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Prepositions after verbs

Recognize by or recognize as?

Recognize by and recognize as are both correct, but they express different ideas.

Quick answer

Recognize by vs. recognize as

Use recognize by for the feature that helps identify someone or something. Use recognize as for a role, status, or category.

I recognized him by his voice.
The city was recognized as a UNESCO site.
She recognized the song by the opening melody.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
recognize by + feature

Identifying through a feature

By introduces the sign, sound, appearance, or detail used for identification.

We recognized her by her accent.
He recognized the car by its number plate.
2
recognize as + role or category

Classifying or officially accepting

As introduces a role, identity, or status.

The organisation was recognized as an industry leader.
She was recognized as the author of the report.
3
recognize + object

Using recognize without a preposition

Recognize can directly take an object when the meaning is simple identification.

I recognized your handwriting immediately.
They recognized the actor from television.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
recognize by
I recognized him by his laugh.
Identify someone through a feature.
recognize as
The law recognizes the group as an independent body.
Accept or classify in a certain role or status.
recognize someone
She recognized her former teacher.
Identify a person directly.
recognize from
I recognized the place from old photos.
From introduces the source of familiarity.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using as for a physical feature

Use by for the identifying feature.

✕ I recognized her as her hairstyle. ✓ I recognized her by her hairstyle.

Using by for status or classification

Use as when giving a role or identity.

✕ The company was recognized by a market leader. ✓ The company was recognized as a market leader.

Leaving out as after recognize in classification

As is needed before the role or category.

✕ He was recognized the team captain. ✓ He was recognized as the team captain.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I recognized the singer ___ her voice.
2. The school is recognized ___ a centre of excellence.
3. She recognized the village ___ childhood photos.

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Frequently asked questions

Can recognize by and recognize as both be correct?

Yes, but they have different meanings. By is for identification features, while as is for roles or status.

What comes after recognize by?

Usually a feature such as a voice, face, accent, or name.

Is recognize as used in official contexts?

Very often. Governments and organisations commonly recognize people or groups as having a certain status.

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