Recitation begins with istiʿadhah, seeking Allah's protection from Satan and his prompting.
أَعُوذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.
The phrase itself must be pronounced carefully: do not substitute letters, change vowels or insert extra sounds. In the introductory recitation procedure, istiʿadhah is observed whether the reader starts at the beginning of a surah or from a passage within it.
Istiʿadhah should be distinguished from basmalah: the former seeks refuge, while the latter begins in Allah's name.