colonize

/ˈkɑlənaɪz/

//ˈkɑlənaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"colonize" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“colonize” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,860. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,860
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To settle (a place) with colonists, and hence make (a place) into a colony.

Corpus desk

Index EN-colonize · colonize · English

colonize · rank #37,860 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #37,860
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH collarbone

Nearest frequency peer: collarbone (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “colonize”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “colonize” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

colonize vs colonial
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for colonize
PropertyValue
Headwordcolonize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɑlənaɪz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#37,860
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “colonize”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).colonizelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “collarbone” (#37,859), “condolence” (#37,861), “conjugated” (#37,862). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “colonize” is #37,860. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around colonize (IPA /ˈkɑlənaɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #37,860 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for colonize, with forms such as "ccolonize", "cloonize", and "collonize". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "colonial", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From colony + -ize. The correct English form is colonize, spelled C-O-L-O-N-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To settle (a place) with colonists, and hence make (a place) into a colony.
  2. 2
    To settle among and establish control over (the indigenous people of an area).
  3. 3
    To begin a colony or colonies.
  4. 4
    To intrude into and take over (the autonomy, experience, social movement, etc, of a less powerful person or group); to commandeer or appropriate.
  5. 5
    To settle (a group of people, a species, or the like) in a place as a colony.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how colonize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. When you are colonized by dangerous bacteria their presence in your body does no damage. You become a reservoir for those little stinkers.
  2. The administration finally sent a naval vessel to return the 368 survivors to the United States in 1864. This ended official efforts to colonize blacks.

Etymology

From colony + -ize.

This word in other languages

coloniser(Français)kolonisieren(Deutsch)colonizar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccolonize
  • cloonize
  • collonize
  • colnoize
  • coloinze
  • coloniez
  • colonizze
  • colonnize
  • colonzie
  • coolnize
  • oclonize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of colonize - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccolonize1cloonize2collonize1colnoize2coloinze2coloniez2colonizze1colonnize1
Edit distance from "colonize"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "colonize"?
"colonize" is spelled C-O-L-O-N-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑlənaɪz/.
What does "colonize" mean?
As a verb, "colonize" means: To settle (a place) with colonists, and hence make (a place) into a colony.
What words are commonly confused with "colonize"?
"colonize" is commonly confused with "colonial". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "colonize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "colonize" is /ˈkɑlənaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "colonize"?
From colony + -ize. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "colonize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bookcase#37,833bodywork#37,831diffuser#37,890elongate#37,903

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

chowder11 variantscrackle11 variantsCharing11 variantsdelving11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list