Words / A2

REK-uh-gnyz/ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

Recognise means know someone or something because you have seen them before: recognise a face, recognise a song, I recognised him. British spelling is recognise; American is recognize. Know is wider (facts and people); recognise is “I have seen this before”. Past: recognised. Do not write reckon (think, informal) for recognise.

Meaning

To know someone or something because you have seen them before.

Examples

• “I recognised her from the school concert.”
• “Did you recognise the actor in that advert?”
• “She recognised the street from the photo.”

Good to know

recognise a face / song (British -ise). US: recognize. Past: recognised.

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