[Avodah] Missing Hearing a Word of the Megillah

[Akiva Miller]

.
R' Micha Berger wrote:

> The phrasing in the AhS (OC 690:12) is "lishmoa milah
> bemilah". The MB is even more explicit "vetzarikh hashomeia'
> leha'azin ozno velishmoa kol teiva veteiva".

RMB asked some good questions based on the verbs used here. My
question relates to the *nouns*.

We are taught the importance of hearing every single *word*. Are the
letters less critical? If I heard the word, but I missed a letter of
it, am I yotzay? This is not an academic question. In my experience,
it is not at all unusual for letters to be slurred, especially
prefixes, and especially if the reader is trying to go fast.

One side of me wants to say that if one misses a letter, then it is a
different word, or maybe not even a real word at all, and therefore he
*has* missed the word. The other side of me says that normal speech
should suffice, and occasional slurring is normal in regular
conversations, as long as the listener can grasp the intent of what is
being said. Then my first side responds that "grasping the intent" is
irrelevant because one does not need any understanding of the words to
be yotzay, only that it be read correctly.

Is anyone aware of any psakim on this?

Thanks!

Akiva Miller