- bicycle—bī´sĭk-l, not bī-sīk´l.
- blithe—blīth (th is sub-vocal).
- decisive—dē-sī´sĭv, not dē-sī´zĭv.
- defile—(n) dē-fīl´, not dē´fīl.
- defile—(vb) de´fīl.
- demise—de-mīz´, not de-mez´.
- demoniacal—dem-o-nī´ak-al, not de-mo´nĭ-ak-al.
- derisive—de-rī´siv, not de´ri-siv.
- device—dē-vīs.
- devise—dē-vīz.
- enquiry—ĕn-kwī´rĭ, not ĕn´kwīr-ĭ.
- horizon—hō-rī´zŏn.
- incisive—ĭn-sī´sĭv.
- incisor—ĭn-sī´zẽr.
- indictment—ĭn-dīt´mĕnt, not ĭn-dīk´ment.
- acclimate—ăk-klī´māt, not ăk´klĭm-āt.
The Vowel Sound as in “It”
Note: Tongue arched forward high; tip behind lower front teeth; mouth open wide; contact high and forward.
- bivouac—bĭv´wăk.
- breeches—brĭch´ĕz.
- bristle—brĭs-l, not brĭst´l.
- chivalrous—shĭv´al-rŭs.
- civil—sĭv´ĭl, not sĭv´l.
- commiserate—kŏm-mĭz´er-āt, not kŏm-mĭs´ẽr-āt.
- conflict—(vb) kŏn-flĭkt´; (n) kŏn´flĭkt.
- considerable—kŏn-sĭd´ẽr-a-bl, not kŏn-sĭd´ra-bl.
- delivery—dē-lĭv´ẽr-ĭ, not dē-lĭv´rĭ.
- grisly—grĭz´lĭ, not grĭs´lĭ.
- gristly—grĭs´lĭ, not grĭz´lĭ.
- infinite—ĭn´fĭn-ĭt, not ĭn-fī´nīt.
- itinerary—ī-tĭn´ẽr-a-rĭ.
- licorice—lĭk´ō-rĭs, not līk´rĭsh.
- mischievous—mĭs´chĭ-vŭs, not mĭs-chē´vŭs.
- sinister—sĭn´ĭs-tẽr, not sĭ-nĭs´tẽr.
The Vowel Sound as in “On”
Note: Tongue sags; mouth moderately open; lips rounded; contact low and back of center.
- accost—ăk-kŏst´, not ăk-kôst´.
- broth—brŏth, not brôth.
- choler—kŏl´ẽr, not kō´lẽr.
- column—kŏl´ŭm, not kŏl´yŭm.
- combatant—kŏm´băt-tănt, not kom-bāt´tant.
- chronological—krŏn-ō-lŏg´ĭk-cal.
- comparable—kŏm´på-rå-bl, not kŏm-pâr´å-bl.
- conversant—kŏn´vẽr-sant, not kŏn-vẽr´sant.
- dross—drŏs.
- economic—ē-kō-nŏm´ĭk or ĕk-ō-nŏm´ĭk.
- hollow—hŏl´lō, not hŏl´la.
- homage—hŏm´āj, not hōm´ĭj.
- honest—ŏn´ĕst, not ôn´nŭst.
- honorable—ŏn´ŏr-a-bl, not ŏn´ra-bl.
- hostage—hŏs´tāj, not hōs´tāj.
- hovel—hŏv´ĕl, not hŭv´ĕl.
The Vowel Sound as in “Go”
Note: Tongue sags; mouth moderately wide; lips well rounded; contact midway back. This is a single sound “given to all open syllables.”
- associate—ăs-sō´shĭ-āt, not ăs-sō´sĭ-āt.
- chorist—kō´rĭst, not kôr´ĭst.
- cognomen—kŏg-nō´mĕn.
- commodious—kŏm-mō´dĭ-ŭs.
- comptroller—kŏn-trō´lẽr.
- Corot—kō-rō´.
- corporeal—kôr-pō´rē-ăl.
- decorum—dē-kō´rŭm, not dē-kôr´ŭm.
- deplorable—dē-plō´ra-bl, not de-plôr´a-bl.
- diplomatist—dĭ-plō´mā-tĭst.
- forensic—fō-rĕn´sĭk, not fôr-ĕn´sĭk.
- indecorum—ĭn-dē-kō´rŭm, not ĭn-dĕk´ō-rŭm.
- ivory—ī´vō-rĭ, not īv´rī.
- oral—ō´ral, not ôr´al.
- stony—stō´nĭ, not stŭn´ĭ.
- trophy—trō´fĭ.