generalize

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/verb

generalize is spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-L-I-Z-E: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, generalize means “To speak in generalities, or in vague terms” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in generalize?

Letters	10: G-E-N-E-R-A-L-I-Z-E
Syllables	4 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing	about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd 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 generalize?

Generalize appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form in the list.

generalize0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce generalize?

US /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/
Australia /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.lɑez/
/ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/

Generalize has 4 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-generalize.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of generalize

generalizes present, singular, he/she/it
generalizing participle, present
generalized participle, past
generalise

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does generalize mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

1
To speak in generalities, or in vague terms.
2
To infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles.
3
To spread throughout the body and become systemic.
4
To derive or deduce (a general concept or principle) from particular facts.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Generalize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

Language	Words
French	généraliser, faire des amalgames (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms)
German	generalisieren, pauschalisieren, verallgemeinern (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms), sich ausbreiten (to spread throughout the body and become…)
Portuguese	generalizar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms), generalizar-se (to spread throughout the body and become…)
Spanish	generalizar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms)

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.