illegalize
/ɪˈliːɡəlʌɪz/
"illegalize" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“illegalize” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make illegal; to prohibit by law, to criminalize.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | illegalize |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪˈliːɡəlʌɪz/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “illegalize” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for illegalize is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈliːɡəlʌɪz/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To make illegal; to prohibit by law, to criminalize.".
No misspelling variants are generated for illegalize in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From illegal + -ize or il- + legalize. The correct English form is illegalize, spelled I-L-L-E-G-A-L-I-Z-E.
Definition
- 1To make illegal; to prohibit by law, to criminalize.
Etymology
From illegal + -ize or il- + legalize.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “illegalize”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-L-L-E-G-A-L-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪˈliːɡəlʌɪz/ (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.