recognize

/ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/

//ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz// verb

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

"recognize" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“recognize” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,908. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,908
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To match (something or someone which one currently perceives) to a memory of some previous encounter with the same person or thing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-recognize · recognize · English

recognize · rank #2,908 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,908
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH principal

Nearest frequency peer: principal (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “recognize”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “recognize” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

recognize vs recognized
90% similar
recognize vs recognise
89% similar

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

Key facts for recognize
PropertyValue
Headwordrecognize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#2,908
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “recognize”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “principal” (#2,907), “recognized” (#2,909), “presidential” (#2,906). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “recognize” is #2,908. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around recognize (IPA /ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,908 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for recognize, with forms such as "ercognize", "rceognize", and "reccognize". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "recognized", "recognise", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin had rare rec… The correct English form is recognize, spelled R-E-C-O-G-N-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To match (something or someone which one currently perceives) to a memory of some previous encounter with the same person or thing.
  2. 2
    To acknowledge the existence or legality of; to treat as valid or worthy of consideration.
  3. 3
    To acknowledge or consider (as being a certain thing or having a certain quality or property).
  4. 4
    To realize or discover the nature of something; apprehend quality in.
  5. 5
    To show formal appreciation of, as with an award, commendation etc.
  6. 6
    To review; to examine again.
  7. 7
    To reconnoiter.
  8. 8
    To have the property to bind to specific antigens.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I recognized his face immediately, although his voice was different.
  2. He looked in vain into the stalls for the butcher who had sold fresh meat twice a week, on market days, and he felt a genuine thrill of pleasure when he recognized the red bandana turban of old Aunt Lyddy, the ancient negro woman who had sold him gingerbread and fried fish, and told him weird tales of witchcraft and conjuration, in the old days when, as a…

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin had rare recognizare (“to try by jury”).

This word in other languages

reconocer(Español)reconnaître(Français)erkennen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ercognize
  • rceognize
  • reccognize
  • recgonize
  • recoggnize
  • recoginze
  • recogniez
  • recognizze
  • recognnize
  • recognzie
  • recongize
  • reocgnize
  • rrecognize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recognize - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ercognize2rceognize2reccognize1recgonize2recoggnize1recoginze2recogniez2recognizze1
Edit distance from "recognize"

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 "recognize"?
"recognize" is spelled R-E-C-O-G-N-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/.
What does "recognize" mean?
As a verb, "recognize" means: To match (something or someone which one currently perceives) to a memory of some previous encounter with the same person or thing.
What words are commonly confused with "recognize"?
"recognize" is commonly confused with "recognized", "recognise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recognize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recognize" is /ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/. 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 "recognize"?
Borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin ha... 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 "recognize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

principal#2,907regularly#2,911immediate#2,899Hollywood#2,897

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

organized13 variantsattractive13 variantsmountains13 variantsconstant13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list