proselytize

/ˈpɹɒs.əl.ɪ.taɪz/

//ˈpɹɒs.əl.ɪ.taɪz// verb

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

"proselytize" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“proselytize” is uncommon English (frequency #91,948 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,948
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To advertise one’s religious beliefs; to convert (someone) to one’s own faith or religious movement or encourage them to do so.

Corpus desk

Index EN-proselytize · proselytize · English

proselytize · rank #91,948 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #91,948
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH proposer

Nearest frequency peer: proposer (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “proselytize”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “proselytize” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for proselytize
PropertyValue
Headwordproselytize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpɹɒs.əl.ɪ.taɪz/
Letters11
Frequency rank#91,948
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “proselytize” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).proselytizefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “proposer” (#91,947), “proteinuria” (#91,949), “prolifically” (#91,945). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “proselytize” is #91,948. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

proselytize is uncommon English at frequency #91,948 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈpɹɒs.əl.ɪ.taɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

proselytize doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From proselyte + -ize. The correct English form is proselytize, spelled P-R-O-S-E-L-Y-T-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To advertise one’s religious beliefs; to convert (someone) to one’s own faith or religious movement or encourage them to do so.
  2. 2
    To advertise one’s religious beliefs; to convert (someone) to one’s own faith or religious movement or encourage them to do so.
  3. 3
    To advertise a non-religious belief, way of living, cause, point of view, (scientific) hypothesis, social or other position, political party, or other organization; to convince someone to join such a cause or organization or support such a position; to recruit someone.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how proselytize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. One of these [people] whom they endeavour to proselytize.
  2. “I am not sent here to proselytize. My church is not in that business.”

Etymology

From proselyte + -ize.

This word in other languages

convertir(Español)prosélytiser(Français)bekehren(Deutsch)

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 "proselytize"?
"proselytize" is spelled P-R-O-S-E-L-Y-T-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒs.əl.ɪ.taɪz/.
What does "proselytize" mean?
As a verb, "proselytize" means: To advertise one’s religious beliefs; to convert (someone) to one’s own faith or religious movement or encourage them to do so.
How do you pronounce "proselytize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "proselytize" is /ˈpɹɒs.əl.ɪ.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 "proselytize"?
From proselyte + -ize. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "proselytize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

proteinuria#91,949quinceañera#91,964Ravenscroft#91,976serological#92,054

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list