Then South, there is too much salt—­rather too much sugar.  Every one’s mouth seems full of it, with “I” turned to “ah” and every staccato a drawl.  But the voices are full of sweetness and music unknown north of the Potomac.

The Pennsylvania burr is perhaps the mother of the Western one.  It is strong enough to have mothered all the r’s in the wor-r-rld!  Philadelphia’s “haow” and “caow” for “how” and “cow,” and “me” for “my” is quite as bad as the “water-r” and “thot” of the West.

N’Yawk is supposed to say “yeh” and “Omurica” and “Toosdeh,” and “puddin’.”  Probably five per cent. of it does, but as a whole it has no accent, since it is a composite of all in one.

In best New York society there is perhaps a generally accepted pronunciation which seems chiefly an elimination of the accents of other sections.  Probably that is what all people think of their own pronunciation.  Or do they not know, whether their inflection is right or wrong?  Nothing should be simpler to determine.  If they pronounce according to a standard dictionary, they are correct; if they don’t, they have an “accent” or are ignorant; it is for them to determine which.  Such differences as between saying wash or wawsh, ad_ver_tisement or adver_tise_ment are of small importance.  But no one who makes the least pretence of being a person of education says:  kep for kept, genelmun or gempmun or laydee, vawde-vil, or eye-talian.

=HOW TO CULTIVATE AN AGREEABLE SPEECH=

First of all, remember that while affectation is odious, crudeness must be overcome.  A low voice is always pleasing, not whispered or murmured, but low in pitch.  Do not talk at the top of your head, nor at the top of your lungs.  Do not slur whole sentences together; on the other hand, do not pronounce as though each syllable were a separate tongue and lip exercise.

As a nation we do not talk so much too fast, as too loud.  Tens of thousands twang and slur and shout and burr!  Many of us drawl and many others of us race tongues and breath at full speed, but, as already said, the speed of our speech does not matter so much.  Pitch of voice matters very much and so does pronunciation—­enunciation is not so essential—­except to one who speaks in public.

Enunciation means the articulation of whatever you have to say distinctly and clearly.  Pronunciation is the proper sounding of consonants, vowels and the accentuation of each syllable.

There is no better way to cultivate a perfect pronunciation; apart from association with cultivated people, than by getting a small pronouncing dictionary of words in ordinary use, and reading it word by word, marking and studying any that you use frequently and mispronounce.  When you know them, then read any book at random slowly aloud to yourself, very carefully pronouncing each word.  The consciousness of this exercise may make you stilted in conversation at first, but by and by the “sense” or “impulse” to speak correctly will come.