Word: inmanned
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...Inman-Ebel's view, people who talk like folks put stress in the wrong place (cre-ate for cre-ate), mispronounce vowels (rine for rain), draw monosyllables out into diphthongs (hay-ul for hell), and let their pitch glide, usually upward, as in "Y'all come back now, ya hear?" Some of them talk so slowly "you want to get inside and move the tongue yourself to get it over with." It does not add up to standard American speech...
...There is no standard American pronunciation," asserts Tinkler. But Inman- Ebel will not be dissuaded by her critics. She says what she and her clients do is nobody's business: "Why are some people concerned that other people change their accents or their hair or the way they dress? You would think someone were pounding on their door, saying, 'Hey, you sound funny, I can help you.' That's not what's happening." Some of Inman-Ebel's clients are nonetheless uneasy about wanting her help. One man, fretful that people would think he was betraying his heritage, forbid...
...conversation with a client, Inman-Ebel picks out target sounds to change: "We identify every single word that labels you as Southern, and you're going to practice them inside out and upside down till you correct them...
...thank . . ." Inman-Ebel snaps her fingers. "I think it does," the client says, correcting herself. "You don't want to come across uppity...
...Inman-Ebel punches a keyboard and reports that another client's pitch rises 78% of the time, suggesting a lack of authority and self-assurance. With a tape recorder between them, they practice troublesome words...