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CONTENTS FEATURE: Manner of speaking — pronounce place names as the locals do GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn up to $500 FEATURE: Manner of speaking — pronounce place names as the locals do      Nearly all writers, even good spellers, periodically make spelling or typographic errors. Unless they're distributing printed copies of their remarks, speakers who are delivering oral remarks at meetings, luncheons, seminars or in radio or television interviews can set aside their anxieties about spelling. If they write "where" instead of "wear" or "beleive" instead of "believe" in their written notes, no one else will know.      Speakers, however, must pay attention to other considerations -- articulation, emphasis, pacing and pronunciation. Even the most seasoned professional speakers and broadcasters commit pronunciation errors. Audiences know that pronunciations of common words vary among regions, and dialects can be charming. Audiences are less forgiving, however, about mispronunciation of the name of their town, county or state.      NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams was reminded of that during 2008 election coverage in which his pronunciation of "Nevada" drew howls of criticism. Williams, who hails from New Jersey, used a pronunciation typical of East Coast natives: "nuh-VODD-uh" (in which the middle syllable has an "a" sound similar to that in "car"). That pronunciation offended residents of the Silver State, who insist the proper pronunciation is "neh-VAAD-uh" (with the "a" sound in the middle syllable like that in the word "map). Williams made amends -- he now pronounces the state's name the way its residents do.      In a speaking presentation in which you might have to tackle some unfamiliar place names, how well would you do? Would your pronunciation draw snickers or indignant stares? Keep in mind that locally favored, prevailing pronunciations of many American towns are anglicized, and do not necessarily reflect (or respect) foreign origins. Test yourself on the pronunciations of these 40 town and place names. Write down the letter for each of your choices, and then check the answers below. 1. Agoura, Calif.:      A) "AG-oo-ruh"      B) "uh-GOO-ruh"      C) "uh-GOW-ruh" 2. Boise, Idaho:      A) "BOY-see"      B) "BOY-zee" 3. Bossier City, La.:      A) "boss-YAY"      B) "BO-zhur"      C) "BO-see-air" 4. Buena Vista, Colo.:      A) "BWAY-nuh VEES-tuh"      B) "BYOO-nuh VIS-tuh" 5. Cairo, Ill.:      A) "KAY-ro"      B) "KY-ro" 6. Cheney, Wash.:      A) "CHEE-nee"      B) "CHAY-nee" 7. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho:      A) "CURE da-LENE"      B) "kor duh-LAYN" 8. The Dalles, Ore.:      A) "the DALZ"      B) "the DAAL-ess" 9. Des Plaines, Ill.:      A) "day-PLAYN"      B) "Dez-PLAYNZ" 10. Eugene, Ore.:      A) "YOO-jeen"      B) "yoo-JEEN" 11. Fond du Lac, Wisc.:      A) "fond-DEW-lack"      B) "FAHN-duh-lack" 12. Kearney, Neb.:      A) "KEER-nee"      B) "CAR-nee"      C) "KUR-nee" 13. La Jolla, Calif.:      A) "la HOY-uh"      B) "la-JOL-uh" 14. Lancaster, Pa.:      A) "LAN-cass-tur"      B) "LANK-iss-tur"      C) "lan-CHAS-tur" 15. Mackinac Island, Mich.:      A) "MAC-in-ack"      B) "MAC-in-atch"      C) "MAC-in-aw" 16. Mobile, Ala.:      A) "mo-BEEL"      B) "MO-beel"      C) "MO-bul" 17. Moscow, Idaho:      A) "MAHSS-ko"      B) "MAHSS-cow" 18. Nacogdoches, Texas:      A) "Nack-uh-DOH-chiss"      B) "nah-cog-DOSH" 19. Natchitoches, La.:      A) "NATCH-ih-towsh"      B) "NAK-eh-tish"      C) "natch-ih-TOSH-ess" 20. Ojai, Calif.:      A) "OH-hi"      B) "AH-jay"      C) "o-JA-ee" 21. Oregon:      A) "AR-eh-gun"      B) "OR-eh-gon"      C) "OR-eh-g'n" 22. Ouray, Colo.:      A) "YOO-ray"      B) "OW-ray"      C) "OO-ray" 23. Peabody, Mass.:      A) "pee-BOD-ee"      B) "PEE-buh-dee" 24. Port Hueneme, Calif.:      A) "port hoo-WAY-en-em"      B) "HYOO-naym"      