realize
re·al·ize/ˈɹi(.ə)ˌlaɪz/verb
realize is spelled R-E-A-L-I-Z-E, 3 syllables: re·al·ize. The wrong spelling people search most is relize: about 150 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 16 of all searches for the word. Realize is a verb meaning “To become aware of, understand, or appreciate (a fact or situation, especially something which has been true…”.
How many letters and syllables are in realize?
| Letters | 7: R-E-A-L-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: re·al·ize |
| In writing | 68 times per million words; the 1,562nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 1; the most searched, relize, about 150 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell realize?
Realize is spelled R-E-A-L-I-Z-E. One wrong spelling is searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 16 of the searches for realize in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is realize?
Realize appears 68 times per million words in written English, the 1,562nd 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 realize?
- UK /ˈɹɪə.laɪz/
- US /ˈɹi(.ə)ˌlaɪz/
- US /ˈɹɪə.laɪz/
Realize has 3 syllables, split re·al·ize in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-realize.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of realize
- realizes present, singular, he/she/it
- realizing participle, present
- realized participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
- realise
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does realize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
USTo become aware of, understand, or appreciate (a fact or situation, especially something which has been true for some time).
He realized that he had left his umbrella on the train.
- 2
USTo sense (something) strongly or vividly as if real.
- 3
To cause (something) to seem real; to make realistic; specifically, to present (something) clearly to the mind, a person, (archaic) oneself, etc., so that it seems real.
- 4
To convert (something imaginary or planned, as a goal or idea) into reality; to bring into real existence, to make real.
Near-synonyms: implement, execute; actualize, materialize, embody; accomplish
- 5
To achieve (one's) potential.
- 6
To convert (an asset or property, especially investments such as bonds, shares, etc.) into a more easily usable form such as money, especially by selling the asset or property.
By realizing the company’s assets, the liquidator was able to return most of the shareholders’ investments.
- 7
To acquire (money, a profit, etc.) by selling an asset or property, through trade, etc.; also (followed by on), to make (money or a profit) on an investment, a venture, etc.
to realize large profits from a speculation
- 8
Of an asset or property: to generate (a specific amount of money or interest) when invested or sold.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Realize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | réaliser, se rendre compte, prendre conscience |
| German | realisieren, erkennen, feststellen, sich bewusst werden , verwirklichen |
| Portuguese | dar-se conta, notar, perceber , realizar, concretizar |
| Spanish | realizar, apiolarse/percatarse/coscarse de, caer en la cuenta de, caer en cuenta de, darse cuenta de, captar |
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.