humanize

/ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/

//ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“humanize” is uncommon English (frequency #56,186 among 23,837 “H” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,186
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make human; to give or cause to have the fundamental properties of a human.

Key facts for humanize
PropertyValue
Headwordhumanize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#56,186
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “humanize” 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). humanize lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

humanize is uncommon English at frequency #56,186 among 23,837 “H” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

humanize doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From human + -ize. The correct English form is humanize, spelled H-U-M-A-N-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make human; to give or cause to have the fundamental properties of a human.
  2. 2
    To make sympathetic or relatable.
  3. 3
    To convert into something human or belonging to humans.

Etymology

From human + -ize.

Antonyms

dehumanize

This word in other languages

humaniser(Français)humanisieren(Deutsch)humanizar(Português)

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 "humanize"?
"humanize" is spelled H-U-M-A-N-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/.
What does "humanize" mean?
As a verb, "humanize" means: To make human; to give or cause to have the fundamental properties of a human.
How do you pronounce "humanize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "humanize" is /ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/. 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 "humanize"?
From human + -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.

Using “humanize”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-U-M-A-N-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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