scrutinise

/ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/

//ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“scrutinise” is uncommon English (frequency #71,893 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,893
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To examine something with great care.

Key facts for scrutinise
PropertyValue
Headwordscrutinise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/
Letters10
Frequency rank#71,893
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “scrutinise” 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). scrutinise lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

scrutinise is uncommon English at frequency #71,893 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

scrutinise has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From scrutiny + -ise. The correct English form is scrutinise, spelled S-C-R-U-T-I-N-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To examine something with great care.
  2. 2
    To audit accounts etc in order to verify them.

Etymology

From scrutiny + -ise.

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 "scrutinise"?
"scrutinise" is spelled S-C-R-U-T-I-N-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/.
What does "scrutinise" mean?
As a verb, "scrutinise" means: To examine something with great care.
How do you pronounce "scrutinise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scrutinise" is /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/. 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 "scrutinise"?
From scrutiny + -ise. 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 “scrutinise”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-C-R-U-T-I-N-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈskɹuːtɪnaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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