penalize
/ˈpiː.nəl.aɪz/verb
penalize is spelled P-E-N-A-L-I-Z-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, penalize means “To subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in penalize?
| Letters | 8: P-E-N-A-L-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd 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 penalize?
Penalize appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd 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 penalize?
- US /ˈpiː.nəl.aɪz/
- US /ˈpɛn.əl.aɪz/
Penalize 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: En-au-penalize.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of penalize
- penalizes present, singular, he/she/it
- penalizing participle, present
- penalized participle, past
- penalise UK
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does penalize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation.
- 2
To impose a handicap on.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Penalize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pénaliser |
| German | bestrafen |
| Portuguese | penalizar |
| Spanish | penalizar , infligir un castigo |
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 penalize come from?
From penal + -ize.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).