English Pronunciation: Better to Laugh Than Cry Flip through any dictionary, and you will find a wide assortment of words that have more than one sanctioned pronunciation – words such as “schism,” which can be pronounced either SKĬZ-ǝm or SĬZ-ǝm. Interestingly, the former was once regarded as incorrect but now predominates in standard American usage. But at least the meaning is the same. Not so with heteronyms, which have identical spellings but different pronunciations and meanings. In other words, it matters greatly which pronunciation you employ. Here are a few examples: Princeton’s heavyweight crew had a row over how they should row at [...]