Pronunciation

(8) Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

We do not allow to pass before the ark either men from Beth Shean or from Haifa or from Tivonim, because they pronounce alef as ayin and ayin as alif.

(8) This disqualification is not about deformed hands but about mispronunciations. The people of Haifa, Bet Shean and Tivonim switch their alefs and ayins. Therefore, they should neither perform the priestly blessing, nor should they serve as shaliah tzibbur (pass before the ark). Today Ashkenazim and many Sephardim do not distinguish between the pronunciation (or lack thereof) of these two letters. But in the past neither was silent as it is today. Yemenites and some other Sephardim still pronounce the ayin.

Whoever reads the Shema' with distinct pronunciation of its letters, Gehinnom is cooled for him ;

(8) Someone who says the recitation of the Shema does not hint with his eyes and does not form with his lips [a message or hint] and does not show [i.e. point to something] with his fingers, such that the recitation is [said] casually. If he does so, although he has fulfilled his duties, indeed this is indecent. He must voice [loudly enough] for his ear when he recites; if he does not voice for his ears, he has fulfilled [his duties]. He must be diligent in his pronunciation, [but] if he is not diligent, he has fulfilled [his duty].

(9) How does one be diligent [in pronunciation]? One must be careful to not say [a letter] without a dagesh [when it has] a dagesh, and to not say [letter] with a dagesh [when it does not have] a dagesh. One must not say the silent sheva or silence the said sheva. Therefore, one must allow a space between [two words which are phonologically] connected, between two similar letters, that one of which ends a word and the other is the beginning of a word after it. For example, "Bekhol Levavkha", one should read "Bekhol", pause, and then say "Levavkha". Also, [one should do the same with] "VaAvadtem Meherah" and "HaKanaf Ptil". One must emphazise the Zayin in "Tizkeru" and lengthen the Dalet in "Ehad" in order to crown Him [recognize His crowning] in Heaven and Earth and the four winds. One must not shorten the Het [in "Ehad"] so that it will not be said as "Ee Had".