Sincerity Counts

A thought from R. Yehuda HaChassid, author of "Sefer Hachassidim":
"If you ever wondered about the people that err in their pronunciation and say "ה" instead of "ח" or "ס" instead of "ש" or "ט" instead of "ק" or "ר" instead of "ד" - how could such people pray, read from the Torah, or say anything holy? Why, when they recite the words "ונפשנו חכתה" [and substitute the ח for a ה which means "we hit"], are they not blaspheming? Wonder not, for our Creator the knower of hearts wants only purity and sincerity; being that such a person does not know how to speak properly, He reckons it as if he did say it, and indeed beautifully.
"Similarly, those who read Pesukei Dezimrah with a loud, sweet, sing-song voice, yet do not know the verses and thus recite it with errors, their prayers and songs are accepted on high as a pleasant korban.
"Hashem also rejoices over this, saying 'Look - see how much he is singing before me to the best of his capabilities!' Regarding this it is said 'And his skipping is beloved to me' - his errors are indeed beloved...
"It once happened that a kohen blessed the nation and mistakenly said "ישמדך - He shall destroy you." A certain scholar present removed him from the platform, as he did not know how to properly pronounce the words. From heaven they showed this scholar that if he did not return the kohen to his place, he would be duly punished."
ספר החסידים סוף סי' יח
ועי' שו"ת הרדב"ז ח"א סי' שצ"ד באופן אחר
ועי' בברכי יוסף או"ח סי' נ"ג בד"ה יש להסתפק ובשו"ת דברי חיים או"ח ח"ב סי' י בענין עלג
See here