C) "wy-NEE-me" 25. Puyallup, Wash.:      A) "py-AL-up"      B) "pyoo-AL-up"      C) POO-yahl-up" 26. Reading, Mass.:      A) "RED-ing"      B) "READ-ing"      C) "RE-uh-ding" 27. San Rafael, Calif.:      A) "san RAH-fy-ELL"      B) "san rah-FELL" 28. Scituate, Mass.:      A) "SITCH-oo-it"      B) "skit-WAT-ee"      C) "skit-WAYT" 29. Sequim, Wash.:      A) "SEE-quim"      B) "suh-KIM"      C) "SKWIM" 30. Suisun City, Calif.:      A) "soo-SOON"      B) "SWEE-sun" 31. Tempe, Ariz.:      A) "tem-PEE"      B) "TEM-pee"      C) "tem-PAY" 32. Tualatin, Ore.:      A) "twah-LAT-in"      B) "too-WAH-luh-tin" 33. Umatilla National Forest:      A) "UM-a-TIL-uh"      B) "YOO-muh-TIL-uh"      C) "oo-MAT-il-la" 34. Vallejo, Calif.:      A) "vul-LAY-oh"      B) "va-YAY-ho"      C) "VAL-ee-jo" 35. Waltham, Mass.:      A) "WALT-hm"      B) "WALL-tham"      C) "WAL-tam" 36. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.:      A) "wilks BAR"      B) "wilks-BER-ry"      C) "wilks-BEAR" 37. Willamette, Ore.:      A) "WIL-uh-met"      B) wil-uh-MET"      C) "wil-LAMM-it" 38. Worcester, Mass.:      A) "WOR-chester"      B) "WUHS-tuh" 39. Ypsilanti, Mich.:      A) "IP-suh-LAN-tee"      B) "YIP-sill-awn-tee" 40. Yreka, Calif.:      A) "eer-EK-uh"      B) "wy-REE-kuh"      For many decades, the National Broadcasting Company was the arbiter of pronunciation disputes. The NBC Guide to Pronunciation, first published in 1943, became established as an industry standard guide for "standardized" American English. The NBC guide endorsed the "neh-VAAD-uh" pronunciation on which Brian Williams stumbled. But it has been out of print for more than two decades; no new editions have been published since 1984. And no comprehensive, authoritative, determinate source that specifies one favored pronunciation per word has taken its place.      Although the Associated Press Stylebook Online subscription service includes a new pronunciation, its entries consist primarily of names of people and organizations in the news; it includes only selected geographic place names. "Nevada" is not among them.      Conventional dictionaries, of course offer pronunciations, but they often regard multiple pronunciations as acceptable. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary accompanies word entries with pronunciation audio clips, indicated by a red icon of a loudspeaker. M-W's entry for "Nevada" includes both pronunciations. And the information for its "Houston" entry is incomplete; it offers only one pronunciation: "HYOO-stun." That's accurate for the city in Texas — but not for the county in Georgia or the street in Manhattan, both of which are pronounced "HOW-stun."      We'll suggest some additional sources where you can check pronunciation of names of places, but first, let's see how well you did with that list of names. Here, according to numerous sources, are their correct pronunciations: 1. Agoura, Calif.: B) "uh-GOO-ruh" 2. Boise, Idaho: A) "BOY-see" 3. Bossier City, La.: B) "BO-zhur" 4. Buena Vista, Colo.: B) "BYOO-nuh VIS-tuh" 5. Cairo, Ill.: A) "KAY-ro" 6. Cheney, Wash.: A) "CHEE-nee" 7. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: B) "kor duh-LAYN" 8. The Dalles, Ore.: A) "the DALZ" 9. Des Plaines, Ill.: B) "Dez-PLAYNZ" 10. Eugene, Ore.: B) "yoo-JEEN" 11. Fond du Lac, Wisc.: B) "FAHN-duh-lack" 12. Kearney, Neb.: B) "CAR-nee" 13. La Jolla, Calif.: A) "la HOY-uh" 14. Lancaster, Pa.: B) "LANK-iss-tur" 15. Mackinac Island, Mich.: C) "MAC-in-aw" 16, Mobile, Ala.: A) "mo-BEEL" 17. Moscow, Idaho: A) "MAHSS-ko" 18. Nacogdoches, Texas: A) "Nack-uh-DOH-chiss" 19. Natchitoches, La.: B) "NAK-eh-tish" 20. Ojai, Calif.: A) "OH-hi" 21. Oregon: C) "OR-eh-g'n" 22. Ouray, Colo.: A) "YOO-ray" 23. Peabody, Mass.: B) "PEE-buh-dee" 24. Port Hueneme, Calif.: C) "port wy-NEE-me" 25. Puyallup, Wash.: B) "pyoo-AL-up" 26. Reading, Mass.: A) "RED-ing" 27. San Rafael, Calif.: B) "san rah-FELL" 28. Scituate, Mass.: A) "SITCH-oo-it" 29. Sequim, Wash.: C) "SKWIM" 30. Suisun City, Calif.: A) "soo-SOON" 31. Tempe, Ariz.: A) "tem-PEE" 32. Tualatin, Ore.: B) "too-WAH-luh-tin" 33. Umatilla National Forest: B) "YOO-muh-TIL-uh" 34. Vallejo, Calif.: A) "vul-LAY-oh" 35. Waltham, Mass.: B) "WALL-tham" 36. