Why can't you write/speak proper?

Take a look at the evening news. Listen to the radio. Speak to your friends at work. It’s happening everywhere. People are dropping “L” off the ends of words.

I used to think this was just unique to Adelaide, where I first heard this phenomenon. Now it’s happening everywhere. Instead of “brick wall” I hear “brick waw”. Instead of “free fall” I head “free faw”. Ls at the start of words don’t seem to be causing problems, nor do words with Ls in the middle (for most people at least, though there is a nasty trend starting). So I know people remember how to pronounce their Ls.

Horror of horrors, it seems our current Prime Minister Julia Gillard is one of the worst offenders. Listening to her during question time today, in a very moving speech following the loss of a soldier in Afghanistan, her gentle words were ruined by her poor pronunciation.

It’s time for everyone to start paying attention to their own use of the letter L at the end of words. At first it was hilarious to hear people pronounce “level” as “levew” – so you get it right the first time, but just get lazy by the end of the word!

It’s not “schoow”, it’s “schooL”.

It’s not “hauw”, it’s “haul”.

It’s not “sayew”, it’s “sale”.

It’s not “faiw”, it’s “fail”. And that’s just what you’re doing.

So listen up. And check your own speech. Stick that tongue to the roof of your mouth and make sure those Ls on the ends of words are pronounced strongly and clearly.