To the Editor of the Nowrm-Cuina Daly News."
Sit,—Why is it that so many apparently well brought up and well educated English people habitually mispronounce certain common English words, T say "English" people advisedly, because their cousins north of the Tweed, though they may speak with a northern accent, at any rate are more correct in their grammar and pronunciation. Take for example the word "route" correctly pronounced "root." How often do we hear officers of H. M, Shaforce talk making a "rowt" marek. When first I heard a C. 0, mei hig men had made " "row 1 pictured them making a strategic movement to the rear, hav ing previously discarded their rifles and other impedimenta into the nearest creek. I must confess to having felt a cold shiver down my. back recently when one of them told me he was going home by the Siberian "rowt."" The other day T was much upset by hearing my Gaughter (recently educated at an expensive school in England) speak of something or some one as pick able" (accent on the "spick"). When I recovered from the shock, I informed her that if ever she made #0ch a horrible sound in my pre-
Shanghai, Jan, 14. 1928.
To the Editor of the Norri-Cuixa Dat News."
SmAIf "Interested Observer from North of the Tweed" spent a little more of his time educating himself instead of publicly displaying his ignorance, he would find on marching of soldiers or ''the order of the march," is pronounced "rout."
The correct pronunciation "precedence" is "pres-ed-ence"—accent on the first syllable, and not eq as he states, "pre-ceed ence."
As regards the third example quoted by your correspondent, I can only suggest that his daughter following her father's footsteps in the quality of her pronunciation.
I would like to add that an English dictionary may be obtained in Shanghai at a price to suit the pocket of even a man from north of the Tweed.
T am, ete Soum or THE TWEED (THANK HEAVEN).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.