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: B) "wilks-BER-ry" or C) "wilks-BEAR" 37. Willamette, Ore.: C) "wil-LAMM-it" 38. Worcester, Mass.: B) "WUHS-tuh" 38. Ypsilanti, Mich.: A) "IP-suh-LAN-tee" 40. Yreka, Calif.: B) "wy-REE-kuh"      We'll leave the grading to you. If you're uncertain about the pronunciation of a travel destination, consider turning to the Web site of the region's convention and visitors' bureau, tourism commission, chamber of commerce or municipal government agency. Many of them either show phonetically how to pronounce the name of their locality, or include online tour videos in which an announcer says the name aloud.      The Web sites of television and radio stations in other towns can be helpful, too, if they include video clips of newscasts, audio feeds or locally produced commercials.      By the way, just because you know how to pronounce the name of the state of Nevada, you'll still need to check your pronunciation in other states. The states of Iowa, Missouri and Texas each have towns named "Nevada" — which are pronounced with a long "a" — Nuh-VAY-duh.      Be careful out there. GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions 1. Lorna C. wrote:      "I was taught that one can be convinced OF something, or convinced THAT he/she should do something; it's only 'persuade,' not 'convince,' that takes TO. Has this changed since I was a mere slip of a girl?" The grammar coach replies:      Lorna, the Associated Press Stylebook sides with your assessment of the proper use of "convince" and "persuade." In its entry about the distinction between those words, AP says that you may be convinced that something exists or convinced of something. You must be persuaded to do something. AP offers these examples: "John convinced Marsha of his good intentions. John persuaded Marsha to marry him."      That distinction may be eroding, however, according to this American Heritage Dictionary usage note: "According to a traditional rule, one persuades someone to act but convinces someone of the truth of a statement or proposition: By convincing me that no good could come of staying, he persuaded me to leave. If the distinction is accepted, then convince should not be used with an infinitive: He persuaded (not convinced) me to go. In a 1981 survey, 61 percent of the usage panel rejected the use of convince with an infinitive. But the tide of sentiment against the construction appears to be turning. In a 1996 survey, 74 percent accepted it in the sentence I tried to convince him to chip in a few dollars, but he refused. Even in passive constructions, a majority of the panel accepted convince with an infinitive. Fifty-two percent accepted the sentence After listening to the teacher's report, the committee was convinced to go ahead with the new reading program. Persuade, on the other hand, is perfectly acceptable when used with an infinitive or a that clause in both active and passive constructions. An overwhelming majority of panelists in the 1996 survey accepted the following sentences: After a long discussion with her lawyer, she was persuaded to drop the lawsuit. The president persuaded his advisors that military action was necessary. Thus, it seems likely that advocates of the traditional rule governing persuade and convince will find fewer and fewer allies in their camp."      The venerable Cambridge Dictionary of American English appears to agree. Its entry for the verb "convince" includes these two usage examples: "We tried to convince my grandfather to live with us. I'm convinced (that) she's lying." And its entry for the verb "persuade" shows these two examples: "The government is trying to persuade consumers to save more. She tried to persuade them that they should leave."      