Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

civilize

/sˈɪvəlˌaɪz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.06 in modern English

Syllables
civ-i-lize
IPA
/sˈɪvəlˌaɪz/
22
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

American and Oxford British standard spelling of civilise.

Etymology

Borrowed from French civiliser, corresponding to civil + -ize.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

civilizes (present, singular) civilizing (participle, present) civilized (participle, past) civilized (past) civilise (alternative)

Derived Forms

civilizable civilizee civilizer decivilize overcivilize recivilize uncivilize

Frequently Paired Words

citizen city civil civilian civilisation civilization civitas

Synonyms

civilise educate school train cultivate

Questions

How do you pronounce civilize?
The recorded pronunciation is /sˈɪvəlˌaɪz/.
What does civilize mean?
American and Oxford British standard spelling of civilise.
Where does civilize come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce civilize

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “civilize”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/sˈɪvəlˌaɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “civilize”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “civilize” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.