neutralize
/ˈnutɹəˌlaɪz/verb
neutralize is spelled N-E-U-T-R-A-L-I-Z-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, neutralize means “To make (something) even, inactive or ineffective” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in neutralize?
| Letters | 10: N-E-U-T-R-A-L-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th 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 neutralize?
Neutralize appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th 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 neutralize?
- UK /ˈnjuːtɹəlaɪz/
- US /ˈnutɹəˌlaɪz/
Neutralize 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-neutralize.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with neutralize
Also written: neutralise.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of neutralize
- neutralizes present, singular, he/she/it
- neutralizing participle, present
- neutralized participle, past
- neutralise
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does neutralize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make (something) even, inactive or ineffective.
The antidote neutralized the toxin.
- 2
To make (a territory, etc.) politically neutral.
- 3
To make (an acidic or alkaline substance) chemically neutral.
- 4
To kill.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Neutralize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to make even, inactive or ineffective:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | neutraliser |
| German | neutralisieren |
| Portuguese | neutralizar |
| Spanish | neutralizar |
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 neutralize come from?
From French neutraliser (first attested in 1642). By surface analysis, neutral + -ize.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).