Vācā Sutta

“Five qualities, monks,

Make for speech to be well-spoken, not ill-spoken,

for which the sages do not find faults nor blame.

What Five?

[When it is]

(1) Spoken at the right time,

(2) Spoken with truth,

(3) Spoken softly,[1]

(4) Spoken with meaning,

(5) Spoken with a heart of Loving-compassion.

These five qualities monks,

Make for speech to be well-spoken, not ill-spoken,

Which is blameless and irreproachable by the wise.