastervastestvastlyvastnessvastywaft, -Swaftagewaftedwaftingwitchcraftwrath ( 1:) or J' in RP)wrathful, -Iy

For proper names and places not listed above, it is best to check local pronunciation and thedictionaries if you suspect it may be an Ask-word.

PHRASES FOR PRACTICE USING8...

1 ? Auntie asked after 13 r after answers, alas 25 r afternoon aftermath-J

2 castle in France 14 vasty fields of France 26 I can't dance3 fast danci ng 15 a brass casket 27 a disastrous ~valtnche4 demand the flask 16 a drafty raft 28 I ask you for an answer

-",

5 slander Flanders 17 path to the bath 29 enchanting witchcraft6 the last master 18 pigeons on the grass, alas 30 a masterful cast7 ask the class 19 a chance advantage 31 on behalf of the calf8 chant the epitaph 20 rather ghastly 32 at last I've passed

glass fu II of grassd classroom draftsman9 21 raspbe-r...rybranch basket 33

10 unsurpassed slander 22 halved samples of salve 34 grass-green grasshopper11 wrathful telegraph 23 recast the gasping dancer 35 disadvantaged drafter12 handicjafted laths 24 reprimanding taskmaster 36 outlast the outclassed outcast

SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE USING s.37 '( Auntie asked foryn answej after advancing.38 The commander demanded an alabaster casket. ~ ed lr8-J(J /;6>39 .Reprimands from the taskmaster ar.e examples of his wrath.~ -./

40 Castleton's calf-skins were classy castoffs.41 Auntie was aghast after the nasty afternoon answers.42 Aunt Blanche had the last laugh.43 It was a vast castle in France.44 Ask the class for the answers.45 The rascal demanded the flask.46 Francis slandered Flanders.47 They chanted epitaphs over the casket.~48 Good afternoon, Mr. Gi-raffe.49 At last I've passed!50 The masterful cast led the dance.51 I can't dance, Aunt Frances.52 On behalf of the calf, I'd like to invite you to the pasture.53 A disastrous ~altnche spoiled my chances.54 I shan't be taking a bath after,}".55 I'd rather fast than eat raspb~-rries.56 After the dance, let's board the craft.57 She enchanted me with her witchcraft.

~ i1... -58 The last pa-ragraph was ghastly.59 It's half past five in the afternoon.60 Did the staff take advantage of the planter?61 I demand an answer now!62 This cask, for example, is made of brass.

J

63 Grant me a better vantage, I command you.64 That nasty commander went into a trance.65 Pass me the glass, Pastor Francis.

84/ SPEAKWITH DISTINCTION / CHAPTER TWO