It would be difficult to give a definition of standard English that would be entirely satisfactory to everyone. Perhaps it will suffice to say that it is the careful choosing and enunciating of words. It has been described as the speech which is least likely to attract attention to itself as being peculiar to any class or locality when heard by educated and cultured people.-
You are probably saying, “What has all this to do with singing?” It is true that the statements about pronunciation and enunciation have referred specifically to speaking, nevertheless they apply with equal force to singing, for we carry our speech habits into song and vice versa. In both forms of vocal expression, vowel sounds should be pure and consonants should be clear-cut. Proper accent and stress of syllables, as well as right choice of sounds should be carefully considered.
At times, pronunciation of words in singing differs from that in speaking. This is especially true with regard to full pronunciation of vowels in unaccented syllables. In singing, the second syllables of such words as patient, heaven, angel, maiden, emblem should be pronounced with the sound e as in pen and not with u as in cup. The vowels in the final syllables of wonderful, mindful, careful are the same as in look or put. It may not be amiss to remind you that the definite article the is pronounced thu (u as in up) before words beginning with consonants, and thi (i as in it) before vowels in both speaking and singing. The indefinite article a (as a book; a song) is an unstressed sound similar to the vowel in up or of.