prioritize

/pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/

//pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz// verb

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

"prioritize" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prioritize” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,424 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#19,424
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

prioritize vs priorities
80% similar
prioritize vs prioritise
90% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for prioritize
PropertyValue
Headwordprioritize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/
Letters10
Frequency rank#19,424
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prioritize” 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). prioritize lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for prioritize is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,424 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for prioritize, with forms such as "piroritize", "pprioritize", and "prioirtize". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "priorities", "prioritise", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From priority + -ize. First attested in 1967 as U.S. government jargon, becoming more widespread through the 1970s and ’80s, but still denounced as officialese by purists into the 1990s. The correct English form is prioritize, spelled P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things.
  2. 2
    To arrange or list a group of things in order of priority or importance.
  3. 3
    To rank something as having high priority.

Etymology

From priority + -ize. First attested in 1967 as U.S. government jargon, becoming more widespread through the 1970s and ’80s, but still denounced as officialese by purists into the 1990s.

Antonyms

marginalize

This word in other languages

priorizar(Español)prioriser(Français)priorisieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: piroritize,pprioritize,prioirtize,prioriitze,prioritiez,prioritizze,priorittize,prioritzie,priorritize,priortiize,priroitize,proiritize,prrioritize,rpioritize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prioritize - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

piroritize2pprioritize1prioirtize2prioriitze2prioritiez2prioritizze1priorittize1prioritzie2
Edit distance from "prioritize"

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 "prioritize"?
"prioritize" is spelled P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/.
What does "prioritize" mean?
As a verb, "prioritize" means: To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things.
What words are commonly confused with "prioritize"?
"prioritize" is commonly confused with "priorities", "prioritise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prioritize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prioritize" is /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/. 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 "prioritize"?
From priority + -ize. First attested in 1967 as U.S. government jargon, becoming more widespread through the 1970s and ’80s, but still denounced as officialese by purists into the 1990s. 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 “prioritize”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “priorities” - see the side-by-side comparison. prioritize vs priorities
  • 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list