initialize
/ɪˈnɪʃəlaɪz/
"initialize" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“initialize” is an uncommon English word, ranked #56,199 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #56,199
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To assign initial values to something.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | initialize |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪˈnɪʃəlaɪz/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #56,199 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “initialize” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for initialize is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈnɪʃəlaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #56,199 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for initialize in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From initial + -ize. The correct English form is initialize, spelled I-N-I-T-I-A-L-I-Z-E.
Definition
- 1To assign initial values to something.
- 2To assign an initial value to a variable.
- 3To format a storage medium prior to use.
- 4To prepare any hardware (such as a printer or scanner) for use.
- 5To reduce (a phrase) to an initialism, or a word to its initial.
Etymology
From initial + -ize.
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); 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
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Using “initialize”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-I-T-I-A-L-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪˈnɪʃəlaɪz/ (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.