fertilize
/ˈfɜː(ɹ)tɪlaɪz/verb
fertilize is spelled F-E-R-T-I-L-I-Z-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, fertilize means “To make (the soil) more fertile by adding nutrients to it” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fertilize?
| Letters | 9: F-E-R-T-I-L-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 46,473rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fertilize?
Fertilize appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd 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 fertilize?
- /ˈfɜː(ɹ)tɪlaɪz/
Fertilize has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fertilize.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fertilize
- fertilizes present, singular, he/she/it
- fertilizing participle, present
- fertilized participle, past
- fertilise
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fertilize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make (the soil) more fertile by adding nutrients to it.
- 2
To make more creative or intellectually productive.
to fertilize one's imagination
- 3
To cause to produce offspring through insemination; to inseminate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fertilize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fertiliser |
| German | düngen , befruchten |
| Portuguese | fertilizar |
| Spanish | fertilizar, abonar |
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 fertilize come from?
From French fertiliser; equivalent to fertile + -ize.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).