radicalize

/ˈɹædɪkəlaɪz/

//ˈɹædɪkəlaɪz// verb

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

The verdict

“radicalize” is uncommon English (frequency #85,682 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,682
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make radical.

Corpus desk

Index EN-radicalize · radicalize · English

radicalize · rank #85,682 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,682
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH radiometer

Nearest frequency peer: radiometer (+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 “radicalize”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for radicalize
PropertyValue
Headwordradicalize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹædɪkəlaɪz/
Letters10
Frequency rank#85,682
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “radicalize” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).radicalizefalls 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: “radiometer” (#85,683), “Quitman” (#85,679), “ramus” (#85,686). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “radicalize” is #85,682. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

radicalize is uncommon English at frequency #85,682 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɹædɪkəlaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for radicalize, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From radical + -ize. The correct English form is radicalize, spelled R-A-D-I-C-A-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make radical.
  2. 2
    To become radical; to adopt a radical political stance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The goal of the Cultural Revolution was to radicalize the whole society, to create mass participation at all levels of decision-making, and to restore the revolutionary élan of the 1940s.
  2. Described by witnesses as a keen cricketer and pubgoer until contacts with Islamic militants radicalized him on a trip to Pakistan, he was ordered to serve at least 14 years for the plot, and for supplying militants in Afghanistan with money and equipment.

Etymology

From radical + -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

How do you spell "radicalize"?
"radicalize" is spelled R-A-D-I-C-A-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹædɪkəlaɪz/.
What does "radicalize" mean?
As a verb, "radicalize" means: To make radical.
How do you pronounce "radicalize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "radicalize" is /ˈɹædɪkəlaɪz/. 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 "radicalize"?
From radical + -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 "radicalize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list