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The American Language
The American Language

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of The American Language is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The American Language
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.
---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.
---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.
---- A Dictionary of the English Language ... for Common Schools ...; Hartford, 1817.
---- Dissertations on the English Language ...; Boston, 1789.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The American Language

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of The American Language is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.
Line 2
---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.
Line 3
---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.
Line 4
---- A Dictionary of the English Language ... for Common Schools ...; Hartford, 1817.
Line 5
---- Dissertations on the English Language ...; Boston, 1789.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Boston noun US /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading “---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Compiled verb US /kəmˈpaɪld/

past form of “compile” — get or gather together

From this reading “---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dictionary noun US /ˈdɪkʃəneri/

a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them

From this reading “---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hartford noun US /ˈhɑːrtfərd/

the state capital of Connecticut; located in central Connecticut on the Connecticut river; a center of the insurance business

From this reading “---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
revised adjective US /rɪˈvaɪzd/

improved or brought up to date

From this reading “---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Schools noun US /skuːlz/

plural of “school” — an educational institution

From this reading “---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Spelling noun US /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading “---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
United adjective US /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading “---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

Common Schools adjective + noun counted as “common school”

In this reading “---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.”

332 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 32

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1789

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- Dissertations on the English Language ...; Boston, 1789.

Pending verification
1806

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

Pending verification
1807

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

Pending verification
1817

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language ... for Common Schools ...; Hartford, 1817.

Pending verification
1835

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BooknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BostonnounUS /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CommonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Compendiousadjective

briefly giving the gist of something

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CompiledverbUS /kəmˈpaɪld/

past form of “compile” — get or gather together

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DictionarynounUS /ˈdɪkʃəneri/

a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dissertations

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- Dissertations on the English Language ...; Boston, 1789.

Pending verification
ednounUS /ed/

impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HartfordnounUS /ˈhɑːrtfərd/

the state capital of Connecticut; located in central Connecticut on the Connecticut river; a center of the insurance business

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LanguagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ---- A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language; Hartford, 1806.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ---- Dissertations on the English Language ...; Boston, 1789.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
revisedadjectiveUS /rɪˈvaɪzd/

improved or brought up to date

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sandbornton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

Pending verification
SchoolsnounUS /skuːlz/

plural of “school” — an educational institution

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SpellingnounUS /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading ---- The American Spelling Book ... revised ed.; Sandbornton (N. H.), 1835.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
UsenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading ---- A Dictionary of the English Language Compiled for the Use of Common Schools in the United States; Boston, 1807.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 10 of The American Language by H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 10 of The American Language contain?

Chapter 10 holds 134 sentences of The American Language, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of The American Language by H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 10 of The American Language?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The American Language

Common questions about reading The American Language by H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The American Language?

Yes. All 6951 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43376 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The American Language is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43376, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The American Language take to read?

About 579 minutes of reading across 1391 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The American Language section by section

How to work through The American Language section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The American Language to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The American Language

Words and structures a reader meets early in The American Language, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Further
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Language; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Details
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Language; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Provided
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Language; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transcriber
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Language; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.