Two mispronunciations recently impressed themselves upon my ears. Probably I should not have noticed them if they had occurred only a few times in the course of the two talks, but each speaker used the word frequently in his discourse, until the faulty pronunciation became very noticeable.
The first word was represent, which the speaker consistently pronounced as if it were spelled repperzent; and the second was recognize, which was made to sound like reckanize. Both words should be pronounced as spelled.
Perhaps this suggestion may be in order: If you need to repeat a word many times, be doubly careful. A word mispronounced once may not be so easily noticed. And a second suggestion: have synonyms for the oft-repeated idea. In this way you can avoid making a word conspicuous by repetition.
Here are some synonyms for these two words. They cannot, of course, be used interchangeably, but they may be substituted in many contexts to express the thought that would be conveyed by represent and recognize.
For represent: indicate, denote, betoken, typify, resemble, delineate, depict, portray, signify, picture.
For recognize: see, discern, perceive, discover, observe, realize, identify, appreciate, understand, own, agree to, acknowledge, concede, know, confess, admit, grant.
South Lancaster, Mass.
