Enunciation
The reason that most Americans find it so difficult to speak French with a plausible accent is that few Americans can maneuver their lips sufficiently to produce the correct "eu" and "en" sounds. "R’s" and "er’s" and "ings" are hideously neglected as well, which produces a sloppy, unfinished impression. I do not mean that every "ing," or "r," or "t," or "s" must be hissed in a sibilant manner or snapped harshly. But there is much to be said for the speaker who gives full credit to every needed syllable.
Vowels in words give the speaker a chance to secure the sonorous roundness so vital to the pleasant speaking voice. Vowels should be given all the pronunciation they can stand, but never broken up as "so-ho" for so, or "go-hoing" for going.
Consonants, given their full value, lend a conciseness and crispness to speech. They make for clarity if pronounced correctly, or for hardness if too violently stressed. Consonants should be clearly defined, but not attacked with undue force. A too-sibilant "s" has kept many speakers off the radio, for the radio microphone seems to amplify harshly spoken consonants.
Enunciation is particularly important over the air and on the telephone. Misunderstood words may be of great importance, for facial expressions sometimes alter a meaning, and when the face cannot be seen, every word and every tonal quality counts. Some speakers have the unfortunate habit of starting a sentence with a verve and animation which dies away, so that the end of the phrase or sentence falls flat and fades into nothingness. If a thought is worth speaking, it is worth saying well. The end as well as the beginning of every sentence should be firmly and clearly enunciated.