euthanize

/ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz/

//ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz// verb

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

"euthanize" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“euthanize” is an uncommon English word, ranked #74,946 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#74,946
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To carry out euthanasia on (a person or animal).

Key facts for euthanize
PropertyValue
Headwordeuthanize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#74,946
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “euthanize” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). euthanize lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for euthanize is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #74,946 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To carry out euthanasia on (a person or animal).".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for euthanize, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from euthanasia; 1970s. The correct English form is euthanize, spelled E-U-T-H-A-N-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To carry out euthanasia on (a person or animal).

Etymology

Back-formation from euthanasia; 1970s.

Synonyms

euthanatizeeuthanasiatedestroyput downput to sleepput to death

This word in other languages

euthanasier(Français)einschläfern(Deutsch)

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 "euthanize"?
"euthanize" is spelled E-U-T-H-A-N-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz/.
What does "euthanize" mean?
As a verb, "euthanize" means: To carry out euthanasia on (a person or animal).
How do you pronounce "euthanize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "euthanize" is /ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz/. 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 "euthanize"?
Back-formation from euthanasia; 1970s. 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.

Using “euthanize”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-U-T-H-A-N-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈjuː.θənˌaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list