For purposes of instruction through correspondence or by means of a
textbook, the diacritical marks representing distinct sounds of the
language afford a substitute for the voice in dictation and similar
exercises, and hence such work requires a mastery of what might at first
sight seem a purely mechanical and useless system.
One of the best exercises for the mastery of this system is to open the
unabridged dictionary at any point and copy out lists of words, writing the
words as they ordinarily appear in one column, and in an adjoining column
the phonetic form of the word. When the list is complete, cover one column
and reproduce the other from an application of the principles that have
been learned. After a few days, reproduce the phonetic forms from the
words as ordinarily written, and again the ordinary word from the phonetic
form. Avoid memorizing as much as possible, but work solely by the
application of principles. Never write down a phonetic form without fully
understanding its meaning in every detail. A key to the various marks will
be found at the bottom of every page of the dictionary, and the student
should refer to this frequently.
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