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Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling/Words ending with "-ise" or "-ize"

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This sub-page of Wikipedia:Manual of Style (spelling) is intended to be an extensive list of English-language words ending with the suffixes "-ise" or "-ize".

Words ending with "-ise" or "-ize"

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The following is a list of common words sometimes ending with "-ise" (en-GB) especially in the UK popular press and "-ize" in American English (en-US) and Oxford spelling (en-GB-oxendict; formerly en-GB-oed) as used by the British Oxford English Dictionary, which uses the "-ize" ending for most of the same words as American English. Commonwealth countries follow British English, except Canada which follows American English spellings more closely.

en-GB en-GB-oxendict en-US
agonise agonize agonize
alphabetise alphabetize alphabetize
apologise apologize apologize
authorise authorize authorize
bastardise bastardize bastardize
capitalise capitalize capitalize
carbonise carbonize carbonize
categorise categorize categorize
characterise characterize characterize
civilise civilize civilize
colonise colonize colonize
colorise, colourise colorize, colourize colorize
computerise computerize computerize
criticise criticize criticize
customise customize customize
demonise demonize demonize
dramatise dramatize dramatize
empathise empathize empathize
emphasise emphasize emphasize
energise energize energize
equalise equalize equalize
finalise finalize finalize
fossilise fossilize fossilize
generalise generalize generalize
globalise globalize globalize
harmonise harmonize harmonize
homogenise homogenize homogenize
hospitalise hospitalize hospitalize
hypnotise hypnotize hypnotize
imperialise imperialize imperialize
institutionalise institutionalize institutionalize
legalise legalise legalize
localise localize localize
materialise materialize materialize
maximise maximize maximize
mechanise mechanize mechanize
memorise memorize memorize
minimise minimize minimize
modernise modernize modernize
normalise normalize normalize
optimise optimize optimize
organise organize organize
oxidise oxidize oxidize
pasteurise pasteurize pasteurize
patronise patronize patronize
personalise personalize personalize
philosophise philosophize philosophize
polarise polarize polarize
popularise popularize popularize
pressurise pressurize pressurize
prioritise prioritize prioritize
prise[1] prise[1] prize/prise[1]
privatise privatize privatize
publicise publicize publicize
realise realize realize
recognise recognize recognize
regularise regularize regularize
revolutionise revolutionize revolutionize
sanitise sanitize sanitize
scrutinise scrutinize scrutinize
sensitise sensitize sensitize
socialise socialize socialize
specialise specialize specialize
stabilise stabilize stabilize
standardise standardize standardize
sterilise sterilize sterilize
summarise summarize summarize
synchronise synchronize synchronize
symbolise symbolize symbolize
sympathise sympathize sympathize
synthesise synthesize synthesize
tantalise tantalize tantalize
tenderise tenderize tenderize
terrorise terrorize terrorize
theorise theorize theorize
theorise theorize theorize
utilise utilize utilize
vandalise vandalize vandalize
virtualise virtualize virtualize
visualise visualize visualize
vocalise vocalize vocalize

Words always ending with "-ize"

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The following words end with "-ize" in every variety of English:

  • assize
  • Belize
  • capsize
  • maize
  • prize[1]
  • seize
  • size

Words always ending with "-ise"

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The following words end with "-ise" in every variety of English:

  • advertise
  • advise
  • anise[2]
  • anticlockwise[3]
  • appraise
  • apprise
  • arise
  • chastise
  • circumcise
  • clockwise
  • comprise
  • compromise
  • concise
  • counterclockwise[3]
  • demise
  • despise
  • devise
  • disguise
  • enterprise
  • excise
  • exercise
  • expertise
  • franchise
  • imprecise
  • improvise
  • incise
  • likewise
  • merchandise
  • otherwise
  • paradise
  • practise[4]
  • praise
  • precise
  • premise
  • promise
  • revise
  • rise
  • supervise
  • surmise
  • surprise
  • televise
  • wise

The suffix "-wise" is never spelt "-wize", as in "spelling-wise, everything is good".

  1. ^ a b c d The verb "prise" can also be spelt "prize" in American English but not in Oxford English. The verb is different from the noun "prize", which cannot be spelt "prise".
  2. ^ The American English word "anise" is "aniseed" in British English.
  3. ^ a b The opposite of clockwise is anticlockwise in British English and counterclockwise in American English
  4. ^ The verb "practise" is spelt "practice" in American English but not in Oxford English. In all varieties of English, the noun is "practice".