Merriam-Webster also went along for the ride; its entry for the word "convince" includes this example: "something I could never convince him to read."      Lorna, you're correct in maintaining the distinctions that the AP Stylebook illustrates; but other authoritative sources say we can't fault others who choose to blend the syntax associated with each term. 2. Dave W. wrote:      "I am always trying to figure out if punctuation belongs inside or outside parentheses. I've seen it both ways in books. What can you tell me? In my latest blog entry I have written, for fear that his wife, Susan (not her real name,) would roll over and crush the little guy.      Should that comma be outside the second parenthesis? And how about when a parenthesis ends a sentence? Would the period, question mark or exclamation point go inside or outside the parenthesis?" The grammar coach replies:      Dave, in your example, the comma should follow the closing parenthesis. That's because parenthetical material is linked contextually to the content that precedes it. Consequently, a phrase or clause and an accompanying explanatory phrase embedded within parentheses should be treated as a contiguous unit.      The Chicago Manual of Style, which is a good source of reliable information for many questions regarding punctuation, says, "When the context calls for a comma at the end of material in parentheses or brackets, the comma should follow the closing parenthesis or bracket. A comma never precedes a closing parenthesis."      Examples include: • Although he rejected the first proposal (he could not have done otherwise), he made it clear that he was open to further negotiations. • Conrad told his assistant [Martin], who was clearly exhausted, to rest.      Likewise, when a phrase within parentheses ends a sentence, the period should follow the closing parenthesis (as this sentence illustrates). Yes, the same is true for a sentence-ending question mark (or exclamation point)!      Under certain circumstances, however, punctuation may appear within parenthetical statements.      (When an entire sentence is composed within parentheses, such as this sentence, the sentence-ending period should precede the closing parenthesis.)      Phrases within parenthetical elements sometimes may require their own internal punctuation. Here are a couple of examples: • Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) are so named because they identify a sequential order. • Fruits that supply antioxidants include grapes, pomegranates, berries (e.g., blueberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries), pineapples, oranges and plums.      Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help—at no charge, just for the sport of it. 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We have worked with some of them for more than 10 years.      If you recommend our services to a friend or business colleague, and that introduction leads to an assignment for EditPros, we will award you a "finder's fee" equaling 10 percent of the amount we earn on the first assignment for the new client, up to a maximum finder's fee of $500. Naturally, the finder's fee is applicable only to client organizations for which we have not worked previously.      This offer will remain in effect until further notice. YOUR TURN: Ask the "grammar coach" or subscribe      We invite you to submit your questions to the "grammar coach," and we welcome you to subscribe to this monthly newsletter—which we'll send to your e-mail address at no charge. We respond to all "grammar coach" questions personally, but delays may occur because we must place top priority on assignments from our clients. We appreciate your patience and your interest.      You also can change your e-mail subscription address. 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