catechize
cat·e·chize/ˈkætɪˌkaɪz/verb
catechize is spelled C-A-T-E-C-H-I-Z-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (cat·e·chize). It appears about once in every 69 million words in written English, the 262,293rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, catechize means “To give oral instruction, especially of religion; (specifically) by the formal question-and-answer method; in the Church of England and Roman…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in catechize?
| Letters | 9: C-A-T-E-C-H-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: cat·e·chize |
| In writing | about once in every 69 million words; the 262,293rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is catechize?
Catechize appears about once in every 69 million words in written English, the 262,293rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce catechize?
- US /ˈkætɪˌkaɪz/
- UK /ˈkatɪˌkaɪz/
Catechize has 3 syllables, split cat·e·chize in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-catechize.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of catechize
- catechizes present, singular, he/she/it
- catechizing participle, present
- catechized participle, past
- catechise UK
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does catechize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To give oral instruction, especially of religion; (specifically) by the formal question-and-answer method; in the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church, to teach the catechism as preparation for confirmation.
- 2
To question at length.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Catechize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | catéchiser |
| German | katechisieren , ausgiebig befragen, gründlich ausfragen |
| Portuguese | catequizar |
| Spanish | catequizar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does catechize come from?
Derived from Latin catēchizāre, from Ancient Greek κατηχίζω (katēkhízō), from κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “to teach (orally)”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχέω (ēkhéō, “to sound, to resound”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).